manual steering box

[7072f100]

hi everyone, hows it going? im new to ford trucks, been a GM guy all my life. i bought my wife a 72 f100 and am in the process of getting back on the road. my question was what kind of lubricant do i use in the manual steering box??? looks like it has just grease in it???  thanks and have a good one!!!!!

[70_F100]

First, let me say WELCOME to Fordification.

The lube is a multipurpose grease.

I think there may be some other threads on here about that, and maybe even a tech paper about how to go about filling it.

[7072f100]

thanks!!! im thinking 80W90 gear lube??? looks like i can fill it on top. thanks for the welcome too.

[70_F100]

No, 80W90 will leak out.

The correct lube is a multi-purpose lubricant, like a chassis lube.

[7072f100]

grease LOL!!!! ok thanks again!!!!  

[robroy]

Hi 7072f100 and 70_F100,

7072f100, I hope you'll not be put off by my adding my own question to this thread, but my question is almost the exact same one as yours.  

Here's a photo of my manual steering box; I'm sure it's the same one you're using, 7072f100.



I read the part in the Ford shop manual about servicing it, but didn't fully understand it.  Or perhaps I wondered whether their fancy method of putting grease in is really required--it seemed kind of over-complicated.  

If anybody happens to know this information and is inclined to share, would it be possible for somebody to explain what A, B, C, and D are?  And if I'm supposed to put in regular chassis grease, how do I squirt that in?  I don't see any kind of grease fitting that would make it an easy job.  How does this work?

Thanks very much!
Robroy

[fordman]

b is the adjuster for the up and down of the gear meshing. a and c are the bolts that hold the top on. i cant see what d is. i think or thought that you just took the top off and put the grease in that way. what does the manual say?

[7072f100]

hey robroy,hows it going? i just unscrewed (A) and its big enough to fit  grease gun in. not sure if its the proper way to put in the grease but thats the only way i see unless you do what fordman says and take the whole top off.  have a good one!!! 7072f100

[70_F100]

"A" is the fill plug, "B" is the adjustment screw, "C" and the two nuts hold the cap on, and "D" is an expansion plug.

You really don't want to remove the cap unless you're rebuilding the gearbox.  

Actually, you're supposed to remove the bolt on the cap that's closest to the firewall and pump the grease in through "A".  This allows air to escape as the grease goes in.

Someone apparently has "studded" two of the bolts, so unless you can remove the stud at the top of the photo, you'll have to take out bolt "C" to accomplish this.

If the studs I'm seeing are double-ended with a hex under the brake line bracket, you can remove the nuts, lift the bracket out of the way, and remove the upper one to do it properly.

If you don't want to go to all of that trouble, don't give it a second thought.  Just remove bolt "C" and pump grease in through "A" until it starts coming out the "C" hole.  Once you've accomplished this, put the bolt and plug back in, jack up the front of the truck, work the steering back and forth from stop to stop and repeat the procedure.  This helps make sure you get out any air pockets that may be in the grease.

[7072f100]

thanks 70_f100, have a good one!!!

[Fastbackin1970]

Is that a pic of the Bendix or Saginaw box?

[robroy]

Good morning Fastbackin1970,

That photo of of the manual steering box, and I'm not sure which one it is.  They only made one manual steering box for these trucks though, as far as I know!

Robroy

[brandon.k]

Can someone explain how the adjustment on "B" works? Id like to tighten mine up but wasnt exactly sure how it works.

[Fastbackin1970]

Good morning Fastbackin1970,

That photo of of the manual steering box, and I'm not sure which one it is.  They only made one manual steering box for these trucks though, as far as I know!

Robroy

No they made a Bendix box and a Saginaw box. Just wonering what picture that one is, if I had to guess I would say Bendix.

[knightfire83]

Can someone explain how the adjustment on "B" works? Id like to tighten mine up but wasnt exactly sure how it works.

I adjusted my 4x4 manual box and it tightened up the steering nicely.  If your box is the same, I don't know... It'd be best to consult a manual specific to your application.  Here is what I did for mine:

1. Raise the front tires off the ground.  Support the vehicle with jack stands.
2. Turn the wheels either all the way to the left or right.
3. Loosen the locking nut.
4. Turn the gear mesh adjusting bolt a few degrees clockwise. (It doesn't take much)
5. Tighten the locking nut making sure the adjuster doesn't move.
6. Turn the steering wheel back and forth to check for binding.  If it's going to bind it will do it when the wheel is centered. This is where the gears in the box mesh the closest.  If it doesn't bind,
7. Lower the vehicle and go for a test drive.

This adjustment will change the way the steering wheel returns to center.  If it is adjusted to tight, the wheel wont automatically return to center after a turn, or it will be hard to turn in the center of travel.

If everything is still turning smooth but the steering is still a bit loose go back and repeat steps 1-7 until it starts to bind then back the adjustment of a degree or two counter clockwise until things work perfectly.  You may not get all the play out of the wheel by doing this adjustment as it isn't a fix for a badly worn out box or loose steering linkage.  When I performed the adjustment, I only moved the adjusting bolt about 30* and it took about 3 test drives to get it right.  

Any adjustments to the steering system is going to be critical to the safe operation of your vehicle.  If your not confident in your abilities to make this adjustment, your best bet would be to take it to a certified mechanic.