1933-34 steering

Do you mean 15:1 turning ratio. The only hassel I found rebuilding the steering box is the top race is expensive and hard to find. The steering box is close to the exhaust manifold and heats the lubrication to a solid over time, so the top race starves for lube. In turn the upper race and bearing can fail prematurally. Synthetic lube is better for heating of the lubrication. Now not to digress but when I talked to other Early V-8ers and was told that 1500W Gear Oil would work better than synthetics because it allows the lubrication through its viscosity to travel up the worm gear to the upper bearing and race. Another thing I found while rebuilding the box is with the sector shaft gear bushings (2) on the market today do not fit properly and will need to be machined to fit properly. Other than common practices in setting up the box you should be fine.
 
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While you're at it, replace the sector shaft bushings with '36 sector shaft needle bearings and have the sector housing machined for a modern grease seal at the outer end of the housing. The bearings will provide a bit of a reduction in steering effort and the modern grease seal will be far more effective than the original cork seal.
 
The 36 sector shafts were carburized to withstand the high contact loads from the needle bearings. They are extreamly hard.
 
Has any one had any success with replacement parts ( worm and sector ) ??? I have been told they wont adjust to get play out .
Nick
 
Whizzer
I replaced the 13:1 worm and sector with 15:1 parts purchased from Mac's. I inquired about the quality by asking Richard Lacy (Early V8 Garage). He seemed to think they were OK.
They adjust just fine.
Jim
 
Andy said:
The 36 sector shafts were carburized to withstand the high contact loads from the needle bearings. They are extreamly hard.
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The 35 sector shaft (bushings) has the same heat treatment as the 36 shaft (needle bearings). I don't know for certain about the 34 shafts, but suspect they also have the same heat treatment.
 
Given the wear pattern on the many '32 to '37 sector shafts I have seen, I believe that all of them have comparable metallurgy. But, the point may be completely valid when the sector shaft is of recent manufacture. I have difficulty believing that the recently-manufactured replacements conform to Ford's original metallurgy specifications. It is well known that one of the major reasons Ts, As, and early V-8s have much higher survival rates than their period competitors is the extra effort (and money) Ford put into the metallurgy of its components.
 
I have just tested one they are not as hard as you would think in the shaft part ,its a juggling act between hardness and flexibly as they have a double function one is to resit ware and the other shock .The sector teeth do have a hard skin.
 
Thanks ( about my jumbo wheels ) I have an extra set of wheels but the real problem is hub caps. barry bowers made stainless ones. He told me that he sold the tooling . I sure wish they would make new ones. Anyone have more info ?
 
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