2-tooth Steering box leaking above Upper Race

T

Thearne3

Member
My late 2-tooth steering box is leaking oil from the slot of the upper column. I presume this is coming from the upper race, but haven't disassembled to find out. The steering box was rebuilt by previous owner and has expected bearings that replace the brass thrust washer and sector bushings.

So it's hard to imagine a leak from the upper race - unless it's cracked. :confused: What else could it be?

BTW. The column is out of the car and horizontal - can oil leak out the upper race in that position?

Any thoughts/suggestions?
 
It would be all but impossible to overfill the steering box with 600w to the point that it would leak out past the upper bearing race when the steering column is in the car. The fluid would come out of the filler hole before it reached the upper bearing. Due to the design of the steering box, fluid would first leak out past the sector shaft, lower bearing, sector shaft end plug and/or the four threaded studs on the outside. Lying the steering column horizontally will definitely cause 600w to leak out past the upper bearing race, especially if the steering wheel does not tilt it at an angle. Thicker lube such as Penrite will most likely not leak here, but 600w always finds a way out of the steering box. Too many places of opportunity for it to do so.
Not all is lost, though. The design of the steering box does not make it easy to lube the upper bearing unless completely full, which doesn't stay at that level long, if ever when in the car. By lying the column horizontally for a while, you are lubing the upper bearing and race very thoroughly. I usually do this after rebuilding a steering box and filling it with lube and before installing the jacket. Then I know the upper bearing has been coated more than I could have done during assembly. When you turn the column upright, the leak will stop - at least from past the upper race, that is! You'll just need to wipe the exposed area coated with stinky leaked 600w lube a while unless you remove the steering wheel and mast jacket to clean the upper race. Not a fun job unless you have the correct steering wheel puller.
Marshall
 
The normal oil level is when the gear box is installed in the car in normal position. A lot of steering boxes have the lower light switch mounting plate with the tube added on to keep the oil in the box as long as the unit is in the car and it is in normal position. If the unit is removed and set on a horizontal plane then the oil can leak around the tube as well. If the gear box is original, it can leak around the bushing on the sector shaft and especially if there is much play in the bushing.

Gear oil is slow to seep out but it will find a way eventually if the gear box is not in it's normal position.
 
Same experience but oil leak was caused by a dumb mistake. Evidently there was some residual oil remaining in the 2 tooth box, and when the entire unit was turned upside down to paint it and the housing together, oil leaked by the upper bearing and bushing somehow. Then, when it was returned with the steering wheel end up, the oil slowly was leaking out at the upper clamp. Some where it's noted that over filling the box and going up steep hills, a similar situation can occur.
 
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