32 Model B Cabriolet steering adjustment

The upper box bearing and race along with the number of gaskets for it are an adjustment. When you reassemble, the upper race has to be able to move.

You can have the sector housing machined for a modern seal. Along with soldering the horn rod tube where it meets its end plate will go a long way in preventing leaks. If you do this you can forget about installing the cork doughnut seal supplied in the rebuilding kit of gaskets. Your going to need to install all the other gaskets along with the upper worm bearing gaskets no matter what lube you decide to use. Make sure all mating surfaces are flat and without burs. Use a sealer on any through bolts into the housing.
 
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They aren't all just gaskets. Some are shims. Very important to follow the directions for proper adjustment.

I'd also recommend using a 50 Ford F-1 sector seal. Easy to have a machinist do a short counterbore on the housing to accept it. And it will stop all the wetness on the frame rail.

I like John Deere corn head grease as lube.
 
The easiest way to remove the upper race is to remove the top plate (already removed in your picture) then turn the steering shaft until the sector/pitman arm stops moving. Then continue turning the steering shaft and the worm will "climb" up the sector shaft and push the upper race up and out. PB Blaster helps here. If it's not coming out you may be turning the wrong way. Also a heat gun on high will help soften the old grease. If it's badly rusted in place you may want to look for a better box.
 
Thank you for all the replies. Well after a busy day I finally had the chance to attempt removing this bearing cup again. There's really no way to tap it out since it would have to be tapped from the inside which is impossible. It's stuck in there really good so I have it soaking in PB Blaster overnight. I tried all the other methods mentioned here without success, so if I can't remove it tomorrow, I'll need to drill it out. Is this the right item? https://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_mercury_early/steering-worm-bearing-lower-cup-ford-passenger.html
 
John,


Agreed that you cannot tap on the bearing cup from the inside, but at the bottom of steering box if everything for the light switch is removed the bottom of the worm gear is exposed. You can take a good sized hardwood dowel placed against the bottom of worm gear and have at it with a heavy hammer or sledge. By doing so you will be exerting upward pressure on the bearing and bearing cup. Sure, you will have to replace the upper bearing by doing so, but it is highly likely that is in the cards in any event.
 
That is a hard metal race, your thinking of drilling. I agree with DavidG start with a small hammer and work your way up. A brass rod makes a fine tool for knocking. Did you try heat from a propane torch, to the cast area around the race, your not looking to get it red hot just very warm.
 
OK, thanks. I'll try hitting it from the bottom today after it's soaked in the PB Blaster. I tried that yesterday but not too much for fear of damaging the worm gear. I know drilling will be a tough endeavor so I'd prefer to avoid that. I tried using a propane torch last night as well, but hopefully after the overnight PB soak I can get this thing out. Curiously I just found a complete steering column / gear box setup in the shed, but I think it's from a 33 pickup that we used to have decades ago. The top of the steering column tube is flared but otherwise it looks identical.
 
A '33 steering gear shaft is longer than that of a '32, unfortunately for your purposes, but the box is the same as are the worm and sector gears. As long as what you are striking the bottom of the worm gear with is softer than steel, it is highly unlikely that you will damage the worm gear. The upper bearing likely will be damaged as indicated above, but not the worm gear or the end of the worm gear shaft.
 
I love the smell of PB Blaster in the morning... smells like - Victory!!!
Thanks for all the advice. Note the wooden dowel that I tapped it out with.
Victory.jpg
 
John,


It looks like lady luck was on your side as the worm gear appears to be in good shape including the lower bearing surface, which is often pitted.
 
Yes, definitely. The worm gear is in great shape. I ordered the new bearings from Dennis Carpenter since Mac's was out of stock, but the rest of the parts are coming from Mac's.
 
if the bearings surface is good, and the worm is good, it must have been badly set up the last time some one was in there. the shims at the top are the secret. often if needed, i make my own thick ones instead of a stack of the thin ones that come in the set.
 
DavidG said:
While you have it apart you might consider having a modern grease seal installed in the outer end of the sector housing as well as substituting '36 roller bearings for the bushings in the sector housing.
Click to expand...

Hey DavidG, in order to install the roller bearings for a 36' does one have to bore the sector housing out? (I would imagine). I'm going to go through my 34 box, thought this might be a good update.

Also, do you know if anybody has documented this upgrade? I'm sure I can figure it out (wish I had a 36 box to take apart). But, if somebody has covered it before, why not learn from somebody else's work. ;)

Thanks in advance!

D
 
Well I've finally found the time to reassemble the steering gear box for the 32 Cabriolet. I had to restore the steering wheel and locate a new steering column tube from Metal Supermarkets. The PPG Concept black looks awesome on these parts. Anyway, in a previous post on this thread, it mentions that the upper race needs to move in the reassembled box. I had to reuse the original upper race since I couldn't locate a new replacement. The metal surfaces cleaned up real nice, but the fit is kind of tight. Does this upper race actually slide back and forth? Right now I have it inserted just flush with the top of the housing, but is there a way to gauge how deep it should be seated? Thanks for your help.
https://i.ibb.co/0B00wdb/Upper-race-depth.jpg
 
That is the pre-load adjustment on the bearings, so it has to slide in to increase the per-load and/or out to lower the pre-load. Once it is set it doesn't move. You set it by adjusting the gasket thickness. Guess you could just keep trying it a bit at a time and if you go to far drive it back up from the bottom like you did to remove it. But would be a lot easier to get the proper fit to begin with.
 
John,

Be very careful at this stage of reassembly. If the upper bearing race isn't far enough down to capture the bearing on the top of the worm gear, that bearing may slip off being centered on the upper bearing surface of the worm gear if you do not keep the steering shaft in a vertical position until you are positive that the upper bearing is at least loosely seated where it should be both on the worm gear and in the upper bearing race. You cannot see whether or not it is seated as the view is blocked by steering gear housing. If the top of your upper bearing race is flush with the top of the top of the housing as you indicate, then you've avoided this potential assembly pitfall. I mention it in case you take it apart again to loosen the fit of the upper bearing race in the housing.
 
The large washer on the RH side of your photo above is a special spring. That spring depresses the upper bearing race. The spring is responsible for the pre-load on the bearings. When you finish adjusting the gasket shims the spring washer will be about 50% compressed. In service if the upper race moves slightly (<.030") from jars from the road surface or stress from a turn the spring washer resets the upper race. What is the manufacturer number of the upper race you have?
 
Fred @ Southside Obsolete has/had NOS bearing and rebuild kits for these boxes at a very reasonable price. I have one kit squirreled away for mine.
 
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