STP in steering box

Planojc

Planojc

Well-known member
I have seen several Barners here using STP in their steering boxes. Which one of the many STP products are you using? I remember when it first came out there was only one STP and it was thick like honey.
Thanks, John
 
i don't us it, but wouldn't be afraid to use it in the steering gear box.............. has anyone used it in their flatheads? i have heard more cons than pros when adding it to engine oil.
 
I've used STP (the original) in the steering box of all our flatheads for years, never had any problems with it. I can remember back in the '60 using STP in the crank case of some tired Flatheads, trying to get the last ounce of energy out of them... LOL
 
Used STP a lot back in the 60s. It is good and bad, it is very good at coating metal surfaces and staying there! The main downside I am aware of is it can really gum up an engine over time. From my experience if you tear down an engine that has been running STP long term they are really black and grimy inside.
 
Why not ... it’s a lubricant isn’t it?
Its not like a steering gear sees any high RPM use … almost anything would work that doesn’t leak out
 
I have used STP in my old cars for decades. To me, it is about the perfect solution.
Use the product that has the consisity of honey.
MIKE :) (mikeburch)
 
I have used STP and/or Motor Honey in steering gear boxes for years, like fifty plus.. It does not leak out of the steering gears..
The STP/Motor Honey is a little difficult to put into the steering gears. I have found that the it works best to sit the STP in the sun for awhile, insert a small funnel into the box opening, slowly pore the STP in. pausing now and then if the funnel fills..
The gear box will only hold less than a half can/bottle..
I used STP in a 8CM engine in a boat I had in the mid '60's.. The engine was getting a little tired.. One weekend the engine blew up... No fun.. I was going to convert the boat to SBC.. A friend of mine had a F-5 truck that had a "new" Ford engine it. My friend gave me the truck for $100. I pulled the engine, it was an 8CM..
When I removed all of the marine equipment from the original boat engine I found that it had an over size pan. Removing the pan I found what I thought was the blatter from a football laying in the bottom of the pan.. Hmmmm? When I tried to pick the "blatter" up, much to my surprise I found a huge mass of STP.. So much for STP's claim that it would MIX WITH ALL ENGINE OILS..
At the time I was using Union Oils "Guard-All" 30W detergent oil.. I had switched from Union Oils Royal Triton, (Grape Juice) because UO quite making it...
 
STP is the only thing from Studebaker that stuck around. Probably because it stuck so good they couldn't get rid of it.
 
PennRite steering box lube, thick, pourable, will NOT leak. Available from Restoration Specialties, Escondido CA. Under $20.
Paul in CT
 
Since some folks are not familiar with the HAMB and search engines, I will type this out again.
First off we are talking about steering gears with a worm and roller or a worm and pin as typical in old Fords.
With the car sitting on the floor rig up a spring scale to the steering wheel rim so you can measure force needed to move the front wheels..Rig a dial indicator on the left front tire to measure movement..With plain 90w or 140w oil (or your favorite goo) in the steering box and the wheels set straight ahead pull on the scale until the front wheel moves say 2 inches and record the scale reading..Repeat several times to get a good number..The actual number does not matter..
Now, drain the steering box completely..This may take overnight or longer if you have some really thick goo in it..Refill with straight POWERPUNCH or STP..Bardahl also makes a similar goo.
Cycle the steering completely back and forth several times.
Now, repeat the former test and record the results..
The force required will be considerably less.
If you don't want to be bothered with all this measuring, just take it out and drive it.
We have a lot of people come back and say it now feels like power steering.
 
40 cpe put me on what I was looking for and I got it at Auto Zone. If you need some look for the bottle with the large opening.
 
gmc1941 said:
I've been using GD Corn Head grease for several years and haven't any problem, so far.
Click to expand...

Same here. Prior to JD Corn Head Grease I used a 50/50 mix of STP and gear oil. It got to the point that I was wiping it up off the garage floor almost as quick as I could add it to the steering box. Last May I filled the box with JDCHG before driving 7200 miles on a cross country tour and then an additional 6000 miles before the end of 2013. No leakage in 13,000 + miles and steering is actually easier than it was with any of the previous lubes I have used in the steering box.
 
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