Projects 1957 2 door 150 handyman

Shit i was sitting at the paylake Didn't get out of bed til 11 today

 

I believe I've narrowed my steering issue to the 605 box. If the car sits a day or two i have to "break it loose". Like it's stuck. No idea how long the box has been in the car with no lines hooked to it. So I'm pretty sure it's been dry a while. I poured some power steering fluid in it, but i was thinking maybe some marvel mystery oil would be better? I'll buy the good box this winter and change it out.

 

When I traded my old Sedan Deliv to hamtownAl ,I included 2 Brand New gas gauges. Drove it for 12 years and never once ran out of gas with the "flintstone" gauge method

 

OOPS forgot the pic...

 

Yeah I've used that method on some of my model a Ford's, but it's not possible on the 57. It's a bare bones beater, nothing fancy, but i want my gas gauge

 

I have that same gas gauge in the t-bucket!

 

When you get it figured out, let us know. The few minutes I ran mine before I pulled it back apart, my S10 box did the same thing, it seemed like it had a sticking spot straight ahead. Once past that point either direction, it worked fine, until you went back to center, then it would stick again. I don't know if that was from sitting or what, the truck I pulled it off of was devoid of it's front sheet metal, and the lines were off the box. I'm hoping it's just a small rusty spot that will wear back smooth, but I dunno. Oh, I had the lines and pump hooked up when it done this, I don't seem to notice it when the engine is off, it felt smooth before I put it on the car, still does without pressure in the line....

 

I put an S10 box on an old truck once. Manual box, from a square body. It worked great, and then one day it was shot, i had even drove the truck. Come to find out that where i had been welding on the frame, it arced across the gears and destroyed that sucker!

 

Yikes! Don’t tell me that! I had to weld a mount on the frame while I had the box bolted up. It was the lower mount for the box, it had to be welded to the bottom of the frame while the box was in place to make sure it would line up.

 

IIRC that's what i was welding when it happened, a tab for the lower mount

 

Well crap. I may end up having to change the box then. Never would have thought about that happening.
Think I’ll take the cross rod off and see if it still has a hard spot in it.

 

I gave up screwing with the gas gauge in my ‘56. My car came with a new sender not installed and a not working sender installed in a new tank.
Put in the new sender, reading’s off, adjust, better, adjust, too far, go back. A month later, it’s leaking. Fix the leak, reading 3/4 when full. Damn. Good enough for who it’s for. A few months later I fill it up and it’s leaking again. Motherf....... I think it may be a cheap aftermarket tank. At this point, I just don’t fill it up, I have other cars to tend to. I wish you better luck!


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Just an FYI regarding the 605 steering box conversions, when connected to a power steering pump, they DON'T return to center very well on their own. That may be part of the problem you have with it not returning to center, especially without a power steering pump connected. That's something the 500 series boxes do, a big improvement.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

That's my problem, with the car on Jack stands, it's still got the issue. I just sprayed about a half a can of pb blaster in that sumbitch, we'll see what happens and go from there. couple of buddies have manual steering boxes, if this don't work, I'll switch it ....

 

Damn Brother!!! If you have to switch boxes won't you have to switch column's too?

 

No I'll just cut the shaft and slide the rag joint over it, drill a hole through it and throw a bolt in it. And a couple of welds one of my buddies already cut the shaft on his and has one of the fancy street rod polished columns in it. He went to power steering, so the box should be close to fitting right in mine. But, I've been walking out there and turning the wheels from stop to stop with the pb blaster in it, and i swear it's getting better! Fingers crossed. If it works out I'll just loop the ports on the box and let it ride til winter. With everything going on here in the bluegrass state, I'm expecting them to cancel the reunion, so it's not like the car is gonna be anything but a sweet ass work car this year

 

This thing is binding just sitting still. If it sits here very long, i have to force the wheel to turn and you can feel it break lose, it's the same way with the wheels off the ground sitting on jack stands. I wish the car had the stock box back on it. I'm not well versed in tri fives, but I'm starting to figure some of it out lol. Never had these issues with a Model A and shit didn't cost so damn much for them!!

 

I have a GM column in my ply.Had to replace the turnsingle switch in the column.When I reinstalled the steering wheel I made the nut to tight which holds the wheel on and it did the same thing,Wouldn't return by it self.Loosened the nut slightly and problem solved.It must have boundup the bearings inside the column.

 

Are you kidding me? If i go out here and loosen that nut and it fixes it I'll shit down both legs I'll take some paper towels with me just in case. Let ya know if it worked in a few minutes

 

Well that wasn't it....

 

Atleast there was no extensive haz-mat clean up needed... LOL!!!

 

I know right!!!

 

I lost the box in my 442 10 years or so ago and stuck some no name box on it. Wouldn't return to center, hard to steer, pure garbage. Took it off and put a Red Head box (that didn't sound right) in it and never had another issue.

 

I just wish the stock box was still in it

 

PB Blaster is good Shit!!! I hope it works for you, I've got everything crossed for you!

 

Everything? you're gonna hurt yourself man!

 

Lloyd , with your gas gauge problem. Maybe someone has posted all ready but make sure you have a good ground strap from the body shell to the frame and a good one from the motor to the frame. a lot of guys just ground the battery to the engine and call it good and then all these 60 plus year old circuits are constantly hunting for a ground. Also done dozens of tri fives over the years and never heard where a s10 gear box was a suitable replacement on a tri five. The centerline of the steering column input shaft to the base of the pitman arm I would think would be to short and depending how you have the center link lined up with the tie rods and the pitman arm as well as how you have the column hooked up to the box. You may be putting a bind on the gears in the box. Years ago Mullins steering developed a half breed combination of a 70's era gm box and the longer pitman shaft of the tri five and it was a bolt in although I know there was binding issues at times with some of them. Later on Borgenson u joints and steering components bought Mullins out and then refined the design with new castings and components. A lot of places that deal with tri five parts offer these boxes , but buyer beware because like a lot of things out there, there is a lot of crap china wanabe's . Also I have not emotionally recovered from the fact that you waved a Watson style multi blue metal flaked panel paint job under my nose, AND THEN WENT WHITE!!! lol keep up the good work and stay safe on the day job. Larry

 

Lol thanks for the info Larry , but don't worry, I'm not going white. We'll just wait and see what happens on the paint this winter. Probably be conservative (cheap) as i have to build a truck for Mrs. Stone . I don't have an S10 box on this car, that was about a different vehicle. This car has a 605 box that I'm told can be sourced from just about any 70's G body. About an hour ago i got a phone call and Wednesday i should have a manual box here. All is good my brother

 

Shout out to danchuk for this awesome piece of shit thank you so much! Not like i didn't have to work for the money i paid for the hood springs with. Rant over.