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Vega Box Dismanteling?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Rodshop, Jan 1, 2006.

  1. Rodshop
    Joined: Sep 14, 2003
    Posts: 455

    Rodshop
    Member

    Anybody ever dismanteled and reassembled a Vega box? Mine seems to be beyond being adjusted (say "worn out"). The '36 Dodge coupe I put it in drives great, but too much slop in the whool to fee safe. I have another box that is better but somebody torched off one of the mounting tabs, so I was thinking of swapping out the gut of one into the other case. Anybody have any experience with this? I didn't see anything in old posts that was on topic for this.
    Rodshop
     
  2. Are you sure the slop is in the steering box? It doesn't take much slop in a U-joint to reflect a lot of play at the wheel.


    Loosen U-joint between steering shaft/secondary shaft and steering box
    Remove pitman arm from steering box. Easier to do when the box is on the car, but it can be done on the bench. Most two leg pullers work fine for this. No banging with a hammer and pickle fork.

    Remove steering box from car.

    Put steering box in padded vise.

    Remove cover by loosening the 9/16" lock nut and use a screwdriver to turn the adjuster screw CW which will lift the cover off the box. If things are tight, tap a stiff bladed putty knife in between cover and box in several places. Don't get carried away here as you can break the top cover.

    Remove pitman shaft - it comes straight up out of the box.
    Unscrew the stamped sheet metal adjuster nut locknut.

    Unscrew adjuster nut. (Both the adjuster nut locknut and adjuster nut are at the front of the box.)

    Hold box with adjuster threaded end down or if it's still in the vise, use care and remove sector shaft taking care to keep the ball bearing race on the worm. You can disassemble this if necessary, but do it over a pan or you're liable to lose some of the many ball bearings. It can be adequately cleaned with solvent with the ball bearing race and ball bearings in place on the worm.

    Replace seals.
    GM no longer carries the seals and Mullins won't sell them separately.
    Get new seals at a Bearing House, take the old seals in as samples.

    Re-assemble in reverse order all except for top cover.
    Use a new gasket, a home-made one from thin gasket paper works fine. (Gasket thickness is not critical.)

    Get an iced tea spoon and fill the box with grease. GM specifies grease in this steering box - and probably other non-power boxes - but it doesn't seem to be available. Use Sta-Lubes Extreme Pressure grease with Molybdenum Disulphide.

    Install the cover by turning the adjustment screw CCW which pulls it down and when it's flush install the three cover retaining bolts. Don't get things into a bind here, it will be easy to see when you can torque the cover bolts.
    Spin the locknut onto the adjuster screw.

    Then adjust the box per manual specs. (Motors Manual etc.)

    Don't over-torque the adjuster screw locknut.
    If you do it will strip out the threads in the cover.


    Incidentally, the stock top cover buffs up nicely.
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    You just take it apart and put it back together, hopefully you'll replace the bushings and seals while it's apart. Not much to it, until you get to the part about adjusting it. Oh, and if it is worn out because it was dry, then you might want to pay attention to the lubrication instructions...good luck finding the correct lube, though. It needs a cross between gear oil and grease, lube that is thick enough not to leak out, and thin enough to flow into the ball nut.

    (the scans are from the Vega factory shop manual)

    C9 beat me to it....I like his post, although I'd debate the wisdom of using straight grease in a manual GM steering gear, the ball nut will wear out if you drive it a lot)
     

  4. Strange to me too, but I understand that's the GM recomendation.
     

  5. someone posted these numbers on here once:

    Cr 9818 for the pitman arm shaft seal

    cr 6130 for the input shaft seal
     
  6. Digger_Dave
    Joined: Apr 10, 2001
    Posts: 2,517

    Digger_Dave
    Member Emeritus

    I'm curious about the fact that the lower pitman shaft has a BUSHING.
    (shown in squirels manual copy)
    I have two boxes that have caged needle bearings on the lower end.
    Are mine different than Vega? (the casting number on the box matches Vega)
     
  7. Both of my Vega boxes have bushings.

    I've heard that there are needle bearings in some. Perhaps some of the later models or in GM cars that are a little heavier than the Vega. Monza etc.

    I meant to mention about the grease bit, I opened up one of the boxes after about 22,000 miles and five years and things looked ok.

    My pal has a couple of Vega boxes. Next time I'm over there I'll see if one of them has needle bearings.

    (In this day and age of inflated prices on the scarce Vega boxes, he got both of them for $40.)
     
  8. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    The manual pages are from the 1973 Vega shop manual.

    The bushing is P/N 7809250, fits 73-75 Vega/Monza with 140 engine (this from a 1965-75 Chevy parts book). No listing is given for the 71-72 Vega bushing/bearing, perhaps it was discontinued by the time my 1983 revision of the parts book was released?

    On the grease thing, I've seen a couple of older Chevy pickup steering boxes get eaten up because they had grease in them and it didn't get into the balls in the ball nut, nor did it stay on the sector teeth. Perhaps a mix of oil and grease, in a ratio that makes it pourable, is the best solution since you can't get the GM 1052182 lube any longer.
     
  9. Rodshop
    Joined: Sep 14, 2003
    Posts: 455

    Rodshop
    Member

    Great info and detail. Thanks. I had removed the top plate and looked inside some, but the detailed description will help me avoid screwups! One of these seemed to have grease in and the other 90W. I had read that they were to have grease in. I will give it a shot and hopefully end up with a better box. Thanks again
    Rodshop
     
  10. Paul
    Joined: Aug 29, 2002
    Posts: 16,387

    Paul
    Editor

    great thread,
    just might be the first tech archive entry for '06
     
  11. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    That's what we did years ago. We diluted good old wheel bearing grease with 90W gear oil. Mixed in a coffee can to get the desired consistency. We never had any come backs.

    I've read that STP works well but I've never tried it.
     
  12. Dirty2
    Joined: Jun 13, 2004
    Posts: 8,903

    Dirty2
    Member

    Nice post !!!!
     
  13. Digger_Dave
    Joined: Apr 10, 2001
    Posts: 2,517

    Digger_Dave
    Member Emeritus

    Some more Vega Seal and Bearing Numbers ...

    Upper pitman shaft bearing - Torrington - B-1412
    Lower pitman shaft bearing - *** Torrington B-1616
    *** This bearing MIGHT replace the bushing; PN-7809250.
    B-1616 - Outside diam. = 1.250
    (outside bearing housing a light press fit in box)

    Input shaft (to steering col.) Seal - Federal Mogul (National Oil Seals) - #7399S
    Output Pitman shaft Seal - Federal Mogul (National Oil Seals) - #342517

    Number of bearings (balls) in the reciprocating worm - 24 in each track (total 48)
    I have found boxes missing a couple!
     
  14. Digger_Dave
    Joined: Apr 10, 2001
    Posts: 2,517

    Digger_Dave
    Member Emeritus

    Which leads to the next question; ...
    The LIP of the pitman shaft seal faces OUT; (at least that's the way they are facing when I have taken a couple of the boxes apart)

    IF one was to use STP; would you reverse the seal??
    In another Vega discusion the fellow made a VENT in one of the top cover bolts to release any build-up of pressure. (from heat expansion) He was using 90 wt oil.
     
  15. derelict
    Joined: Nov 28, 2001
    Posts: 490

    derelict
    Member

    Thanks for this thread. I've got a worn box at home that I thought about rebuilding but wasn't sure how to take the job on. Thanks for the info, this goes in the printer.
     

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