[toobroketoretire]

I'd like to remind you guys your steering boxes also need lubrication. They were originally filled with a special "steering box oil" that was a thick semi-liquid oil specifically designed for use in steering boxes but over time that oil slowly drains out thru the bottom shaft seal; leaving the steering box completely empty.

I have always hand-packed my steering boxes completely full with #2 moly chassis grease but today I added a 1/4"-28 grease zerk to one of the lid bolts so I can use my grease gun.

To completely fill the steering box just remove one of the other lid bolts then start pumping until the grease starts coming out of the other bolt hole. Put the bolt back in and you're done for the next 100 years..................

 

[[email protected]]

excellant advise ! I did that as well .. the seals always end up leaking and the box gets dry

 

[toobroketoretire]

excellant advise ! I did that as well .. the seals always end up leaking and the box gets dry

My shop manuals specifically tell me to NOT use chassis lube; only the special "steering box lube" that is designed for steering boxes. Well, as far as I'm concerned a steering box that is full of #2 chassis lube is a LOT better than a steering box that is completely empty. The nice thing about using #2 grease is it'll never leak out like the original oil did.

 

[[email protected]]

you made me curious , so I checked ...my GM book says use Steering Gear Lube or you can use Waterproof Grease,which is what I used years ago... and it also says should never need re-filling , but these cars are old and that lube eventually leaks out

 

[vettex2]

just don't use KY

 

[[email protected]]

just don't use KY

LOL!:doh:

 

[toobroketoretire]

Once Filled They'll Never Need Any Further Lubrication

you made me curious , so I checked ...my GM book says use Steering Gear Lube or you can use Waterproof Grease,which is what I used years ago... and it also says should never need re-filling , but these cars are old and that lube eventually leaks out

I'm going to make a bet. I'll bet every C3 has a steering box that is completely empty unless the owner has filled it with grease.

Like any lip-type seal the seal in the bottom where the shaft extends out eventually wears out enough where the oil seeps out and as it happens so slowly it's not noticed.

As I know about these dry steering boxes that's why I'm alerting all of you to the problem so you can take corrective action before your steering box wears any further.

To put grease in them is real easy as it only requires two of the bolts being taken out then grease being pumped in via one of the holes until grease comes out the other hole. Grease gun hoses have 1/8" NPT male threads so it's real easy to adapt something to go down into the bolt hole. But as I have the tools I just drilled and tapped one of my bolts for a 1/4"-28 grease zerk (as my picture shows).

But like Fish said, once it's completely filled with grease it'll never need any further lubrication because the grease will never leak out.

 

[[email protected]]

I liked your drilled bolt idea, so I drilled and tapped one of my cover bolts for zerk fitting too.. works great .. convenient