Manual Steering Box...assistance needed...

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64ValiantRagtop

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Can anyone tell me where I can get a rebuilt manual steering box for my 64 Valiant...or where I can have mine rebuilt...and it won't cost an arm and a leg?

I can't find them for less than $250, or so...but I can find power steering boxes for less than $100 (plus core charge). :banghead:

As strange as it may sound, I really want to keep my manual steering...

Thanks in advance. :toothy3:
 
They are very easy to “rebuild”.
The ball bearings in the top and bottom and needle bearings on the sector shaft are rarely bad.
Just take it apart, good cleaning, pack with new grease.
I do not take the ball assembly apart. The manual does not say to.
I just clean it out with mineral spirits and compressed air.
Only need two seals.
Chicago Rawhide 11067 and National 7214.
Later tonight when I get home to another computer, I think I have some pics. of one I just did.
The service manual has instructions.
If you want I can scan and upload that too.
The biggest thing is DO NOT loose the needle bearings in the old grease.
Be very careful.
I count them on removal and keep up with them.
You can do it for a few bucks.
Not much of an adjustment to it when you get it back together.
You can guess at "inch pounds".
 
I rebuilt mine, even got a crack in the housing welded. If you have a slant six, you don't even have the needle bearings to lose, just a bushing on the output. Easy to open up, clean, and regrease. Several posts. Probably not worn and just needs the play adjusted. Adjust the input shaft play before touching the sector shaft adjustment. If you need seals, the ones for the power gearbox work on both shafts.
 
Found pics.
Note the fixture I made to hold it.
And the "spanner" I made to take the thing apart.
 

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It only has grease in it? No other lube of any sorts?
 
Yes,
The manual says to pack it with grease on assy.
(I use red Mobil syn. for eveything. It high temp, high press. and water proof. Save buying different kinds of grease)
People put oil in them because the seals go bad.
The grease dries up or leaks out.
I'll post the manual ref. later tonight.
Not much to it.
 
Here's the manual reference for an idea on what you are doing.
You don't need the fancy tools because you aren't going to take out the bearing races.
Your's probably are good. We aren't talking high speed here.
You can get the "torques" by feel close enough.
Clean it up before you take it apart.
The seals just pop out in the normal fashing with a screwdriver or whatever.
It mentions things like a "shim". It should have been "shimed" at the factory so no change there.
You'll find it.
The fancy tool for keeping the sector shaft needles in place is not needed.
But DO be careful removing it and those needles. I use a super magnet pick up tool to get them out of the grease. Put them back in the same race they came out just because.......
Some rumor has it that some units have a bushing in place of the needle bearing. But I haven't found one like that yet.
It says don't take the ball rack apart (That's an "assembly" and those screws don't want to move anyway) But you can slosh it in mineral spirts, move it around, use compressed air.
Just don't let it "run" on the worm. Once the grease gets cleaned out, it will if you let it.
Pack the unit full of Mobile Syn. grease. All you an get in it.
When you re-assemble it, pack grease on one side of the ball rack and move it to pack it on the other side.
Notice that is actually say "do not use gear oil".
But that's what people put in rather than doing this.
I've done serveral have driven one car cross county and back. I put 74 miles a day on it.


Oh, and nothing wrong with keeping the manual steering. It will never leak or need a belt. Let's say what a good one the Chrylser one is.
Saves weight. Back in the day, people thought power steering was "modern: and fancy. And momma liked it. Power is nice, but I don't think an A body really needs it.
 

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adriver said:
Some rumor has it that some units have a bushing in place of the needle bearing. But I haven't found one like that yet.
Click to expand...
Like I said, slant six boxes have a bushing, not needle bearings. Others stated this in prior posts. My 64 Valiant convertible box had bushings. The O.P. didn't bother to tell us what engine he/she has. Prior posts in the last 6 months discuss what grease to use. I packed mine with moly wheel bearing grease. Probably the biggest concern is the grease cooking away from the exhaust heat. I removed the big locking nut with a hammer and chisel after soaking in WD-40, but a CA car w/ no corrosion. Instead of the special tool in the manual to unscrew the input shaft loading nut, I used 2 Phillips screwdrivers in the holes w/ a long pry bar across them. Mine looked worse inside, with just a small amount of dried-up grease. Probably hadn't been opened since 1964.
 
I have a perfect one that came out of my 65 dart 100 bucks shipped. It worked beautifully when I took it out but went to rack and pinion. Pm me if interested.
 
64ValiantRagtop said:
Can anyone tell me where I can get a rebuilt manual steering box for my 64 Valiant...or where I can have mine rebuilt...and it won't cost an arm and a leg?

I can't find them for less than $250, or so...but I can find power steering boxes for less than $100 (plus core charge). :banghead:

As strange as it may sound, I really want to keep my manual steering...

Thanks in advance. :toothy3:
Click to expand...


I was just at DESERT VALLEY junk yard here in the PHX metro area. I bought a steering box for my 70. while looking around I saw dozens of old darts like yours . I know for a fact that they have what you're looking for cheaper than rebuilding. I only paid 60 bucks. :burnout:
 
BillGrissom said:
Like I said, slant six boxes have a bushing, not needle bearings. Others stated this in prior posts. My 64 Valiant convertible box had bushings. The O.P. didn't bother to tell us what engine he/she has. Prior posts in the last 6 months discuss what grease to use. I packed mine with moly wheel bearing grease. Probably the biggest concern is the grease cooking away from the exhaust heat. I removed the big locking nut with a hammer and chisel after soaking in WD-40, but a CA car w/ no corrosion. Instead of the special tool in the manual to unscrew the input shaft loading nut, I used 2 Phillips screwdrivers in the holes w/ a long pry bar across them. Mine looked worse inside, with just a small amount of dried-up grease. Probably hadn't been opened since 1964.
Click to expand...

Have you actually found one with bushings?
My spare boxes are in a jumbled pile and I can't honestly say what cars I pulled them from.
Some 6 cars, i'm sure.
But no bushings yet.
Even it he has a 6 car, you know that doesn't mean anything from Chrysler. (giggle).

Now, you mean to tell me that people have been having to discuss what kind of grease to use?
Did it get as silly as some of those "what is the best oil to use" discussions?
 
gtmopar said:
I have a perfect one that came out of my 65 dart 100 bucks shipped. It worked beautifully when I took it out but went to rack and pinion. Pm me if interested.
Click to expand...

buy this....pulling one at a yard and paying 70 is no deal when this can show up on your doorstep for $100.
 
Since it looks so easy to rebuild. Does someone sell the shaft & Gears etc to make it a 16:1 Ratio?? Looking at this gets me to thinking that Flaming River and the other companies are totally fking people over.
 
Mad Dart said:
Since it looks so easy to rebuild. Does someone sell the shaft & Gears etc to make it a 16:1 Ratio?? Looking at this gets me to thinking that Flaming River and the other companies are totally fking people over.
Click to expand...
couldnt agree with you more ,i have rebuilt a 55 chevy box how much harder can it be?:violent1::protest::bom:
 
Mad Dart said:
Since it looks so easy to rebuild. Does someone sell the shaft & Gears etc to make it a 16:1 Ratio?? Looking at this gets me to thinking that Flaming River and the other companies are totally fking people over.
Click to expand...

Nobody sells the high-ratio gear sets anymore, which is a bummer. They are dead easy to rebuild.

Oh, BTW V8 '64s have the bushings too. The bushings are kind of a problem, they wear out, not like the needle bearings. Then your new seal will not cure the leaking, and there will still be slop in the box.
 
There is alittle more to rebuilding a manual box. The worm gear teeth will usually have a worn spot from being used in the center position from driving with the wheel in the straight position. If you don't reface the teeth and remove this worn spot the box will have that Bind feeling when you try to remove the play in the center position. By this i mean it will feel nice and tight in the center position but you will feel a bind when turning the shaft to the left or right. As far as weather yours is a bushing box or one that uses three stacks of needle bearings (total of 121) depends on the last three digits of the casting number. 349 is a needle bearing box, 350 is a bushing box. There are other part numbers but these are to two most common. I sell the worm gear bearings and races if you need them.
 
"three stacks of needle bearings (total of 121) "

maybe 120 is the right number ?

that would be 40 per stack,,,
 
Dang...I had completely forgotten about this thread...and for some reason, I got a notification of a response today. Talk about a blast from the past.

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I actually found a place through the Dodge Dart section of RockAuto.com where you purchase a rebuild of your steering gear box...you send it to them, they rebuild it, and send it back. I did that...and have the rebuilt steering box on my car. Now I just need to finish rebuilding the rest of the car. Unfortunately, it has taken a back seat many times due to financial reasons...and I even put the car up for sale once, but didn't have any offers...so, I guess I'll finish it whenever I can.

Thanks again everyone.
 
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