7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
Just got my first antique car. 29 Model A. I need to rebuild the steering box (7 tooth) because I found a broken bearing, and I took the steering column out, I may as well replace everything.
I am trying to remove the worm gear, but there is a retainer clip in front of it. I canʻt seems to be moving the worm gear back to be able to remove the retainer clip.
Any advice?
Also how difficult is it to remove the bushing? I guess you need a press and some kind of metal rod smaller in diameter than the bushing and press the bushing out?
Any ideas or advice is greatly appreciated.
mahalo

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Do you intend to keep the car "original" for judging? Or do you just want a reliable (and safe) driver to go get ice cream in?

If a driver, go the easy route and find a 2 tooth steering box. MUCH easier to repair and keep in optimal steering condition. And you probably will be able to recycle most of the parts.

If you must keep it original, probably best to replace ALL the guts in the steering, including the sector and worm. This can be a financial hit - but almost essential to making it work to best action. And even so, you have the risk of mis-mated parts and you may not be entirely satisfied with how "tight" the steering is - or stays.

Joe K

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
Ice cream sound good. Being my first antique car I would like to try, at least this time around to keep it as original as possible. I understand thing would be easier with other steering boxes, but at this time I will refurbish the 7 tooth steering box. Its out of the car, taken apart and the parts are on order.
I am just afraid to damage anything and would like to have advice from people who went thru the process.
mahalo

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Les Andrews book, Model A Ford Mechanics Handbook Vol 1, is a valuble resource for this (and many other) projects. Mr. Andrews step by step instructions will lead you through the process of rebuilding your steering gear. go for it. Yes, there arer easier ways to go. But there is also satisfaction in doing it ourself.
RT

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
Yes I do have the book, but I need some more practical help. The worm gear is press on and then there is a retainer clip. However I cannot seem to be able to remove the clip because the worm gear is over it. Do I have to press the old worm gear further on the shaft, then remove the clip and then press the worm gear off the shaft?
Can anyone who went thru the process give me some pointers.

mahalo

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Don't quote me on this, but I have heard that like you stated, the worm gear needs to be pressed a little to expose the keeper so it can be removed. Once the keeper is removed, the worm gear can be pressed off. This is not an easy task as the worm is really tight on the shaft and it hard to hold the shaft to press the worm gear off. I don't know of a good method to hold the shaft to press the worm off. I had a couple worms replaced by different machine shops and both shops did a cruddy job - gouging up the shafts in the process. I decided to buy a new shaft and worm gear already installed from a parts supplier. The parts were made in Argentina (cringe), but unlike part made there in the 70's and 80's, the machining and fit were excellent. The shaft/worm gear worked very well.
Rusty Nelson

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Pressing the worm on and off is tricky. I suggest a search here for "worm" and you'll find many ways to DIY, as well as descriptions of special tools. You can also buy a new shaft with a new gear already in place from Bratton's or Snyder's.

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Getting the worm off on a 2 tooth (my experience) is relatively easy.

You get a piece of 1" black iron pipe a little longer than the shaft, and put the shaft down the pipe with the worm at the top. You then BANG the pipe, shaft and worm down on the pavement (or something more solid) and inertia of motion causes the shaft to leave the worm.

My investigations of putting the worm ON revealed the difficulties: it's very easy to "fold" the shaft while exposing it to high levels of force necessary to put the worm on.

You need to support the shaft nearly it's full length with some sort of "reinforcement" - possibly a thick wall tube similar to the removal, or possibly "backer-uppers" made of structural channel with the shaft sandwiched between.

Someone here indicated an easier method. Using a tap you fine thread the interior diameter of the shaft. Then using a high strength bolt or all thread and a nut, you use THAT to PULL the shaft into the worm.

A hollow hydraulic ram would make this effort even easier.

I thought this was a pretty slick dodge. The threaded portion of the shaft makes NO difference in it's action or even much on its strength.

Joe K

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Heh-heh. Joe, that's what I call "tricky"! :p

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Use a piece of pipe as a slide hammer to move the worm on a 7 tooth. Remove the retainer and the use the pipe again to remove it from the shaft. Not a real tight fit like the 2 tooth. Rod

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
Sliding hammer is a very good idea, I will try it.
mahalo

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

I use Rowdy's system. Pipe used as a slide hammer.Works well.

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
Anyone has any idea how hard the bushing are pressed in the steering column?
I have a "press" made off a 15 tons jack, I am sure that is more than enough but I would like to know how hard I have to press the bushing, just to know what to expect if I decide to trying on myself... before I break everything.
Mahalo for any suggestions.
daniel

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

I have the same problem you have. For some reason, the top thrust bearing failed and spilled its innards into the box knackering the spline slightly at the top of the worm. I have tried to move the worm up the spline to release the lock ring and then to remove the worm. My method was similar to Rowdy's suggestion. I put the steering wheel nut on the shaft level with the end of the thread. I then placed a hardwood block on the concrete floor beneath my bench vice, clamped the shaft loosely in the vice with the worm a few inches above the top of the vice, placed a gash washer on to the worm, then a piece of 1inch steel water pipe about 6inches long. With a 4lb lump hammer, I gave it a couple of hits. Unfortunately, nothing moved so I still have the problem and do not want to damage anything else as the worm and sector are like new. Have you had any success, or have any other ideas?

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
I was able to remove the worm gear from the steering shaft using a sliding pipe.
However at first nothing moved, I then saw that some part of metal were embedded between the worm gear and the shaft groves (at the steering wheel end). I removed all the small piece of metal then I had to push the worm gear tighter to the shaft in order to remove the worm retainer clip which was kind of embedded under the worm gear (is that the case with yours?). I clear the retainer clip and removed it and then slid the pipe down the shaft and was able to slide the worm gear off, fairly easily.
Now I am facing the problem of removing the bushing inside the steering box.
I have made a jig and will try in the next couple of day to remove the busing.
Will let you know if successful.

In short make sure that the grove on both side of the worm gear are clean.

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Aloha,
Got it. Got the steering box bushing out, the one inside the steering box for the steering axle. I spend a lot of time figure out who to get it out, finally I came out with a solution by building a jig. Used a couple of treaded rod with a metal plate on each end. One plate resting on the bottom of the steering box and on the other end the end plate is pushing on a pipe clamp that is pushing the busing out.Than I crank the bolt on one end until there was quite a bit of pressure on the bushing, but it wouldn't budge, so I use a sledge and tap the plate that put the pressure on the pipe clamp and the the bushing started to come out. I then keep on cranking the nuts until the bushing completely came out.

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Ok, I am in the psocess of rebuilding my 7 tooth steering box. I was looking at the sector shaft. It is an undrilled replacement. Surprise as the sector housing wasn't drilled & tapped for a grease fitting. My question is, why can't I drill the sector shaft as original. Seems to me oil from the gear box will make its way to the sector area anyway. Has anyone tried this? And why aren't the sector shafts provided with the oil holes any more.

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

This is a video I made replacing the bushings in my 7 tooth steering box while still in the Pickup.
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...1kpxH2TLliMjIX

Re: 7 tooth steering box
 

Thanks for the video, that was great. I have a 7 tooth and the process you did was very informative.