'78 Monaco steering box woes

[Gary P]

Hello guys, and a happy new year to you all.

I wanted to ask some advice regarding removing a steering box from my '78 Monaco. I assume the same year Fury, 300, Cordoba and a few others are much the same, if that helps anyone with experience. I have a couple of shop manuals that hopefully pertain to this year, but I thought it no biggie to ask you great fella's.

I have the lines off, and I can see the two huge mounting bolts, the pitman arm is easily accessible so my questions are:

Am I going to be able to get that off with the manifold right there?

Also, what's the trick with separating it from the steering column? Is there a pin to bash out or does it slide off from a presumably splined end of the steering shaft?

What's the deal with bleeding once I've put the new box in?

I promise I have used the search tab, it keeps coming back with an error. I've looked on youtube too, there's some info but it's a scary task for me and wanted to get as specific as possible.

Your guys' help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you! Gary.

 

[Don Frelier]

It's leaking?

You should be able to remove the box with the exhaust on.

Yes you need to drive out the roll pin in the coupler. You can see it in your picture.
Have the wheels straight and check that the new box is in the middle of its total rotation.

I suggest a new pressure hose. Leave the return line loose into a jug and run at least a quart through the pump. Connect the return and with the wheels elevated turn the wheel all the way to each side a couple times.

Good luck.

 

[Gary P]

It's leaking?

You should be able to remove the box with the exhaust on.

Yes you need to drive out the roll pin in the coupler. You can see it in your picture.
Have the wheels straight and check that the new box is in the middle of its total rotation.

I suggest a new pressure hose. Leave the return line loose into a jug and run at least a quart through the pump. Connect the return and with the wheels elevated turn the wheel all the way to each side a couple times.

Good luck.

Hi Don - thanks for your response brother!

Yeah it's been leaking since I had it, but it became progressively worse and came to a head one day a few weeks back where a full reservoir jetted out the top of the steering box where that bell-shaped dust cover sits. It made an awful mess. I should have jumped on this a long time ago but so be it!

A customer and friend kindly sent me a new steering box, so I have the part, including the hoses.

I see the roll pin in the coupler...is that an allen head with thread or will a punch bash that out? The head looks like an allen but can't be too sure.

Thank you for your info Don - to clarify, once the box is in place and centered up, fill the reservoir, lift the front of the car, aim return line into a vessel to catch flushed fluid, start and idle car, rotate to full lock, rotate to opposite lock, repeat, fill reservoir, repeat. Engine off. When fluid is clean and red, reattach return line, fill reservoir, drop car to floor, turn lock to lock and add fluid when level drops.

What step did I miss?

Thank you kind sir!

 

[Don Frelier]

I know the older ones are a roll pin so a punch works.
I had a 77 Fury years ago but never needed to change the box in mine.
See if you can find a factory service manual.
MyMopar has them but I only found up to 73. That manual still shows a roll pin.
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109

As far as flushing:
You may want to flush out the pump with the old line still attached first.

A couple other things:
1. You need to pull the whole column into the car a bit to pull of the coupler from the steering gear.
To do this you'll need to take the bolts out of the floorplate and there is usually a strap under the bottom of the dash.
Make sure not to yank too hard on the wiring or other shaft accessories, if everything is loose it moves pretty easily.
2. You'll need to remove the large nut on the output shaft of the gear it's like 1-1/8" or something large and it's very tight.
3. You may need a puller to get the arm off the gear as well.

Don't forget to disconnect the battery as you'll be working near the starter.

Hope this helps.

 

[Don Frelier]

Regular old power steering fluid is all you need.
See if you can get a gallon jug for cheap.

 

[Gary P]

I know the older ones are a roll pin so a punch works.
I had a 77 Fury years ago but never needed to change the box in mine.
See if you can find a factory service manual.
MyMopar has them but I only found up to 73. That manual still shows a roll pin.
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109

As far as flushing:
You may want to flush out the pump with the old line still attached first.

A couple other things:
1. You need to pull the whole column into the car a bit to pull of the coupler from the steering gear.
To do this you'll need to take the bolts out of the floorplate and there is usually a strap under the bottom of the dash.
Make sure not to yank too hard on the wiring or other shaft accessories, if everything is loose it moves pretty easily.
2. You'll need to remove the large nut on the output shaft of the gear it's like 1-1/8" or something large and it's very tight.
3. You may need a puller to get the arm off the gear as well.

Don't forget to disconnect the battery as you'll be working near the starter.

Hope this helps.

GOOD AND BAD...

Thank you so much for all this information - it came in really handy!

GOOD - I changed out the steering box last night. It wasn't too much of a bear, and your advice and tips made it a lot easier so thank you Don!

Everything is hooked back up and bolted down, and is ready to bleed.

EXCEPT FOR THE BAD....

The steering is now really tight, not because of the box being empty/no power assist yet, but because there's a bind happening inside the column, right up by the steering wheel. I rotate the column a little and can hear and feel the binding happening.

Is there a bearing that I may have compressed when tapping the column back into the car? I'm finding it very hard to figure out how to pull the column apart to look! Eeeek!!!

 

[HawkRod]

Is there a bearing that I may have compressed when tapping the column back into the car? I'm finding it very hard to figure out how to pull the column apart to look!

There are actually 3 nuts that hold the column to the underside of the dash. These need to be loosened (at least in my experience) to allow the column to slide back a bit enough to get the coupler off of the splines for the steering box. Did you loosen these? As long as you did, I can't see how the steering column would have any issues. If you did not loosen any part of the column and you forced it backwards, then you could have affected the safety collapsing element in the steering column that is designed to collapse in an accident and avoid impaling it into your chest.

Let me see if I can find a few pictures of my 70 steering column. I believe they are at least very similar...

Hawk

 

[HawkRod]

Here is the collapsing safety feature. One part of the column slides into the other, but they are held in place by a plastic "weld" that is designed to break in an accident. If it does, I am still not sure it would cause binding.

There is also a bearing that looks like this.

The coupling has shoes in it that can pivot back and forth a little bit as it turns. If they do not have enough room, then they could perhaps cause a bind. I would check that area first.

Good Luck!

Hawk

 

[Gary P]

Thanks Hawk - I'm thinking that, due to the noise that's absolutely up at the steering wheel-end of the column, I've crushed the bearing, or something has come off/slid out/whatever it might be. I have resigned myself to the fact I have the unholy task of taking the column apart, shifter, turn signals and all :-(

 

[HawkRod]

Thanks Hawk - I'm thinking that, due to the noise that's absolutely up at the steering wheel-end of the column, I've crushed the bearing, or something has come off/slid out/whatever it might be. I have resigned myself to the fact I have the unholy task of taking the column apart, shifter, turn signals and all :-(

The good news is, as daunting as pulling the steering column sounds, it really isn't too bad. Once on the bench, you can see if there are any issues with the column. If none, reinstallation should go quickly!