power steering gear removal, found a shim after...where??

[General23cmp]

I recently pulled the power steering box from my 1969 Satellite. In this process I had to pull the steering column away from it as well as remove the starter for better clearance. After patting myself on the back when the gear lowered completely out, I noticed a shim on the floor of my garage...just my luck. It looks like a simple body shim (rectangle/square-shaped with a slot cut out...making it kinda look like the letter "U"). I'm hoping this was just a body shim that was lost many years ago, but does anyone know if this may have dropped from anything I disconnected? I looked around the bolt holes and mounting points and do not see evidence of the shim being there.

 

[WesleyK]

Shouldn’t be a shim between the k member and gear box. Could have been dropped many moons ago and has enjoyed the ride till now. I’ve found tons of sockets, and stuff over the years. Unfortunately never anything of value haha

 

[beanhead]

Don't lose it...sometimes they got shimmed for better alignment. You'll know when you go ro re-assemble everything.

 

[General23cmp]

Don't lose it...sometimes they got shimmed for better alignment. You'll know when you go ro re-assemble everything.

The PS gear box, starter, or column?

 

[beanhead]

Sorry I was speaking of the gear box, although I've heard of people shimming the starter too.

 

[Lngbrdz]

shoe spring.
it goes in the coupler between the column shaft and gearbox to hold the 2 shoes that clock the steering gear

 

[General23cmp]

Thanks, but that wasn’t it. I didn’t take any of that apart, plus the shim I found was flat, like a body shim. It was like a washer, but square and the hole opened up on one side.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks, but that wasn’t it. I didn’t take any of that apart, plus the shim I found was flat, like a body shim. It was like a washer, but square and the hole opened up on one side.

If it has the typical 5/16-3/8" slot it's a body shim.... If it has a 1/2" slot it's possible the steering box was shimmed....

 

[General23cmp]

I don’t even remember anymore. It’s been a while now. I put it somewhere to save it, but all went back together and works fine so far without it. Thanks.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I don’t even remember anymore. It’s been a while now. I put it somewhere to save it, but all went back together and works fine so far without it. Thanks.

I didn't notice Lngbrdz had dug up an old post..... Glad it's working well...

 

[origcharger]

I had a K member out of a 70 Super Bee that still had the PS gear attached, when I removed the box there was a shim like you describe under the mounting ear closest to the frame rail. I blasted/painted the k member and installed it in my 66 Charger with manual steering, left the shim out and screwed the 1/2" bolts through the smaller holes on the 1966 aluminum box and never noticed an issue. Now a year later I am installing a Borgeson power box and it doesn't quite sit flat and flush on all three mounting points and has me thinking about that shim.