I broke a PS box bolt

[5spdCab]

Thanks, but I have plenty.

Time. As in I have none. I am battling to get my little fishing boat in the water. I got Bluefish from shore already and I want to go chasing them! I had water in the lower unit at the end of last season. I took it to my dealer guy in Feb. and after two months they gave up. A bearing/seal housing right under the water pump was corroded solid. It took me 7 hours to drill/chisel/drill it out. Now I can't get the exhaust housing seal assembly out either. So this motor is down for the season. I had to remove it and mount my other motor just to get it ready for the water. Then I added a front mounted hitch to my tow vehicle. Getting parts has been a problem during the pandemic. So my wagon sits around a lot but I do use it for big parts chasing and Home Dupa runs. I just can't spend the time to remove and replace it. I probably have 6 or 7 good boxes laying around from various GM cars. I will need to search for a non-leaky one and just swap that in. Then, my wagon is an '83 which used the newer "O" ring hoses. The motor is a '79 so I kept the '79 PS pump and a '79 Firebird PS box for compatibility's sake but it used the old style hoses. I would want an old style box to replace this one and it is going to be a big job I can't dedicate time to right now. I'll just park it until I get my life squared away.

You must still be rather young, at 61 yrs I have learned that life never gets squared away.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I'm almost 68, but every now and then- life gets manageable. Barely.

 

[Bonnewagon]

This is nuts. As I research these boxes it is telling me that ALL '83-86 Bonnevilles used the F-41 box. Even my V-6 model. I am thinking RockAuto and others are wrong in the way they identify these things. I believe there are only two differences. The pre-'79 big 13/16" -36 spline shaft and the '79 up small 3/4" -30 spline shaft. The splines are all the same. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[Bonnewagon]

No difference in splines. Good. Well, here is the SOB that cost me two days of labor so far. The hot wrench and lots of Gibbs Oil got it loose. Good time to drain the PS pump too while it is disconnected. Onward, ever onward......................................................................................................................................................

 

[mikester]

No difference in splines. Good. Well, here is the SOB that cost me two days of labor so far. The hot wrench and lots of Gibbs Oil got it loose. Good time to drain the PS pump too while it is disconnected. Onward, ever onward...................................................................................................................................................... View attachment 177038

I dont know if I'd buy a steering box from rockauto. Last time I priced one out the core charge was a lot of money and the shipping costs made me buy one from the local advance auto. I bought boxes remanufactured by Lares. Theyre in MN. Check out their website. They have quite a few for G bodies

 

[Bonnewagon]

The only time I bought a rebuilt box was from a local REAL auto parts store decades ago for around $200. It is still in use. I only used RA to identify the boxes I had on hand. I must have 6 or 7 of the older ones with the inverted flare fittings. I only have a couple of the "O" ring type. Luckily this one is in pretty good shape so I just fixed it and put it back in service. I thought it was hemoraging from the input shaft seal but now after cleaning it- no leak? Wait for it- it'll comeback.