Pitman Shaft Seal Replacement

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I need to change the Pitman shaft (output) on my IROC-Z steering box before I put it in the car. The seal kit comes with 2 seals, a snap ring and a few washers. What exactly do I do with all of this, and are there any things I need to look out for when I put it all together again? Sorry, but I have never taken a steering box apart before and I don't want to do something that makes it lock up.

 

[pontiacgp]

There are no surprises...the parts slide up the shaft in the opposite sequence they came off. You should check the shaft tho for corrosion which is about the only cause for them to leak. I had one leaking and although the shaft was corroded I replaced the seals it still leaked slightly but it gave me time to find another box I liked.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

There are no surprises...the parts slide up the shaft in the opposite sequence they came off. You should check the shaft tho for corrosion which is about the only cause for them to leak. I had one leaking and although the shaft was corroded I replaced the seals it still leaked slightly but it gave me time to find another box I liked.

I don't think it is too corroded, but I will check it. It's from a Florida car and was on my car for years with no leaks. I tend to think the seals just dried out while the car had it's 10 year sit with little driving. It is a 23 year old part after all. I have a MCSS box on the car now that has no leaks. It looked like a fresh rebuild when I pulled it ( says "Rebuilt" on it), but the steering wheel has 4 inches of play. I have a new lower steering shaft and my column is tight, so the issue is with the box. I also checked pitman shaft movement relative to input shaft movement and it seems to be the culprit. I know the IROC box was tight, so I am swapping it back in.

 

[pontiacgp]

the only difference with the IROC box and something you probably already know is the stops are different so your turning radius is not as tight as it use to be.

Are you planning on tearing down your old box to see what the problem is? I've taken a top plate off a box and it seems pretty straight forward on how the mechanism works.