PS Gear Box Rebuild Questions

[ft bronc]

Help me out of a jamb! I'm putting my stock '73 PS gear box back together, but there a couple weak points in the instructions I'm following, so I'm hoping you guys will be able to answer my questions.

1) The original Saginaw instructions talk about balls of two colors - black & shinny. I only have shinny. Is that normal?
2) Mine also has 34 balls, which is ten more than any of the instructions I've found. Again, normal?
3) The saginaw instructions use a special tool to hold the balls in place in the rack piston to allow assy back into the box. I don't have one, so I was going to follow the method from an on-line article from a 4x4 mag, but their box had far fewer balls than mine & so won't work for me. What's the best way to install the balls?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[broncnaz]

1. normal over most I've pulled apart had only shiny ones.
2.Normal most of the instructions are for generic saginaw boxes might make a differance in ball count since the bronco one is 6 turn.
3. not tool needed. Follow the instructions on the site You may have to turn the worm a little back and forth just a little to get all the balls in but they will go in.

 

[brewchief]

Mine were all shiny, some looked slightly less shiny so I split them into two groups, I'm pretty sure they were all the same though.

I think I had more than I expected, if they came out put them back in.

I didn't even know there was a tool, I just carefully fed them in till they were all in, IIRC I used a little grease to hold them in the little tube while getting the bolt in place.

Hardest part for me was getting the teflon ring started into the main cylinder, when I was all done I noticed a tiny sliver of the ring on my bench, I put it in the truck anyway and it works just fine.

 

[Larry B]

The ones I have assembled in other equipment was done by seperating the balls into 2 dishes of the same number. I put the steering shaft inside the outside bearing race and block it with a 1 by board so it is some what centered in the outside race. There is 4 holes in the outside race and the first and 3 rd go around the race in the same direction. I feed the balls in slot 1 and 3 . both at the same time 2 balls at a time. you can hold preasure on the 2 balls with 2 fingers and rotate the shaft back and forth and they will feed right around until all is in except the ones that go into the feed back track. fill these tracks with the remening balls and plug the ends with a gob of grease. Then plug both into the outside races. It is easier to do than tell about it.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Clean your balls with some brake cleaner then look at them under a couple different types of light. You'll see the difference in them. If you have a precision mic you can measure the difference. I've heard conflicting stories of ball numbers. Put them all back in.

A wooden dowel will work as a substitute for the special tool. Don't remember the exact size but it about 5/8" diameter.

 

[73azbronco]

Clean your balls with some brake cleaner then look at them under a couple different types of light. You'll see the difference in them. If you have a precision mic you can measure the difference. I've heard conflicting stories of ball numbers. Put them all back in.

A wooden dowel will work as a substitute for the special tool. Don't remember the exact size but it about 5/8" diameter.

Wow, this is like X rated advice.

 

[ft bronc]

Thanks for all the help. Turns out the balls were diff sizes - once I mic'd them you could see the color difference, and I was able to get them all in in a trial assy.

One last question: what keeps the balls from working their way out of engagement with the worm & dropping inside the rack piston? Seems like there's nothing at the end of the worm to keep them in.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Thanks for all the help. Turns out the balls were diff sizes - once I mic'd them you could see the color difference, and I was able to get them all in in a trial assy.

One last question: what keeps the balls from working their way out of engagement with the worm & dropping inside the rack piston? Seems like there's nothing at the end of the worm to keep them in.

They ride the groove between the worm and the piston. I think the piston groove is made so they can't drop out. That's why it's important to get the right size dowel when putting it together.

 

[ft bronc]

They ride the groove between the worm and the piston. I think the piston groove is made so they can't drop out. That's why it's important to get the right size dowel when putting it together.

But during my trial assembly - that didn't go well because I hadn't yet realized the balls were two diff colors - they did come out the end of the piston by walking right down the piston/worm groove. I left the plug out of the piston so I could watch, but the plug stops way short of the end of the worm & can't possibly hold them in. I didn't use the dowel method - just installed the piston then dropped the balls in through the hole for the sector shaft.

I'm sure I'm just not seeing something correctly here, but not sure what.

 

[Viperwolf1]

The worm needs to be centered on the piston hole before and during ball installation. If you get it off center the balls will roll out.

 

[70_Steve]

Clean your balls with some brake cleaner

I did that once, by accident!!! It wasn't fun...:-X