Disassembly and Assembly
Disassembly1. Place steering unit in a vise, then remove tie rod assembly, Fig. 1.
2. Remove boot retaining clips and wire, then the boots.
3. Using a chisel, turn up the staked section where ball housing joins the tie rod assembly and the rack, then loosen the ball housing and remove tie rod assembly.
4. Remove oil lines, adjusting plug locknut, adjusting plug, spring and plunger.
5. Remove valve housing retaining bolts, then the valve housing assembly and shims.
6. Using a drift, remove rack shaft assembly retaining ring.
7. Remove holder assembly, rack shaft assembly, O-ring, seal ring and oil seal.
8. Using tool J-35527 and J-7079-2 or equivalent, remove back-up ring.
9. Using a plastic hammer or equivalent, remove valve housing from valve housing assembly, using care not to damage oil seal lip.
10. Using tool J-33997 and 33997-4 or equivalent, remove valve housing bearing. Do not remove bearing unless bearing is damaged.
11. Remove oil seal, snap ring and sleeve.
12. Remove oil seal and spacer.
13. Remove stud shaft, O-ring and seal ring.
14. Remove O-ring and seal ring.
Assembly
Before assembly, wash all parts in suitable solvent, lubricate oil seals, O-rings and seal rings with ATF, and apply Besco grease L-2 or equivalent to the teeth and sliding parts of the rack shaft.
1. Install sleeve and O-ring.
2. Install seal ring as follows:
a. Fit O-ring (1) into seal groove and slightly expand seal ring, Fig. 2.
3. Install spacer, then using tool J-33997-7 or equivalent, install oil seal with oil seal lip facing toward sleeve side.
4. Install stub shaft, O-ring and seal ring, then using tool J-33997-5 or equivalent, form seal.
5. Install sleeve assembly.
6. Install snap ring and sleeve pin. Ensure sleeve pin fits snug at rear of oil seal.
7. Install oil seal and bearing. Ensure oil seal lip faces valve housing inner side.
8. Using tool J-33997-10 or equivalent, install valve housing.
9. Using tool (A) J-33997-2 and (B) 33997--3 or equivalent, install oil seal (1) with oil seal lip facing outward, Fig. 3.
10. Install back-up ring facing toward valve housing assembly.
11. Install O-ring, then using tool J-33997-6 or equivalent, install seal ring.
12. Install rack shaft assembly, then using a plastic hammer, drive back-up ring against steering housing.
13. Install oil seal, holder assembly and retaining ring. Ensure oil seal faces inward toward rack, Fig. 4.
14. After installation of rack shaft and holder assemblies, push rack shaft in as far as possible, then measure distance between end of holder and tip of rack shaft. The oil seal is positioned correctly when measured distance is greater than ``L,'' Fig. 5.
15. Install adjusting shims. If components of the valve assembly, valve housing assembly, rack shaft assembly or rack housing assembly have been replaced, clearance of the valve housing and steering housing mating surfaces must be performed.
16. Check clearance of adjusting shims as follows:
a. Apply grease to pinion gear teeth and bearings.
b. Install seven adjusting shims to the valve striking surfaces of the steering housing.
c. Total thickness of the shims should be .014 inch.
d. Center rack in vise then measure rack stroke. Rack stroke should be 2.5 inches.
e. Torque steering housing to 18 ft. lbs., then using a feeler gauge, measure clearance between steering housing mating surfaces and valve housing surfaces.
f. Using measurement from step e, divide measurement by .002, then remove shims equal to measured gap.
g. Apply liquid gasket to mating surfaces of the valve and steering housings, then torque to 18 ft. lbs.
17. Apply grease to plunger side surfaces, seat surfaces and adjusting plug inner surface, then install plunger and spring.
18. Tighten adjusting plug as follows:
a. Torque plug to 3.6 ft. lbs.
b. Loosen adjusting plug, then repeat step a.
c. Loosen adjusting plug 30-35°, then install adjusting plug locknut.
d. Check pinion shaft starting torque. Torque should be .434-1.012 inches. If pinion shaft starting torque is different than specified, the adjusting plug must be readjusted.
19. Torque adjusting locknut to 49 ft. lbs.
20. Torque oil lines to 49.5 ft. lbs.
21. Install tie rod assembly and locknuts to the rack shaft, then torque locknuts to 14.5 ft. lbs.
22. Install new boots, retaining wire and clips. Temporarily tighten outside retaining clip.
23. Install tie rod ends and torque to 40 ft. lbs., then make final toe-in adjustment and permanently tighten outside retaining clip.