Disassembly and Assembly
DISASSEMBLY
1. Drain lubricant from gear housing by removing filler plug.
2. Secure steering gear in a suitable vise.
Fig. 5 Disassembled view of constant gear ratio manual steering gear. 1984-85 626 & 1986 323:
3. Remove tie rod ends, then the boot wires and boots, Fig. 5. Mark the threaded part of tie rod for assembly reference.
Fig. 4 Tie rod removal & installation:
4. Remove tie rods and washers using a suitable wrench, Fig. 4.
5. On 1984-85 626 and 1986 323, proceed as follows:
a. Remove locknut, adjusting cover, spring and pressure pad from gear housing.
b. Remove dust cover, locknut, rear cover, oil seal and upper bearing.
6. On 1986-87 626, proceed as follows:
a. Remove locknut, adjust cover, spring, pressure pad plates and pressure pad from gear housing.
b. Remove dust cover, locknut, rear cover and oil seal.
7. On 1987-88 323, proceed as follows:
a. Remove nut, adjustment bolt, adjustment cover, yoke spring, spacer and support yoke from gear housing.
b. Remove oil seal, stop ring and snap ring.
Fig. 8 Removing rack. 1984-88 626, 1986-88 323 & 1988 MX-6 manual steering gear:
8. On all models, remove pinion, then the rack in direction shown, Fig. 8. To facilitate removal of pinion, strike housing gently with a soft mallet while pulling assembly out with a pair of pliers.
9. Remove mounting brackets and rubber mountings.
10. Remove lower bearing, if necessary, then the gear housing. To remove lower bearing, heat gear housing in hot water to approximately 176°F, then tap bearing out with a wooden hammer.
ASSEMBLY
W/Constant Gear Ratio Steering Gear
1. Before assembly, the following parts should be coated or packed with lithium base grease or equivalent:
a. Upper and lower pinion bearings and pinion teeth.
b. Inside of gear housing.
c. Lip of oil seal.
d. Pressure pad sliding and rear surfaces.
e. Inside of housing rack bushing.
f. Rack gear and outer circumference of rack shaft (7.87 inches from either end of shaft). Use care to avoid covering ventilation holes in rack shaft with grease.
2. Press lower bearing into gear housing.
3. Install rack in the opposite direction of removal.
4. Install pinion assembly with rack positioned so that notch on teeth edge of rack is at center of pinion.
5. Install upper bearing, then apply suitable sealant to rear cover threads and screw rear cover into position using tool No. 49 0259 700A or equivalent.
Fig. 13 Measuring pinion preload w/manual steering gear:
6. On 1984-85 models, rotate pinion back and forth several times to seat bearing, then close rear cover and adjust pinion preload to 4.32 inch lbs. Reading on scale, Fig. 13, should be approximately 1.1 lb.
7. On all models, loosen rear cover then adjust pinion preload to 1.74-2.60 inch lbs.
8. Tighten locknut to 58-72 ft.lbs. on 1984-85 models and 1986 323 or 51-65 ft.lbs. on 1986-87 626 models, then recheck preload. If preload is not within specifications, loosen locknut and readjust.
9. Move rack so that pinion is centered in rack gear (neutral position).
10. Apply suitable sealant to adjusting cover threads, then install pressure pad, spring, adjusting cover and locknut.
11. On 1984-85 models and 1986 323, torque adjusting cover to 7.2 ft.lbs., then back cover off an additional 15°. Torque locknut to 29-43 ft.lbs. on 1984-85 models or 43-54 ft.lbs. on 1986 323 models.
12. On 1986-87 626 models, torque adjusting cover to 43 inch lbs., then loosen cover and retorque to 43 inch lbs. Back cover off an additional 15°, then torque locknut to 43-54 ft.lbs.
13. On all models, measure pinion preload. When pinion is within 90° of neutral position, preload should measure .61-.87 inch lbs. on 1984-85 models, .87-1.21 inch lbs. on 1986 323 or 9-12 inch lbs. on 1986-87 626 models. If measuring with a spring scale, Fig. 13, preload should measure 25-35 ounces on 1984-85 models, 35-49 ounces on 1986 323 or 22-31 lbs. on 1986-87 626 models. When pinion is in any other position, preload should measure .61-1.30 inch lbs. on 1984-85 models, 20 inch lbs. or less on 1986 323 or 17 inch lbs. or less on 1986-87 626 models. If measuring with a spring scale, Fig. 13, preload should measure 25-53 ounces on 1984-85 models, 81 ounces or less on 1986 323 or 4.4 lbs. or less on 1986-87 626 models.
14. On all models, install rubber mount on column side of paper.
15. Install tie rods, using new washers, and torque to 58-72 ft.lbs. Align washers with grooves in rack and crimp the washers to hold in place.
16. Install oil seal so that it is flush with end of rear cover.
17. Install dust cover into pinion groove.
18. Install boots with new wires. Wrap wire twice around boot and twist ends 4-5 times around.
19. Install tie rod ends, aligning reference marks made during disassembly. Exposed portion of threads should measure .47 inch.