80 steering box oil

[Chris]

Chaps, as part of routine fooling around, I was wanting to check the oil in the steering box. I have just nipped the screw on the top a bit and reduced the floppy factor a little at the wheel. The FSM casually instructs you to remove the bleed plug in order to check the level. Great. Bleed plug? I can see the four top plate bolts that are in the picture, but the bleed plug. Huh? Has anyone any idea where this is? The FSM picture looks so obvious. Until you compare it to the steering box that is. There is no oil visible in the bolt holes for the cover cap incidentally. Thought there might be, but noop.

Chris

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Chris, there is a plug on top of the steering box with a hex drive recess in it, is that not it? Maybe its me but I thought the steering box was lubricated by the power steering fluid but I may learn something here.


Andy

 

[Chris]

Andy I don't think so. I looked at that but that is the plunger shaft seal something or other. This thing I am after is labelled as the bleed plug on the FSM. It is very clearly separate from the 4 cover plate bolts. It says it wants 640cc of API GL4 SAE 90 in there, so not Dextron PSF.

I tried to to get the hex plug out. Ha Ha. Not a chance.

Chris

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Chris, I just tried getting that hex headed bung out of an old steering box to find out what was below it. In a big vice with a tight hex plug socket and masses of heat,guess what? It didn't move,just rounded the hex off.It will come out, if I have drill it out in it's entirety I will find out whats behind it.
I've got to say though, you would never get one out in situ.
will keep you posted on developments




Andy

 

[Chris]

You've too much time on your hands!! You need to find yourself a woman. That'll sort you out.

I have looked on the EPC and there is no mention at all of the bleed plug in the parts listing. If you are messing with an old box, do the four cover plate holes open out into the box? Can I pour oil down those for example?

Chris

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Hi Chris, the four bolts you are talking about are all blind so that idea is out. The plate itself can be lifted about 10mm but for some reason wont detach from the body so that idea is out also.
Looking at the box in the vice I can only see that hex plug is the filler. Have you got a leak?

Andy

 

[Chris]

Not that I know of, but there is a level and I like to service things so I wanted to check the level. You have to remove the 4 bolts and the screw the middle bolt down as you lift the lid off. It's threaded and the other end is sort of captive in a vee slot like an upside down wood screw. Clearly not been an issue for the rest of the community judging by the response so far. Here's the pic I am looking at:

Chris

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Hi Chris,my reading of the diagram is that you remove the hex plug, check the level, if oil is required use the "bleeder plug" to facilitate filling and check until the level is correct.
I might try again to remove the plate with the backlash adjuster a bit later.

Andy

 

[Chris]

Looks like the hex is something to do with it. Maybe something that got changed, I dunno. Look here

The hex doesn't look to me like something they intended to be a service point.


Chris

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

It looks to me like the bleeder plug noggin thing that they show on the diagram is indeed different in design to what is actually on the steering box itself. If it was a raised hexagon instead of a sunken one then it could be taken off with a spanner and give one more of a fighting chance if it was rusted up.
If you were hell bent on checking the level you have more chance removing the top plate and measuring the level from there although there may be clearance issues to the inner wing.
One thought has sprung to mind, in the past on the trucks in the same situation I have mig welded a square bar to the plug and turned it out with a spanner.

Hope this helps


Andy

 

[DaveN]

The pages you're looking at are for 'Manual steering'.

What you probably have is 'power steering' Hence no gear oil, fill, or drain plug.

 

[Chris]

So the steering box just runs dry?


Chris

 

[Chris]

Right, based on the pearls of wisdom from Dave, I had another shuftie at this. I had no idea that there were tow section on exactly the same thing. Well why would you when the foreword doesn't mention it. With the power steering there are needle roller bearings and all sorts of technology in there. So. No oil then.

Cheers Dave.

C

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Chris, have just opened this steering box up. It deffo runs on ATF through it therefore no level to check.IIRC the bleeder plug in the diagram is the one used on a 40 series box. I think the purpose of the hex bung in the box is to facilitate bleeding the system on installation.
Looks like the hounds were chasing a hare today instead of a fox!

Andy

 

[DaveN]

Ha, the manuals cover so many variants, and jumps about all over the place. I guess some markets didn't have power steering - I bet that was fun to park.

 

[frank rabbets]

With power steering perhaps they mean ; use the bleeder plug [to remove air] and then check the oil level in the RESERVOIR ??

Adjusted my steering box some time ago to about 18mm free play at steering wheel rim [just using finger and thumb on the rim].

Frank