My 65 Canso has been sitting, stripped down, indoors for a few years now.
I wend to roll it today and the wheels wouldnt turn. Almost like seized. I took the three bolts off the top and it looks like dried grease from what i can see. Any suggestions? Can it be flushed somehow and re lubricated? Im hoping not to have to pull any more apart. Willing to try any suggestions before I do anything too major.
thanks
seventy2plus2 said
January 23rd
You didn't mention whether it's power steering or manual, but I'd say get a rebuilt box and return your unit for the core charge.
canso65 said
January 23rd
Its manual.
Thanks
4SPEED427 said
January 24th
seventy2plus2 wrote:
You didn't mention whether it's power steering or manual, but I'd say get a rebuilt box and return your unit for the core charge.
On these X bodies the power steering setup is like the 64 and down B bodies with the hydraulic cylinder vs the later style with the hoses going to the box.
DonSSDD said
January 24th
If its like my 63, Parisienne and corvette, the box is filled with axle grease, can you dig out whats in there? Not sure how it would get hard and dry, that may be a sign it needs to be checked closely and at the very least need new seals. Mostly the old grease becomes more liquid and leaks out?
canso65 said
January 24th
Im not real sure if it opens up so how. There the three bolts on it and the adjusting bolt. Would you know if that is a cover plate that comes off
Your post says "the wheels wouldn't turn". Do you mean the steering wheel or the 4 wheels on the car won't turn?
4SPEED427 said
January 24th
canso65 wrote:
Im not real sure if it opens up so how. There the three bolts on it and the adjusting bolt. Would you know if that is a cover plate that comes off
It will open up but one of the issues with it is the long shaft all the way up to the steering wheel is part of the box. That only changed in 1967 when it was a more conventional style. If I get a chance later today I'll try to post a picture of it showing what I mean.
If the box is seized I think I'd either get it professionally rebuilt or look for a good used one.
canso65 said
January 24th
Steering. Wont swing left or right. They had worked as I had the old vies grip steering system on the shaft that was used when it was brought back from the paint shop.
Ill dig a bit deeper today but thats all I can think of as everything else steering wise was changed a while back it it worked fine for a long while.
canso65 said
January 24th
Who do I look for rebuilding it? A gear shop? Or is that a specialty thing?
seventy2plus2 said
January 24th
Get a rebuilt one from Rock Auto. I looked up 65 Chevy II, Lares part # 772, $281.35 + $67.35 core = $348.70 total.
4SPEED427 said
January 24th
canso65 wrote:
Steering. Wont swing left or right. They had worked as I had the old vies grip steering system on the shaft that was used when it was brought back from the paint shop.
Ill dig a bit deeper today but thats all I can think of as everything else steering wise was changed a while back it it worked fine for a long while.
By chance is the hydraulic cylinder seized up so it won't allow the box to turn? Can you unhook it just to make sure the box is the problem?
LT1Caddy said
January 24th
Very unusual to be seized. The box is sealed, it may turn to liquid. I'd be checking the suspension too. Possibly something in the steering linkage is a more probable cause.
4SPEED427 said
January 24th
If someone knows differently please correct me but I was always under the impression that the entire shaft was part of the # 14 worm as shown in the picture.
I will investigate all these today and let you know what I discover.
And it does seem odd that it seems to have just happened out of nowhere. Inside in controlled climate. No use.
I probably have a tool caught up some where!
4SPEED427 said
January 24th
canso65 wrote:
I probably have a tool caught up some where!
LOL, you never know! It may be something that will make you do one of those forehead slaps...
ABC123 said
January 24th
The first thing I would do is disconnect the steering from the wheels and see if the wheels will turn left or right.
This is coming from an over caffeinated brain, after a 12-hour shift but,
I am wondering about a seized ball joint
-- Edited by ABC123 on Wednesday 24th of January 2024 08:46:54 PM
hawkeye5766 said
January 25th
Disconnect pitman arm and fill with 30-90 weight oil. Slowly rotate back and forth..as you don't want to bend (disfigure bearing cages). These bearings run through the worm gear and cages. They get pitted and seize up. May be able to free up but also may have a "rough/grinding" feeling in wheel once free.
canso65 said
January 27th
UPDATE!!!!
Its free now!
No tools were left behind.
I grease all the front end as I am not sure the body man did at all when installing.
I put a bit of 140 gear oil in the box and slowly worked it back and forth.
So a bit of both Hawkeye and ABC advice worked. So far anyway.
I will have to keep an eye on things going forward but I think Im set!
Thanks to you all for your input and suggestions.
My 65 Canso has been sitting, stripped down, indoors for a few years now.
I wend to roll it today and the wheels wouldnt turn. Almost like seized. I took the three bolts off the top and it looks like dried grease from what i can see. Any suggestions? Can it be flushed somehow and re lubricated?
Im hoping not to have to pull any more apart. Willing to try any suggestions before I do anything too major.
thanks
Its manual.
Thanks
On these X bodies the power steering setup is like the 64 and down B bodies with the hydraulic cylinder vs the later style with the hoses going to the box.
Im not real sure if it opens up so how. There the three bolts on it and the adjusting bolt. Would you know if that is a cover plate that comes off
Your post says "the wheels wouldn't turn". Do you mean the steering wheel or the 4 wheels on the car won't turn?
It will open up but one of the issues with it is the long shaft all the way up to the steering wheel is part of the box. That only changed in 1967 when it was a more conventional style. If I get a chance later today I'll try to post a picture of it showing what I mean.
If the box is seized I think I'd either get it professionally rebuilt or look for a good used one.
Steering. Wont swing left or right. They had worked as I had the old vies grip steering system on the shaft that was used when it was brought back from the paint shop.
Ill dig a bit deeper today but thats all I can think of as everything else steering wise was changed a while back it it worked fine for a long while.
Who do I look for rebuilding it? A gear shop? Or is that a specialty thing?
By chance is the hydraulic cylinder seized up so it won't allow the box to turn? Can you unhook it just to make sure the box is the problem?
Very unusual to be seized. The box is sealed, it may turn to liquid. I'd be checking the suspension too. Possibly something in the steering linkage is a more probable cause.
If someone knows differently please correct me but I was always under the impression that the entire shaft was part of the # 14 worm as shown in the picture.
And it does seem odd that it seems to have just happened out of nowhere. Inside in controlled climate. No use.
I probably have a tool caught up some where!
LOL, you never know! It may be something that will make you do one of those forehead slaps...
The first thing I would do is disconnect the steering from the wheels and see if the wheels will turn left or right.
This is coming from an over caffeinated brain, after a 12-hour shift but,
I am wondering about a seized ball joint
-- Edited by ABC123 on Wednesday 24th of January 2024 08:46:54 PM
Its free now!
No tools were left behind.
I grease all the front end as I am not sure the body man did at all when installing.
I put a bit of 140 gear oil in the box and slowly worked it back and forth.
So a bit of both Hawkeye and ABC advice worked. So far anyway.
I will have to keep an eye on things going forward but I think Im set!
Thanks to you all for your input and suggestions.
Great news. And I learned something!