why you want to replace your steering box?

Fitz.

You,ve got to be pretty careful adjusting the boxes.It can be as little as a 1/4 turn between tight and lock up.What that screw adjusts is the gear mesh between the sector shaft and worm gear and your adjusting the high point(tightest at center).Pretty hard to do on the car.I rebuilt steering boxes from manual model t's to big rigs for about ten years so i have a fair bit of experience rebuilding them.As for play i hope your garage remembers this is a 1950's car not a corvette.I think these probably had play in the front end when they rolled off the assembly line.There's not a whole lot in these old boxes a couple worm bearings that wear out if the y get dry,a wormshaft and ball and a sector gear,Not alot of parts that get major wear.I would suspect the front end components would wear out far before the box.I know my new 54 has some movement,probably king pins,etc. but i will try it as is and see before i order a rebuild kit for the front end.

In hindsight i should have left well enough alone, i was happy with the steering the way it was.
Its funny, the garage also said it needed reverse lights and seat belts. MPI says no.

When i phoned Manitoba Public Insurance they said the same thing, if it didn't originally come with them you don't need them. I think the belts bolt through holes drilled in the floor with plates underneath and the shoulder part gets connected to bolts welded in the post between the doors. I think I'll put some lap belts in the back seat for the youngsters. It seems I've been having bad luck with garages lately, the last vehicle i took in for safety drove better before the $900 they charged to make it safe.

That makes sense, I don't plan on doing that any time soon but its good to know. Got the other steering box in today, huge difference from the old one. Now it seems i have a charging issue, something to check out tomorrow.

you can assume that your generator is good to 85%.

But this test don't tell you if the bushing are worn or the brushes are long enough, but it should "charge".

Fitz.

Went over to my brothers and started cutting out some rust. I think it went pretty well considering its the first time either of us mig welded.

Was that a patch panel or did you fabricate it yourself?

Looks good.

A little more spot putty and the first coat of primer

Good progress.

Okay the run is gone and 5 coats of clear

Nice!