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.
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.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
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?
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
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.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
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.
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?
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
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.
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!
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.
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.
