Buying 85 IDI ATS turbo motorhome!

[Cubey]

Well dang. Like some people say about Blue Devil PS stop leak, it's leaking worse now. It actually looks to be the input (steering shift) side, not the output/pitman. Regardless, that stinks. My poor (was new) brake pads are getting soaked on that side. So it means I need a brake pad job... AGAIN!!!! (that'll be the third time in ~3 years) I *just* did them last October when I replaced the already bad calipers with no warranty recourse because the shop was crappy about the "local" parts house they used with no nationwide warranty coverage. I hope it doesn't somehow ruin the new rotor (bought online) and caliper. But at least the caliper has oreilly lifetime warranty this time.

It's only about $30 in seals (for both steering shaft and pitman shaft) at retail prices but I just can't stop and do it right now, unless I pay a shop. I might just have just and do that, unless an oilburner member is around far east Idaho who could help. Or put it off for 6 months and just keep feeding it cheap tractor hydraulic fluid in the meantime.

It's times like these that RVing sucks.

At least if I end up deciding to get a new gearbox instead of messing with the seals, it's the same one 80-97 trucks use so I could get something like this which seems to have a higher rep for not being crap. https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/red-head-steering-gear-box-80-97-ford

 

[Cubey]

Well maybe I'll try getting a rebuilt one from O'Reilly once I get back together Arizona.

The core is only $15 so I could afford to keep the old one and replace the seals later, and put it on my F250, or keep as a spare. O'Reilly's gearbox has a lifetime warranty and fits the F250 so it could also be swapped.

In fact I did that with the O'Reilly vacuum pump. I moved the F250's O'Reilly lifetime warranty vac pump to the RV then bought a cheap one online to put in the truck.

Reviews on theirs is a mixed bag so it's a crapshoot if I get a good one.

Unless I buy the seals online (cheap from rockauto) and the O'Reilly gearbox, try the seals first and failing that, put on the gearbox.

 

[Booyah45828]

Seals might work, so long as the surface they ride on is okay shape.

A few years ago, I rebuilt the gearbox in the school bus because it was leaking out the sector shaft seal. The reason it leaked was because rust crept past the seal and tore it up. So I chucked the shaft in my lathe, polished the rust down to clean metal, and then installed a new seal kit. A coat of paint on the shaft after install will hopefully prevent it from happening again. The new seals worked great and have held since.

So inspect the surface really well before throwing new seals at it. Sometimes a rebuilt box might be the best option, so long as the quality is good.

 

[Cubey]

Ok I can't put it off. The seals have totally let go. This morning I found this. It's still dripping.

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[Cubey]

Since the AutoZone gearbox has better reviews, I'm going to try theirs. Same price and core price as O'Reilly's. But AutoZone automatically sent me a $10 off $50+ since I logged in and searched the gearbox. It can be used in store, so it'll save me $10 vs O'Reilly's. It's got lifetime warranty too. Gonna try to change it myself tomorrow. Worst parts will be swapping the pitman arm and putting back the hoses. It looks like it should drop right down easily without anything being in the way.

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Just 25 miles back is a "you pull" salvage yard that's listing 5 or 6 old Fords that use the same gearbox but odds are they'll be worn out so despite the cheap $30 price tag (+$10 core) I'd rather get a rebuilt one. I can afford it right now so yeah.

Maybe the $30 seals would get me by, but I'm not gonna risk it right now. I'll keep the old gearbox for the $15 core and maybe reseal it for use in the truck someday, or RV as an emergency backup.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Maybe Auto Zone would let you rent a pitman arm puller.

 

[Cubey]

Maybe Auto Zone would let you rent a pitman arm puller.

I still have the extra large one from the F250's steering gearbox swap. I just have to dig it out from a storage tote in the cargo trailer. I think it's this one: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...utomotive-van-1985-ford-e-350-econoline?pos=1

These pitman arms are too big for rental tools, and the HFT ones. At least, the rental tools 4.5 years ago were that way.

I might need to get a tie rod seperator tool but HFT is a block away from AutoZone so I can get a pickle fork there for $10, or pay $13 at AutoZone.

 

[TNBrett]

You can probably leave the tie rod attched to the pitman arm. Get the steering shaft and hoses unhooked. Then remove all but one bolt from the box , loosen the last one and let the box rotate down. Then you can pull the pitman arm with the tie rod still attached.

 

[Cubey]

You can probably leave the tie rod attched to the pitman arm. Get the steering shaft and hoses unhooked. Then remove all but one bolt from the box , loosen the last one and let the box rotate down. Then you can pull the pitman arm with the tie rod still attached.

Depends on if there's enough room to do that. I'll see if they have a loaner pickle fork first by chance. If not, i'll go get one from HFT just in case I need it. If I don't, I'll return it unused.

 

[Cubey]

I'll have to go to O'Reilly to get their 1/2" rental torque wrench. AutoZone and Advance's only go to 150ft/lbs, same as my cheap HFT torque wrench. The pitman arm nut torque spec is 230ft/lbs and theirs goes up to 250. They still offer pickle fork rentals too so I'll get that there. I'll go get those first since it's about a mile from AutoZone. That way I hopefully have everything before I start. I got a new can of brake cleaner and shop paper towels so I can clean things up before I start, so maybe I won't get as filthy working on it. If I need anything else, I'll be buying it at HFT or AutoZone I guess.

Edit: got both tools but AutoZone doesn't even get their shipment until 11am! So I have two hours to kill before I can even start.

 

[Cubey]

It didn't get there until after 12 noon. I got it changed, no leaks now. The stop leak is probably all washed out based on how much it was leaking. I had to put a lot to refill too so it was probably totally drained basically.

Biggest problem was it had a weird star? head bolt for the steering shaft clamp where it connects to the gearbox. I didn't realize it, thought it was a rounded off 12mm since that was the closest thing that fit. Couldn't see well down in there and it was a black bolt. I got an "open box" (several missing) metric bolt extractor set from HFT for $18 (full set is $30!) and that got the bolt out. Put in a new grade 8 hex head bolt. (3/8-24 threads)

I had to pull the gearbox with the pitman arm on, but the tie rod came out with light taps from a sledgehammer to the nut raised to the top of the threads. Not surprising how soaked in ATF it was. The tie rod end is a bit loose but not floppy yet like the F250 was.

The twin I beam is in the way of accessing the pitman nut when the gearbox is installed, so there's no way to properly torque it to 230ft/lbs since I don't weigh enough to stand on it while torqueing it. Plus it was turning the gears despite me standing on it with 2x4s under the pitman arm to keep it from moving. I resorted to using my HFT electric impact a few short bursts to get partial turns on the nut after I did it as much as possible with the torque wrench. I hope it's on tight enough.

The new gearbox feels pretty tight. Little to no dead zone in the middle. What there is might be the rag joint, or just normal dead zone. It's not like my F250 with tons of slop. Maybe I should have replaced the rag joint when I had the gearbox out but oh well. It didn't look that bad.

 

[Big Bart]

There are special sockets for those star head bolts. But usually a 12 point socket will work on them.

Good news is your rebuilt steering box should last you a long time and get you through the rest of your trip.

If you start to feel slop in the steering down the road check your pitman nut, the nut and arm seem to loosen not just fall off. But even at a 150 ft lbs it will not likely come loose.

 

[Cubey]

There are special sockets for those star head bolts. But usually a 12 point socket will work on them.

The problem was it was impossible to see to know what it was. Here is a pic I took before I even started, the bolt head is there but it's so covered in muck it's impossible to tell what it is. And the sun shining in didn't last long.

Oh and you can see the obvious seepage from the seal.

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[TNBrett]

Glad you were able to get things situated. That’s definitely one of those jobs that sucks way worse on a van than a truck.

 

[Big Bart]

Agree that is tricky to figure out on the side of the road. I hope you did not think I was faulting you. I only mentioned it for your future and to help others who read this thread so they understand these are not coming off with a standard 6 point socket or box wrench.

I do use brake cleaner for bolts that look like that, let's you see what you up against, also gets off the oil and grease so its harder to strip the head. I have wondered why they even use that star bolt there, likely the PS box manufacture decided on that style. My son's 67' Ford Gallaxie has the same one. He got confused on how to get it off when he saw it.

FYI I keep one of these in each of my vehicles and a couple in each tool box for things like this. Has a magnet on the end to hold the flashlight for you when working on vehicles. Two levels of brightness, also flashes red for help or to save your bacon at night on the side of the road. I highly recommend these, I give them as gifts to friends and family. Later I always get a "thank you I use it all the time!".

https://www.nebotools.com/p/FRANKLIN-DUAL/809

Harbor Freight has a cheaper version for about $8 but does not have the flashing red or the second light on the top. They are basically the same thing and work really well too.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

Glad to hear you are back on the road! What is the next stop?