charger steering box leaking

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Oct 12, 10 9:23 pm

hi everyone ive started striping my charger tonite will post on workshop section when i upload the pics .ive noticed my steering box is leaking from where the steering column goes in and from where the pitman arm goes on .The box works fine and the car drives well can i just strip the box and change the seals???? if so is this a hard job????

Charger · Post by **Charger** » Wed Oct 13, 10 9:22 am

i've done the input shaft seal on mine, was a doddle, done with the steering box still in the car, don't know about the other

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Oct 13, 10 10:05 am

Getting the pitman arm off is the killer - 10 ton puller....I did once in situ on a Challenger, never again....................

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Oct 13, 10 11:28 am

thanks for the input so far guys i ordered a seal kit last nite from steer and gear

Pete could a bit of heat be used to help it on its way ?seeing as im gonna replacing the seals

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Oct 13, 10 11:39 am

I think heat does help, but continually "pulling" over a period of time (I await a comment from the Crewe crew) seems to work. Just leave it for a while and it suddenly goes "bang" and its off

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Wed Oct 13, 10 12:36 pm

I have removed two of these before. Both done with hammer and pickle fork.

I'm either a bit stronger than Pete or have a bigger hammer. Probably both.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Oct 13, 10 12:44 pm

...I normally get "a little man" to do such tasks....

It CAN be a bitch, luck of the draw.
I would have though that a pickle would have made a right mess....We best check your Challenger out, seeing as its for sale...

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Wed Oct 13, 10 1:04 pm

I "modified" the pickle for a better fit. It did put a slight nick in the casing but it was OK.

Thinking about it, I have done this more than twice. I have have swapped steering boxes twice and also had a longer than stock pitman arm on there before too.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Wed Oct 13, 10 2:59 pm

I've needed to remove loads of drop arms from steering boxes over the years and they rarely come off without a fight. I use a heavy duty Sykes Picavant hydraulic puller and a little heat. Do it at arms length because it will come off with a hell of a bang. Mark the position of the arm before you remove it to make things easier when you put it back together, there are 4 master splines if I remember correctly.

GTXJim · Post by **GTXJim** » Wed Oct 13, 10 4:43 pm

I've taken Two off this year first one took about 5 mins the other I gave up after 1/2 hour and took it to a local engineers shop, watched him struggle for 10 mins until I said " If it's too much bother forget it mate" It was a red rag to a bull, came out with the biggest two prong pullers I've ever seen must've been 3ft long, came off with a BANG!!! made us both jump. So if it doesn't come off straight away take it to an engineers shop, and let them have the grief.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Oct 13, 10 6:15 pm

thanks everyone for the advice i have some pullers at work and a large selection of large hammers

will try that first and some heat and see what happens if it doesnt go i will take to the shop

latil · Post by **latil** » Wed Oct 13, 10 6:32 pm

rickster wrote:thanks everyone for the advice i have some pullers at work and a large selection of large hammers will try that first and some heat and see what happens if it doesnt go i will take to the shop

It'll probably fall off like mine did,hardly started tightening the puller and it all fell on the ground

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Oct 13, 10 6:39 pm

latil wrote:
rickster wrote:thanks everyone for the advice i have some pullers at work and a large selection of large hammers will try that first and some heat and see what happens if it doesnt go i will take to the shop
It'll probably fall off like mine did,hardly started tightening the puller and it all fell on the ground

you know whats gonna happen now youve said that it will be a 20 ton puller and a sledge hammer and a trip to a@e

latil · Post by **latil** » Wed Oct 13, 10 6:57 pm

Of course

Do watch it,when they let go keep well out the line of fire. There's no warning

Philth · Post by **Philth** » Wed Oct 13, 10 6:59 pm

Put the nut back on the shaft a few threads before commencing the pull. It can give way suddenly and you don't want to be under it face-near when it happens.

Used a hydraulic puller on mine, left for a few days (with the odd nip-up) and it suddenly popped off when I was doing something completely different at the work bench.