Before Dave Lenzi came out with his masterpiece intermediate steering shaft, He advised me to get a new one from Cinnabar when I was looking to replace mine. Their price was certainly competitive, and it was (of course) a direct replacement.
Steering gear, intermediate shaft and slip joint replacement
- Thread starter Don Jaksa
- Start date
Dave Lenzi is 87 years old and works 7 days a week. Amazing guy
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ATF/Acetone works. I have used it to free up stuck screw jacks that have sat in the rain for indeterminate periods (so super cheap at yard sales). Think 1 inch plus Acme threads; so very, very stuck. However, and this is a huge caveat given the context, the success was accomplished on a months long timeframe. Acetone will also evaporate quickly without intervention; aluminum foil wrap seems to work well.
So, over the years, the review articles are consistent. ATF/Acetone works well; Liquid Wrench works well; all products help; Kroil is not worth the money or time it takes to track down and seems more reputation than reality. Oh, and the people going on about ATF being wildly different than Power Steering Fluid are just embarrassing themselves as both are simply hydraulic fluid (tractor fluid would likely work exactly the same too). In fact, my Subaru specifies Dexron ATF for the power steering (Type F ATF is a different animal altogether; DO NOT let a mechanic put that stuff in your GM, or other non-old-Ford, transmission; doing so is an old-school mechanic's con to get the car moving out the door and collect payment. Type F is kind of stickier/grittier.)
On an exposed nut (like might be on a steering gear), a nut splitter works great (and don't reuse 50 year old bolts and/or nuts on ANYTHING that is required to keep you and yours on the pavement).
On bolts and screws, simply drilling a hole down the center seems to relieve the pressure between the thread surfaces, and the fastener will simply be removable in the normal way (most extractors seems to expand the fastener back out against the hole threads and can be counterproductive to a successful removal of the fastener). Left hand drill bits work great with the fastener often simply backing out, and Harbor Freight has a reasonably priced set (although they should realistically be considered one-time-use) (left-hand threads excepted, of course).
If the part is removable and smaller, put in in a freezer and get it as cold as possible. This works well on crusty steel fasteners stuck in aluminum (think motorcycle cases) and works less well on crusty steel fasteners stuck in zinc (AKA pot metal). Dry ice works too. Or even wait for a cold day if you are working in a location that gets cold.
Also, using a battery impact set at lower power (a good one, Milwaukee, DeWalt, or Makita, for consumers; there are good pro tools too) to sort of rock the fastener BOTH directions repeatedly can work really well. The shock and vibration are the trick here. A plain old wrench and a hammer can also work in the same way (wrenches meant to be hammered on exist, by the way; typically an industrial item).
These lessons tend to be learned the hard way, as stuck fasteners are a pain-in-the-neck, with no one method being really the "right one". Good luck.
So, over the years, the review articles are consistent. ATF/Acetone works well; Liquid Wrench works well; all products help; Kroil is not worth the money or time it takes to track down and seems more reputation than reality. Oh, and the people going on about ATF being wildly different than Power Steering Fluid are just embarrassing themselves as both are simply hydraulic fluid (tractor fluid would likely work exactly the same too). In fact, my Subaru specifies Dexron ATF for the power steering (Type F ATF is a different animal altogether; DO NOT let a mechanic put that stuff in your GM, or other non-old-Ford, transmission; doing so is an old-school mechanic's con to get the car moving out the door and collect payment. Type F is kind of stickier/grittier.)
On an exposed nut (like might be on a steering gear), a nut splitter works great (and don't reuse 50 year old bolts and/or nuts on ANYTHING that is required to keep you and yours on the pavement).
On bolts and screws, simply drilling a hole down the center seems to relieve the pressure between the thread surfaces, and the fastener will simply be removable in the normal way (most extractors seems to expand the fastener back out against the hole threads and can be counterproductive to a successful removal of the fastener). Left hand drill bits work great with the fastener often simply backing out, and Harbor Freight has a reasonably priced set (although they should realistically be considered one-time-use) (left-hand threads excepted, of course).
If the part is removable and smaller, put in in a freezer and get it as cold as possible. This works well on crusty steel fasteners stuck in aluminum (think motorcycle cases) and works less well on crusty steel fasteners stuck in zinc (AKA pot metal). Dry ice works too. Or even wait for a cold day if you are working in a location that gets cold.
Also, using a battery impact set at lower power (a good one, Milwaukee, DeWalt, or Makita, for consumers; there are good pro tools too) to sort of rock the fastener BOTH directions repeatedly can work really well. The shock and vibration are the trick here. A plain old wrench and a hammer can also work in the same way (wrenches meant to be hammered on exist, by the way; typically an industrial item).
These lessons tend to be learned the hard way, as stuck fasteners are a pain-in-the-neck, with no one method being really the "right one". Good luck.
I use a mixture of slightly used ATF (obtained from a serial dump and fill 'flush' treatment on an Acura RDX) thinned with WD-40 purchased by the gallon. That's dispensed from an oiler can. Works good, smells good, and it's basically free.
Spray cans of WD-40 make a great stocking stuffer!
My favorite use of WD-40 in a spray can is to light a campfire. Smells good, lights easily with a match, sticks around and burns a while and doesn't burn your face off like gasoline will.
I've also heard with reliability that WD-40 can be applied to a fishing lure as an attractant, believe it or don't!
ATF or PS fluid, same difference. You can use pretty much any oil, vegetable oil was used in one study and it performed well. The thinner the oil the better and ATF creeps like a mofo. Put some on the chassis frame rail near the bottom and watch it creep upwards over time.
One change of ATF is about a gallon, half of the home brew, a gallon of acetone is ~$23, so 2 gallons for less than $25. A 12 oz spray can of WD40 is ~$13...well over $200 more for the equivalent number of spray cans. The cans just get thrown away and the 'convenience' of not having to refill the home brew squirt can is hardly worth mentioning.
I agree with almost everything you wrote. Except for the part about never re-using 50 year old bolts.
If the bolts look good and aren't rusted, what's the problem? Excepting torque to yield bolts of course...
Don, it's a little bit rude to interrupt people hijacking your thread!
When I install screws and bolts on my sailboat, I coat them with anhydrous lanolin, a non petroleum natural lubricant. It resists salt water and provides some resistance to galvanic corrosion such as a stainless steel fastener in an aluminum spar.
It is very sticky and attracts everything. Over time it will get very dirty but won't disappear.
When I have to replace a fitting, the fastener is never frozen.
It comes as a fluid or paste.
I usually dip the fastener in it before I install it.
I apologize in the most sincere way and promise never to interrupt a knowledge session again in this life or in the great beyond.Don, it's a little bit rude to interrupt people hijacking your thread!
It's ALL good and I appreciate the sharing of knowledge and experience demonstrated by the good folks who participate in this forum.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
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I don't know if you were GMC inclined back a few years there was an email listserve. Now, if you want to talk about threads that rapidly went off the rails into the weeds, go back and read through some of those in the GMCNet Archives. OMG it was comical.
But back to your replacement of your steering box. My coach was from CA via TX and as I recall there was no major problem removing the box. Seem to recall the worst part was fishing a 1/2 drive socket on an extension into the frame through a hole to get on the mounting bolt head or nut(?) Nothing a breaker bar couldn't break free though.
Speaks for itself
Day one of "The treatment"
In the lab:
Two Acetone:
Two-ish ATF:
Shake well (Not stirred):
Load the barrel:
Apply liberally:
Till all nuts are soaked:
Clean and prepare for tomorrows treatment":
Day one of "The treatment"
In the lab:
Two Acetone:
Two-ish ATF:
Shake well (Not stirred):
Load the barrel:
Apply liberally:
Till all nuts are soaked:
Clean and prepare for tomorrows treatment":
While you're doing all this work, be sure to check the steering column lower bearing. Easy and cheap swap:
Post in thread '1976 Eleganza II'
https://www.gmcmotorhome.org/threads/1976-eleganza-ii.549/post-608033
Post in thread '1976 Eleganza II'
https://www.gmcmotorhome.org/threads/1976-eleganza-ii.549/post-608033
What the heck, for the price it is a no brainer
Crown Automotive steering column lower bearing, OEM Part Number 4487696K
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Thanks Mr Wizard
The plastic syringe is interesting. I mainly use a throw away flux brush, but the syringe has some advantages.
Nicely detailed Sailor Man level post, Don... or should it be Desert Man?
