Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

On my '28 Sport Coupe there is a grease Zerk (or fitting) where most would have a plug for filling the steering column with oil. I could always be wrong, but I think the original owner may have filled it full of grease and that's why it steers so hard. (I'm sure I should check other things) Is there a way to clean out the old grease, or what ever is in there? I don't really want to pull the column out for a rebuild.

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

It's possible the seals are blown in the steering gearbox. Some old timers used grease to take up some play, or because the steering box would leak gear oil. As I understand it, grease is a poor substitute for the original oil, because the grease would be pushed away from the gear teeth, leaving the gears open to further wear.

There is a discussion about this at the following link:

forums.aaca.org/topic/185011-grease-ok-in-steering-box/

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

There are two sections in the 7 tooth steering box. The one on the left and lower is for grease and the one on the upper side to the right is for the oil.

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

The short answer is that you can’t remove the grease inside the box without removing the column and taking the box apart. The longer answer is that your steering box probably needs a total rebuild. AND, the grease inside is probably NOT the reason your steering is hard. It may contribute to the problem, but is not the sole culprit. Aside from that, removing the grease and putting gear lube in will most likely give you problems with that lube leaking out. These steering boxes did not have any real seals from the factory so, no, the seals are not blown out. Most likely you have a “7 tooth” steering box and they were not a good design to begin with and can be tough to rebuild as there are no internal adjustments to take up slack in the system. If you are in a local Model A club, perhaps there’s a knowledgeable person who can help you assess the situation before you get too involved.

Good luck. Bob Bader

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

Is your model A harder to steer than other model As?

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

It was common to install that grease fitting, but, it wasn't suppose to be for grease. Most people didn't know that though.
As a kid we had a grease gun filled with heavy oil [ 600W] that was used to fill the boxes. That was easier and faster.

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

I haven't driven another A since......20 years ago so I don't know. Backing downhill out of my driveway takes both arms and effort to turn the wheel!

Re: Cleaning Steering Gear Box
 

You are 20 years older. It might be helpful to drive another A before tearing things apart.