[Eccentric Old Guy]

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/