The Ford Barn

larry harding · 05-25-2023, 02:41 PM

i'm stil l working on my '30 speedster project. i had the steering box and column apart checking the gear and worm for wear. everything looked good so i reassembled it, new gaskets, and packed with grease. when i put it all together the steering wheel sits about 1 1/4" above the flange for the throttle/ spark levers. the steering wheel sits down with just the end of the woodruff key showing and the nut threads on as it should. the steering wheel turns good so i don't think i could have made a mistake putting the gear box together. where did all this space com from? ( i have a 31 pickup and the steering wheel just clears the spark throttle area)

Marshall V. Daut · 05-25-2023, 03:32 PM

1st mistake? Packing grease in the steering box = kiss of death for the sector gear teeth. Take the unit apart and clean out that grease and put steering lube inside, such as Penrite. If you must use 600w (which will leak out), mix it 50-50 with STP oil treatment. You want a lube that will cling to the worm gear and sector teeth to reduce metal-to-metal wear. Grease will squeeze out from between the teeth and worm gear after a few turns, leaving the gear and teeth un-lubed. A recipe for disaster. And get rid of the Zerk fitting on top of the steering box! It was originally installed by Ford so that dealerships could pump LUBE (not grease) inside quickly. Install a plug instead so that you won't be tempted to pump grease inside again.
Marshall

Big hammer · 05-25-2023, 04:23 PM

I’ll add how is the sector bushing or modern bearings going to get lub? Mikes Affordable has a 1500w oil that might work better than 600w

51504bat · 05-25-2023, 04:25 PM

Corn head grease. Get it from a John Deere dealer.

hudson32700 · 05-25-2023, 04:31 PM

As #4 post mentioned corn head grease works great, and does not leak out.

JayJay · 05-25-2023, 06:47 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by larry harding

i'm stil l working on my '30 speedster project. i had the steering box and column apart checking the gear and worm for wear. everything looked good so i reassembled it, new gaskets, and packed with grease. when i put it all together the steering wheel sits about 1 1/4" above the flange for the throttle/ spark levers. the steering wheel sits down with just the end of the woodruff key showing and the nut threads on as it should. the steering wheel turns good so i don't think i could have made a mistake putting the gear box together. where did all this space com from? ( i have a 31 pickup and the steering wheel just clears the spark throttle area)

Larry - the flange (aka notch plate) is a press fit onto the upper column housing. If you were somewhat vigorous in banging out the upper housing (either pot metal or aluminum, depending upon whether it's an original bushing or a repop) then you may have slid the notch plate lower onto the upper housing thereby creating that gap. The notch plate overlaps the housing only about 3/8" or a bit more. The upper bushing should sit down into the notch plate so that the levers ride on the flanges, not on the bushing. That puts the upper surface of the bushing below the flanges.

And I agree, get rid of that grease and use the proper lubricant. I had to rebuild the box on my '31 because someone in the past filled it with grease, which hardened and caused the worm/sector to bind up.

It's likely a long shot - but are you sure you have the proper column and upper housing? They varied between the years.

JayJay

bobbader · 05-25-2023, 07:04 PM

Larry, you don't mention if all these parts were together as one steering column tube/steering box before your reassembly. If you are "assembling" the units from various parts you had on hand, you may have an outer tube that was used in Early 1930 which is 1+ inch shorter than the standard 30/31 tube. Mechanically, this was probably a holdover from the 1929 2tooth steering column wherein the inner shaft was 43" rather than 44". This is easily determined by measuring the overall length of the tube as compared to the length of the tube in your pickup truck.

And, contrary to Jay Jay's statement, I have found that the "notch plate" is not just a press fit over the outer tube. They are pressed on in a very specific location and spot welded in place (REALLY HEAVILY SPOT WELDED!) so they cannot move if the press fit loosens.

Good Luck

ursus · 05-25-2023, 07:31 PM

The notch plate/flange can be brought closer to the steering wheel by loosening the clamp on the lower end so that the entire column tube can be moved upward to the correct position. That is, assuming you have the correct length of the inner shaft.

larry harding · 05-26-2023, 06:30 AM

for what its worth, i am using corn head grease in the steering box, it is a thin grease and my understanding is made for gear box applications. this car supposedly spent its life in a lumber yard in s.c., so i doubt any one changed the outer tube. if it was wrong before i took it apart, ididn't notice. as i mentioned there is over 1" between the t/s cup and the bottom of the steering wheel, way more than my pickup and other cars i've seen. if i put something wrong in the steering box i dont think it would work so smooth.

05-25-2023, 02:41 PM	#1
larry harding Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: western n.c. Posts: 393	what did i do wrong?? i'm stil l working on my '30 speedster project. i had the steering box and column apart checking the gear and worm for wear. everything looked good so i reassembled it, new gaskets, and packed with grease. when i put it all together the steering wheel sits about 1 1/4" above the flange for the throttle/ spark levers. the steering wheel sits down with just the end of the woodruff key showing and the nut threads on as it should. the steering wheel turns good so i don't think i could have made a mistake putting the gear box together. where did all this space com from? ( i have a 31 pickup and the steering wheel just clears the spark throttle area)

05-25-2023, 03:32 PM	#2
Marshall V. Daut Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Davenport, Iowa Posts: 2,112	Re: what did i do wrong?? 1st mistake? Packing grease in the steering box = kiss of death for the sector gear teeth. Take the unit apart and clean out that grease and put steering lube inside, such as Penrite. If you must use 600w (which will leak out), mix it 50-50 with STP oil treatment. You want a lube that will cling to the worm gear and sector teeth to reduce metal-to-metal wear. Grease will squeeze out from between the teeth and worm gear after a few turns, leaving the gear and teeth un-lubed. A recipe for disaster. And get rid of the Zerk fitting on top of the steering box! It was originally installed by Ford so that dealerships could pump LUBE (not grease) inside quickly. Install a plug instead so that you won't be tempted to pump grease inside again. Marshall

05-25-2023, 04:23 PM	#3
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,131	Re: what did i do wrong?? I’ll add how is the sector bushing or modern bearings going to get lub? Mikes Affordable has a 1500w oil that might work better than 600w __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

05-25-2023, 04:31 PM	#5
hudson32700 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Roscoe, Illinois Posts: 27	Re: what did i do wrong?? As #4 post mentioned corn head grease works great, and does not leak out.

05-25-2023, 07:04 PM	#7
bobbader Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Huntington, NY Posts: 271	Re: what did i do wrong?? Larry, you don't mention if all these parts were together as one steering column tube/steering box before your reassembly. If you are "assembling" the units from various parts you had on hand, you may have an outer tube that was used in Early 1930 which is 1+ inch shorter than the standard 30/31 tube. Mechanically, this was probably a holdover from the 1929 2tooth steering column wherein the inner shaft was 43" rather than 44". This is easily determined by measuring the overall length of the tube as compared to the length of the tube in your pickup truck. And, contrary to Jay Jay's statement, I have found that the "notch plate" is not just a press fit over the outer tube. They are pressed on in a very specific location and spot welded in place (REALLY HEAVILY SPOT WELDED!) so they cannot move if the press fit loosens. Good Luck

05-25-2023, 04:25 PM	#4
51504bat Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: SoCal-Redlands Posts: 3,024	Re: what did i do wrong?? Corn head grease. Get it from a John Deere dealer. __________________ Making the simple complicated for over 30 years.

05-25-2023, 07:31 PM	#8
ursus Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,375	Re: what did i do wrong?? The notch plate/flange can be brought closer to the steering wheel by loosening the clamp on the lower end so that the entire column tube can be moved upward to the correct position. That is, assuming you have the correct length of the inner shaft.

05-26-2023, 06:30 AM	#9
larry harding Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: western n.c. Posts: 393	Re: what did i do wrong?? for what its worth, i am using corn head grease in the steering box, it is a thin grease and my understanding is made for gear box applications. this car supposedly spent its life in a lumber yard in s.c., so i doubt any one changed the outer tube. if it was wrong before i took it apart, ididn't notice. as i mentioned there is over 1" between the t/s cup and the bottom of the steering wheel, way more than my pickup and other cars i've seen. if i put something wrong in the steering box i dont think it would work so smooth.