Steering box leaking fluid

[Carslil Jim]

It looks like a seal on the shaft that comes out of the bottom of the box, has gone. I have a slow but steady drip.

My manual does not cover the steering box for the V8 1985 County, but I assume if you take the steering arm off you can remove the old seal and put a new one in.

Has anyone been through this pain recently?

[Scallops]

Hello Jim,

Well, in so much as my newish Defender has **** it's steering box, I too have been through this pain recently - but not in terms of fixing the issue. Land Rover Australia can pick up the tab for that one.

But isn't it odd - steering boxes seem to be a Land Rover weakness - who'd have thought this possible? :wasntme:

So - unfortunately, I can't provide any instructive comments on the fix - but hopefully this "bump" will provide you with an answer.

Good luck.

[rick130]

The quick way to get a seal out of a 4 bolt 'box.
(should work in the earlier ones too)

Undo the drop arm (if you can), pop off the dust seal, undo the circlip, slip the drop arm back on and do the nut up lightlyy, put a big tray under the steering box, turn the engine on and wind the steering to full lock and once the seal blows, shut the engine down very quickly.

Install new seal (wrap output shaft threads and spline with masking or electrical tape before sliding seal on) and re-assemble components :D

[clean32]

Mate

first thing you need to check out is if it is a 3 boult or 4. all the latter ones are 4 but a 85 will be a 3 unless it has been swaped out.

there are quite a few difrences between the 2, the 4 suposably is stronger the 3 is more likley to get you home, not that there are storys about the 4 leaving you stranded.

any way the 3 has 2 seals up there.

check it out and i can scan the 3 exsploded diagram or 4 for that matter

[Carslil Jim]

Thanks to all for supportive comments and suggestions.

Clean32,
I have a 4 bolt box if that means there are 4 bolts attaching it to the chassis. I will really appreciate an exploded diagram so I can see where I am going with this.

Regards
Jim

[rick130]

Thanks to all for supportive comments and suggestions.

Clean32,
I have a 4 bolt box if that means there are 4 bolts attaching it to the chassis. I will really appreciate an exploded diagram so I can see where I am going with this.

Regards
Jim

No, three and four bolt refers to the number of bolts on the top cover assembly.

I have a four bolt drawing but no three (that I can copy easily), but it looks like C32 has a three bolt drawing.

With the three bolt it looks like you pop the circlip first, the dust cover/supplementary seal is above that, then the main seal as C32 said.

[richard4u2]

you have to find out what caused the seal to leak , is the sharft damaged ? which is most probably the case so repacing the seal will only be a temp fix

[incisor]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

can help put it off for quite some time :p

[Carslil Jim]

Thanks again for suggestions.

I have a three bolt steering box if you count the bolts that hold the "lid" down. There is an additional smaller bolt towards the centre (bleed?), and an adjuster in the centre.

I sure would like a diagram showing the seal(s) at bottom of the box if anyone has it.

[clean32]

bottom right,

[clubagreenie]

If it's a three bolt and never been rebuilt and been bored and fitted with needle rollers there's the start of the issue. The bronze bushes wear and the shaft moves and flexes the seal plus the hardening wears on the shaft at both the bush area and seal point. Shaft needs to be ground and re-hard-chromed then have the box bored out to fit bearings. Really the only solution, or buy a new 4bolt box whichj should have bearings from new, bolts straight in.

[Carslil Jim]

Clean32,
Many thanks for that pic. Now I know what I should get when I go see my LR man.

Clubagreenie,
You are probably right, but this machine has stretched the budget and my goodwill a little, so first up I will try the el cheapo fix. I admit the el cheapo usually does not work satisfactorily but it may give me the time to save up for the real fix. Thanks for the advice.

[clean32]

If it's a three bolt and never been rebuilt and been bored and fitted with needle rollers there's the start of the issue. The bronze bushes wear and the shaft moves and flexes the seal plus the hardening wears on the shaft at both the bush area and seal point. Shaft needs to be ground and re-hard-chromed then have the box bored out to fit bearings. Really the only solution, or buy a new 4bolt box whichj should have bearings from new, bolts straight in.

or you abuse your 4 bout one to many times and destroy the needle rollers and are left with a slow no power steer as your PS pump is cooking its self with no oil and you are doing a swortsanager impression behind the wheel, that’s if you can turn it at all. Limp home, or a flat deck

or you could just spin down the shaft, get it hardened and ground = 150.00 aprox, then spin up a new bronze bush, may as well spin up 2 of them. and your good for the next decade.

NB some 3 bouts are needle roller any way, the way to tell is how the oil line comes out the side/top, cant remember which way is which just at the moment


me ill stick with my bushed 2 boult

[clean32]

Clean32,
Many thanks for that pic. Now I know what I should get when I go see my LR man.

Clubagreenie,
You are probably right, but this machine has stretched the budget and my goodwill a little, so first up I will try the el cheapo fix. I admit the el cheapo usually does not work satisfactorily but it may give me the time to save up for the real fix. Thanks for the advice.

hook the old ones out and just go to any brearing supplyer, about 1/2 the cost

[clubagreenie]

We were never able to find needle rollers to replace directly the bushes, if there is then thats gold.

[mark2]

http://www.lucasoil.com/images/products/B35A9566CD7F0481CA85513F42437C13.gif

can help put it off for quite some time :p

I put this stuff in 2 years ago and it completely stopped the leak (so far) I would try this first.