DeanoH
14th July 2012, 06:11 PM
There are only two places where a Defender steering box can leak and mine leaks from both of them. :(
They are the input shaft (from the steering wheel) and the output shaft (to the drop arm) which connects to the road wheels.
Accessing the steering box to replace the seals (if you can get them) is a bit fiddly as there's lots of things in the way.
What I found was that both the input and output shafts of the steering box were not leaking between the shaft and the seal but between the seal(s) and the steering box housing itself.
The input shaft is an unusual seal in that it is not your average press in seal that pushes into the housing with a seal on to the input shaft. It's sort of a backwards type seal that presses onto the shaft and seals by pressing onto a machined surface on the outside of the steering box.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/817.jpg
This is the input seal from the outside (away from steering box side).
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/818.jpg
This is the same seal from the side that faces the steering box.
As you can see from the second photo the 'hole' in the centre of the seal is thorugh steel. This is pressed onto the shaft where it is pushed up to the steering box where the rubber/neoprene (whatever) washer presses onto a machined surface on the outside of the steering box to make a seal.
As the rubber wears or the metal to metal seal loses tension over the years the seal becomes ineffective and starts to leak.
I haven't seen this seal advertised individually but it is available in a steering box re-build kit. The only problem here is that removing the steering box to do a rebuild is a major (though relatively simple) exercise where all that may be needed is to have the seal exert a bit more pressure onto the steering box to re-create an effective seal.:)
This could be as simple as using a large screwdriver to carefully lever the seal closer to the steering box or if you're real keen, remove the steering shaft and unis and use a suitable socket to gently and evenly 'tap' the seal towards the steering box to place more tension on the seal. Very cost effective. :D
Of course I only figured this out once I removed the seal by levering it off the shaft and distorting the steel. :(
Could be a real simple quick and effective fix for a leaking input seal. :)
My local bearing service tells me that these 'STEFA' seals are not hard to get and has ordered me a couple. More info on this when they come in.
The output shaft seal is a bit different, sorry no pics in bits for this one. Here it is in situ.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/1247.jpg
Here's a close up showing the seal onto the shaft.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/1248.jpg
With mine steering fluid was (again) leaking not between the shaft and the seal but between the seal and the housing.
This was quite easily fixed by removing the seal and cleaning the seal/housing surface and applying a liberal amount of Stag Cement to the mating surface of the seal. This is the red/orange line you can see in the photo. No leaks and very cost effective. :D Again, I have not seen this seal listed individually but only as part of a rebuild kit. No sealing compound was on the seal I removed so it was just a 'friction' fit, rubber to steel. Don't know if this is the way it's supposed to be or just the way it was
So if your Defender is leaking steering fluid it may be a real cheap and effective fix, if you're lucky. ;)
Deano:)
They are the input shaft (from the steering wheel) and the output shaft (to the drop arm) which connects to the road wheels.
Accessing the steering box to replace the seals (if you can get them) is a bit fiddly as there's lots of things in the way.
What I found was that both the input and output shafts of the steering box were not leaking between the shaft and the seal but between the seal(s) and the steering box housing itself.
The input shaft is an unusual seal in that it is not your average press in seal that pushes into the housing with a seal on to the input shaft. It's sort of a backwards type seal that presses onto the shaft and seals by pressing onto a machined surface on the outside of the steering box.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/817.jpg
This is the input seal from the outside (away from steering box side).
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/818.jpg
This is the same seal from the side that faces the steering box.
As you can see from the second photo the 'hole' in the centre of the seal is thorugh steel. This is pressed onto the shaft where it is pushed up to the steering box where the rubber/neoprene (whatever) washer presses onto a machined surface on the outside of the steering box to make a seal.
As the rubber wears or the metal to metal seal loses tension over the years the seal becomes ineffective and starts to leak.
I haven't seen this seal advertised individually but it is available in a steering box re-build kit. The only problem here is that removing the steering box to do a rebuild is a major (though relatively simple) exercise where all that may be needed is to have the seal exert a bit more pressure onto the steering box to re-create an effective seal.:)
This could be as simple as using a large screwdriver to carefully lever the seal closer to the steering box or if you're real keen, remove the steering shaft and unis and use a suitable socket to gently and evenly 'tap' the seal towards the steering box to place more tension on the seal. Very cost effective. :D
Of course I only figured this out once I removed the seal by levering it off the shaft and distorting the steel. :(
Could be a real simple quick and effective fix for a leaking input seal. :)
My local bearing service tells me that these 'STEFA' seals are not hard to get and has ordered me a couple. More info on this when they come in.
The output shaft seal is a bit different, sorry no pics in bits for this one. Here it is in situ.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/1247.jpg
Here's a close up showing the seal onto the shaft.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/1248.jpg
With mine steering fluid was (again) leaking not between the shaft and the seal but between the seal and the housing.
This was quite easily fixed by removing the seal and cleaning the seal/housing surface and applying a liberal amount of Stag Cement to the mating surface of the seal. This is the red/orange line you can see in the photo. No leaks and very cost effective. :D Again, I have not seen this seal listed individually but only as part of a rebuild kit. No sealing compound was on the seal I removed so it was just a 'friction' fit, rubber to steel. Don't know if this is the way it's supposed to be or just the way it was
So if your Defender is leaking steering fluid it may be a real cheap and effective fix, if you're lucky. ;)
Deano:)