Adwest 3 bolt steering box leak

[hitch]

Hoping for some advice .
I am helping a mate who can't crawl around under his 86 County.
It has a 3 bolt steering box with a leak from the sector shaft seal.
I eventually got the seals out after the usual shenanigans we all go through ,unless of course we are pros.
Question is the seals in the kit (suitable for a 3 or 4 bolt box) don't "fill" the space between the circlip and the end of the space around the shaft where it tapers in and ends. the seals taken out stack up and measure approx 11 mm where as the replacements stack up and measure about 9 mm
the old seals under the circlip had the usual rubber encased washer then a seal with a spring inside
the new seals are the rubber encased washer and a soft blue seal
cheers
Hitch

[PhilipA]

IMHO the real problem is not the seal but play in the bottom bearing of the sector shaft.
The bearing is like an engine bearing but has a split and when worn lets high pressure fluid past it.
This happens especially when cold .
When I lived in Riyadh, there were 4 Range Rovers next to each other and every morning there would be 4 oil trails down the road.
The bearing has to be reamed to sector shaft size with a parallel reamer. I did it in many hours with a brake hone and the new seal never leaked again.
Maybe there are other remedies these days but I think not.
Regards PhilipA
After 91? the sector shaft bearing was changed to a roller bearing.

[hitch]

Not exactly what I was hoping to hear !

[hitch]

I was thinking it would not matter because the high pressure inside would force the seal outwards against the inside surface of the rubber encased washer and hey presto the seal seals !
Too simple to hope for I suppose .
cheers
Hitch

[PhilipA]

No the problem is that the sector shaft can move sideways when the bearing is worn so one side of the seal is compressed and the other not.
That's my theory anyway. And about 40 to 20 years ago this was the accepted explanation. And it fixed my leak.
That was on an 81RRC . To prevent on my later 91 I bought a new box as Adwest had a special at $700!!!!
Regards PhilipA
After 91? the sector shaft bearing was changed to a roller bearing.

[350RRC]

No the problem is that the sector shaft can move sideways when the bearing is worn so one side of the seal is compressed and the other not.
That's my theory anyway. And about 40 to 20 years ago this was the accepted explanation. And it fixed my leak.
That was on an 81RRC . To prevent on my later 91 I bought a new box as Adwest had a special at $700!!!!
Regards PhilipA
After 91? the sector shaft bearing was changed to a roller bearing.

I can remember Dougal from NZ solving this problem by using a bronze bush that was possibly off the shelf.

It'd be a big search to find the post.

edit............ Craddocks in the UK sell the bush............. I assume it's for a 3 bolt.

DL

[shack]

Is this it?


Wiggly 3 Bolt Steering Box Fix. (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/71271-wiggly-3-bolt-steering-box-fix.html)

[350RRC]

Is this it?


Wiggly 3 Bolt Steering Box Fix. (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/71271-wiggly-3-bolt-steering-box-fix.html)

That's the one, well done!

There may be a later thread where he has the sector shaft bearing surface reground and gets bushes reamed to suit............again not expensive.

This fine vid is a reco'd 4 bolt with a different problem, but the shaft has been reground in the past:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQIsfBBhkk

The WSM I have shows two of these bronze bushes on the sector shaft in the bottom of the box, 3 & 4 bolt the same.

A new 3 bolt box is $3.5k in the US.[bawl]

cheers, David L

[PhilipA]

Yes, AFAIR (from 40 years ago) you do not have to do the first steps to get the sector shaft out. AFAIR just take of the top cover and drive it out. Once it is out you drive the bush/bearing out from the top.
The tedious task is sizing the bush to the sector shaft.
I was in Riyadh so couldn't find parallel reams so used a brake hone for about 6hours or so, stopping to test the fit at intervals.
Parallel reams are not really that common so good luck. if not brake cylinder hones are more easily available, but a PITA But are probably necessary for a good finish after reaming.
Regards PhilipA

[loanrangie]

Must be 25-30 years since I rebuilt the 3 bolt box iny old 81 rec, was painful reaming the new bushes especially the one in the lid.
At the time there was a conversion to put a roller bearing in the lid instead of a bush.

[hitch]

thanks for all your input
of course being the naive optimist that I am I have gone ahead with the 'simple' replacement of the seals after giving the sector shaft a thorough exam for any movement which would indicate bush wear ( after all the county has only done 485000 kms )
when I say simple .... well life wasn't meant to be easy as I inadvertently dragged the tape protecting the seal from the splines in with the first seal ( because I wrapped the tape to cover the groove above the splines which on closer inspection is "sloped" so in fact is not going to damage the seal)
this resulted in having to remove/wreck this seal
had to use the seal from my own kit
so its all in and test driven with no leak........until it leaks !
time will tell if the wisdom of the more experienced should have been heeded
cheers