Thread: Replacing top steering box seal RRC 92

As I pulled out the steering column to get access to the starter motor which was the subject of my last post, I noticed that the top input seal of the steering box was drooling.

So while I was in the mood, I pulled off the circlip, and then fought the shield to remove it, finally drilling a hole in it so that I could hook it out with my dental pick. To pull the seal, you can push a dental pick or similar tool into it then just pull it out, as it doesn't have a steel frame on the seal.
The seal consists of three parts
The neoprene seal, a steel shield with a rubber face, and the circlip.

OK this is easy. Rang English auto parts at Wyong as I wanted it ASAP.

Nooo that seal only comes as part of a seal kit , cost $200. YIKES!! And he confidently told me , "you have to pull the box apart to replace the seal."

I had already looked at the internet and seen you could get a seal kit in UK quite cheaply but maybe 1-2 weeks away and I was pretty sure that it can be replaced in situ. I confirmed this with the manual.

So I called Gary at CLR and he expressed posted 1 to me at total cost of $15 including postage. It contains both the output shaft seal and input shaft seal.

Its a bugger to refit the seal as the new seal is quite springy ( and it has flluid pushing out all the time), and it is therefore hard to get far enough in to fit the circlip.

So I made a "special tool" by opening up the top of a plug tube spanner with one of those stepped panel bits. There is a step on the input shaft 23MM in diameter just in from the splines, so no known socket or spanner fits. A few taps with a hammer and the seal and guard were seated and the circlip reseated. The depth over 23MM that you need to allow for is only about 5MM.

Do not do what I did and take the circlip off before I had the parts, as I dropped about 200Ml of fluid on the floor. Lucky ATF soaks into concrete pretty fast.

Regards Philip A

Probably not Pierre.

Tomorrow is 2 grandchildren including swimming lessons, same Friday.

Great fun being in the water with a 16 month old singing "The wheels on the bus go round and round" while he screams for 1/2 hour. Does wonders for the headache.
So any car work off until Saturday.
Regards Philip A