fixing pitman shaft leak

[eran tomer]

hello
i got the pitman shaft oil seals kit with a new needle bearing.
after installing it there's a gap between the circlip and the washer underneath. i think there wasn't any gap prior to removal. and still i knocked down the bearing till the end, and put the parts back in the same order. the new bits were same as the old ones too.
you can see in the pictures that the circlip groove is quite a bit above the washer.

and another question: how does the top most seal sit- with the lip outwards or inwards? the old one sat with the lip outwards, but who knows if someone didn't put it the wrong way.

(the box has an S mark on it, so it's probably a saginaw?)

 

[Schurkey]

there's a gap between the circlip and the washer underneath. i think there wasn't any gap prior to removal. and still i knocked down the bearing till the end, and put the parts back in the same order. the new bits were same as the old ones too.
you can see in the pictures that the circlip groove is quite a bit above the washer.

As soon as there's fluid pressure in the steering gear, the seal will push down. The seal and washer will be against the snap ring.

Guessing that the bearing can be anywhere in the limited area between seated at the upper end of the shaft, and against the seal.

Might want to look at page 3B-12 in the 1997 service manual. They make a point of saying that the splines on the Pitman shaft need to be covered when installing the seal, so the seal lip isn't cut by the splines. I don't know how you're going to do that when you've got the seal installed before the Pitman shaft is in place.

how does the top most seal sit- with the lip outwards or inwards? the old one sat with the lip outwards, but who knows if someone didn't put it the wrong way.

I'd expect the lip would face "up" towards the bearing, to hold-in the fluid. The dust seal below would have the lip facing down, towards the rubber boot and Pitman arm.

(the box has an S mark on it, so it's probably a saginaw?)

Far as I know, GM used nothing but Saginaw steering gears. Anything else would be a cheap Chinese knockoff.

 

[eran tomer]

The dust seal below would have the lip facing down, towards the rubber boot and Pitman arm.

is this what you call the dust seal? it doesn't have a lip, just one side is thicker. the thicker side was outwards toward the pitman arm. and what rubber boot are you refering to?

 

[Schurkey]

That looks like the boot. The dust seal would be above that.

In order:
Bearing
Seal
Washer
Snap Ring
Dust Seal
Boot
Pitman arm
Nut

 

[eran tomer]

got you. so this one sits with the lip towards the arm.