I need a new power steering gearbox......

[drumsdaddy]

I needed a rebuilt gearbox and I too went with Redhead. They rebuilt my original for $150.00 less than a swap. Took about a week with US snail mail but it's in and works fine. I read too many complaints on big box store gearboxes...I'm doing it once and that's it. The problem was shipping. I boxed it up myself in my own container and the shipping was $90+. Use the USPS "if it fits, it ships" box. Just make sure you get as much oil out of it before you ship otherwise they'll hit you with a HAZMAT charge. You don't want that. Wrapped in an old bath towel, tape, plastic bag and then shipped. Should have used a maxi pad on each port to absorb excess oil. (learned that in a first aid class for severe bleeding)..........

 

[drumsdaddy]

I'm sorry...I misquoted the redhead price. I saved the $150.00 core charge by having the original gearbox rebuilt.

I need tequila.......

 

[Wilecoyote]

My brother has been to LKQ recently and they have a bunch of 90s chevy trucks. We're gonna go see if I we can find one that's not leaking and check the slop before we pull it. Might get 2 if we have time.

 

[Wilecoyote]

Betted $80 and rolled the dice.Can easily twist the input shaft back and forth w a finger and thumb and the arm moves. Almost no play maybe a 16th of an inch.Pretty sure it is not leaking.The front main seal had slung oil all over the engine bay. I should've pulled the pump and hoses too.The fluid was clear when I cut the lines.Might go back and pull the pump and get new hoses.

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[gric_az]

Betted $80 and rolled the dice.Can easily twist the input shaft back and forth w a finger and thumb and the arm moves. Almost no play maybe a 16th of an inch.Pretty sure it is not leaking.The front main seal had slung oil all over the engine bay. I should've pulled the pump and hoses too.The fluid was clear when I cut the lines.Might go back and pull the pump and get new hoses.

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They all are tight with no load on them. Same thinking I had, but once I installed it. It was just like the one a replaced it with. I've replaced my gear box 3 times! With a rebuilt one. It seems like they just paint them and box it up. Go with a redhead or bluetop.

 

[DallasTahoe]

Betted $80 and rolled the dice.Can easily twist the input shaft back and forth w a finger and thumb and the arm moves. Almost no play maybe a 16th of an inch.Pretty sure it is not leaking.The front main seal had slung oil all over the engine bay. I should've pulled the pump and hoses too.The fluid was clear when I cut the lines.Might go back and pull the pump and get new hoses.

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If it’s that easy turn it’s no better than what you have. My Redhead gear fresh out of the box has no play and you can’t turn it by hand. I thought it might be a bad unit until I called them, they said if it’s easy to turn by hand, it’s worn out. I’ll go with what they say since that’s what they do


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[red97k1500]

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They are all real hit and miss.
Whatever you do, replace all of it.
Box pump and lines all of it
Dont install a new gear and pump it full of crap from the old pump.
And look up the service manual procedure for replacing the box.
Not the Chiltons or Haynes, they are worthless.
It isnt just bolt it in and go.
This is case where a little homework can save you from a lot of grief

I’m just curious, what is it that makes replacing a steering gear on a gmt400 not a bolt in affair?

 

[thinger2]

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I’m just curious, what is it that makes replacing a steering gear on a gmt400 not a bolt in affair?

Mechanically, it is a bolt in.
The problem comes from not presetting the bearings amd using the old pump and lines.
And that assumes its been rebuilt correctly.
Imagine if you drained the black nasty oil out of your engine then you sent the engine for a rebuild.
And when it came back you dumped that black nasty oil back into it.
The tolerences that used be loose are now tight.
And that carbon mettalic crud which is like liquid sandpaper and is also acidic eats everything.
The steering box is a part of the steering system.
But only one part of the system.
Imagine if you were having open heart surgery and you started bleeding out.
And youre doctor decided to cure it by feeding you some Turkey Jerkey

 

[red97k1500]

I agree 100% with either flushing out the old lines pump etc really well, and if you can afford to just change them all out, that’s even better. The only thing I’m on the fence about is messing with the bearing preload, without putting the steering gear on the truck first and seeing what it drives like. Ostensibly if the steering gear was remaned by a reputable place it would already be set right. While it probably wouldn’t hurt to check it, especially if the installer has lots of experience. The factory service manual makes it seem like you should only mess with the bearing preloads if your experiencing certain symptoms. Like if the steering gear already has lots of miles on it, the procedure is listed under repair. But like I said it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. But I also could see people screwing there new reman steering gear up. And I do realize they are hit or miss especially the cheap off the shelf parts store ones.

 

[Wilecoyote]

So I cleaned the box and notice it looks different than mine. When i tried to replace the pitman last year. The shaft dust boot was flush w the housing and the flange was thin and flat and plastic. The junkyard box boot is flanged and attached to the pitman and might be rubber.It also looks like the boot fits into a seal that is flush w the end of the pitman shaft housing and looks like this.

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GM 19330498