Unexpected Call from Stanger

In early January, I packaged up my steering box and shipped it to Randy Meyer (Stanger) for rebuild. 

Randy was already behind but stated he could start on the rebuild in February.  I originally expected to finish the dash restoration in March.  This timeline matched with the expectation I had on when the steering box would be restored and returned.  However, as you have noticed the project expanded beyond restoring the dash.

I've sent a few emails to Randy for an update on his progress but never received a response... until today.  Randy called and caught me a little by surprise.  Randy said he expected to finish up the rebuild this week.  He would then give me the amount (probably the $140 basic charge) sometime later this week and we could arrange payment.

Randy believes my steering box does not have many miles on the box or someone took the time to keep it regularly lubricated. Normally there is pitting on the internal gears and wear on the center gear. He said my gears are not really worn at all and there is no pitting. The only issue was a little waviness to the metal were the upper and lower bearings set on the input shaft. He had this machined, replaced the internal wear components, and added a new seal as the old one was leaking.

I'm looking forward to getting the steering box back.  Sounds like it will be just in time.

http://www.stangerssite.com/

10/19/11 Update: While it took a little longer than expected, my steering box arrived today.  The box looks great.  The only down side is the pitman arm is not attached.  I'll need to do that in the coming weeks.

Removal of Steering Box for Rebuild

I've wanted to have the steering box rebuilt by Stanger (http://www.stangersite.com/) for a while now. Unfortunately, I've it takes a couple of months to have the job done. Since I don't expect to finish this project until at least the end of March, I decided to go ahead and have the steering box rebuilt.

In order to remove the steering box, I first needed to take out the driver side exhaust manifold and z bar. The exhaust manifold on my car are very unique. It appears someone took a shorty style headerm, cut it where the primary tubes meet, and then just welded the exhaust solid from that point to the tailpipe. As a result, I needed to cut the exhaust near the bellhousing so I could remove the manifold.

It took a little while to find a way to remove the exhaust. It was obviously not made for the car so it was a very tight fit. However, I did get the exhaust removed. It has 1 5/8" primary tubes which are of unequal length. The exhaust on the car is 2 1/4" outer diameter. The only identifying mark on the exhaust is the number 603 09 02 on the exhaust flange.



Once the exhaust was out of the way, I removed the steering box. I was able to pull it out through the area right beside the head. I did not need to remove the export brace or anything. The job was no doubt made easier by the fact there was no floorboard in the way so the long shaft could move around inside the car without any interferance.

I sent Stanger an email and then packed the steering box up for shipment. I'll wait until I hear back from him before shipping it off. I'd like to make sure he has time to do the rebuild before spending the money to ship it to him in San Antonio.



01/03/11 - I received an email back from Randy (Stanger) this morning stating he is still rebuilding steering boxes. He said he would be able to get to mine in early February. I shipped it to him for $21 at UPS.

Cleaning & Painting Steering Box Area

My steering box and the area around it are covered in grease and grime. This weekend, I'm working to completely clean and paint the steering box. Once the steering box is done, I hope to clean and paint the framerail under the steering box.

I cleaned the top of the box a little a few weeks ago. I was more passing time than working to completely clean it. The area I plan to address is shown in the picture below.



I managed to obtain a few pictures of the back of the steering box before starting. The part number on the box is C6ZR3550A and the date code is 7C7. This indicates this is the correct steering box for my Mustang.

There was a tag on top of the steering box which I recently removed. I cleaned it up with WD-40 and a piece of steel wool. Once the box is painted, I'll reinstall the tag.

Steering Center Link

This weekend I stripped some of the front suspension subframe. I don't enjoy stripping the paint from all these parts of the Mustang. It is long tedious work and you end up very dirty. I wear a mask and eye protection but still end up inhaling some paint particles. I've stripped all the engine bay parts so the subframe is all that is left. It is the least rewarding as no one will see this area.

After working on the subframe for a while, I stopped and worked on the steering center link. The center link is the only steering component after the steering box I will use after the restoration. While normally a dark unfinished metal color, I chose to paint it chassis black. It took a large amount of work with a wire wheel to clean all the surface rust, grease, and road grime off. The end product was worth the work.

I've included a picture of the finished center link bar. I keep posting pictures of these parts I've painted but since they are black, little detail can be seen. This piece has a textured surface which really looks nice with the satin black. Too bad it is going under the car were no one will see it.

The second item in the picture is a roller idler arm which I purchased. It is a Moog part upgraded to include a roller bearing joint. Since my Mustang has manual steering, this will greatly reduce steering effort. It is also fitted with two grease fittings for easy maintenance and years of life.