Power Steering Gear Box Rebuild (and a side note of resmogging?) (1 Viewer)

[fjc-man]

What a bunch of cry baby car guys. You don’t think newer vehicles are any easier to work on, or less cluttered than the old stuff...do you? What do you think is hiding under that large plastic engine cover?

 

[g-man]

What a bunch of cry baby car guys. You don’t think newer vehicles are any easier to work on, or less cluttered than the old stuff...do you? What do you think is hiding under that large plastic engine cover?

A flux capacitor??

 

[ObservrActual]

If you can pass inspection the way it is, and it’s running well, I would leave it.

Most people de-smog because the stock emissions system is a complicated clusterf**k of plastic valves and vacuum lines that stop working in stages, which can leave you chasing problems for years on end as the parts reach the end of their life span. Some of those problems will cause noticeable performance issues, and some will only become clear when you fail a smog test.

Most if not all of the emissions parts are long out of production. Underneath it all is a relatively simple straight 6 engine… so if you can get rid of all that stuff without penalty, why not? If I could, I would remove most of mine just to clear out the clutter.

A properly desmogged 2F and a 2F with a perfectly intact and functional emissions system are probably pretty close in terms of performance. But “perfectly intact and functional” is not only a rare and moving target for a stock 2F, it’s also a really hard place to get to from scratch (meaning desmogged).

All that said, it would help a lot if you posted some pictures of your engine bay.

I will get a pic uploaded later tonight

I just now am at this point where I want to kinda figure out what to do next on the rig.

What is the price estimate you would think for the power steering rebuild issue?

 

[ObservrActual]

State?
What has been removed?
What has been replaced?

This is where a simple $20/year silver star subscription that allows you to post more pictures than Google can find so we can see at a glance what's up down under da hood.

For the Steering box, most send to West Texas Off Road. They're fast turn around and good work. There's also Red Head Steering gears for a top-notch rebuild but mo' money.

Steering Assist | Redneck Ram

Redneck Rams are designed, engineered and manufactured on our own state of the art CNC milling machines right here in the Great State of Texas. For over 25 years we have been serving the offroad and outdoor adventure community worldwide with our trail proven hydraulic steering components.

www.westtexasoffroad.com

Red-Head Steering Gears

redheadsteeringgears.com

I have heard of West Texas quite a bit on the board here.

I was a little confused; Would I send them the physical item that needs to be rebuilt/worked on (in my case the power steering gearbox)? I am confused because I see on their site that they have a "locations" tab, which then lists a bunch of locations of shops in various states. Are those shops simply partnered with WTC?

 

[DFXR]

I have heard of West Texas quite a bit on the board here.

I was a little confused; Would I send them the physical item that needs to be rebuilt/worked on (in my case the power steering gearbox)? I am confused because I see on their site that they have a "locations" tab, which then lists a bunch of locations of shops in various states. Are those shops simply partnered with WTC?

You ship them a worn-out PS gear box (fits in a 5lb bucket), they rebuild it and send it back. Which is why you either plan to get a second gearbox solely for the rebuild, or have your vehicle out of commission for a little while. I’m not sure about the current price - it was $150, then it was $250… at this point you’d need to contact them and get a quote.

 

[SAFJ60]

Plus one on the West Texas rebuild...my shaft was pitted and badly worn...the built it up, turned the shaft and sent me back a non-leaker.

 

[cps432]

Not a drastic change. Noticable? Probably, particularly if the smog system isn't functioning properly, which is the main thing.

This ^... If you are having trouble with your smog equipment not functioning properly removing it will definitely make things happier. I think there is a small increase in power because you're not cycling exhaust gasses back into the engine. It all gets dumped out the tail pipe. I think headers probably do more to increase power. It's hard to say because I changed so much at once and didn't get to test things as I went. I desmogged, Recurved the dizzy, added headers, and installed the holley sniper. All that makes a massive difference.

 

[ObservrActual]

This ^... If you are having trouble with your smog equipment not functioning properly removing it will definitely make things happier. I think there is a small increase in power because you're not cycling exhaust gasses back into the engine. It all gets dumped out the tail pipe. I think headers probably do more to increase power. It's hard to say because I changed so much at once and didn't get to test things as I went. I desmogged, Recurved the dizzy, added headers, and installed the holley sniper. All that makes a massive difference.

I seriously am considering the Sniper. The carbs are just, for me, a bit of a annoyance lol. especially since this is my daily. I also am willing to concede that I might be a bit of a pre-madonna about them lmao

 

[ObservrActual]

Plus one on the West Texas rebuild...my shaft was pitted and badly worn...the built it up, turned the shaft and sent me back a non-leaker.

I will plan on having mine sent down there in the coming months. Owning a 60 is for sure a hobby...

 

[Boss Hog]

I will plan on having mine sent down there in the coming months. Owning a 60 is for sure a hobby...

How did this turn out? I just ordered the gasket set for my power steering pump from Kurt ($72.50) but this thread is making me nervous I may find more than I bargained for when I take it off…

Everything I’ve ever read about leaking power steering pumps on these usually points to that gasket on the shaft. I was hoping to get away with just that, but now I’m concerned…

 

[Godwin]

How did this turn out? I just ordered the gasket set for my power steering pump from Kurt ($72.50) but this thread is making me nervous I may find more than I bargained for when I take it off…

Everything I’ve ever read about leaking power steering pumps on these usually points to that gasket on the shaft. I was hoping to get away with just that, but now I’m concerned…

FJ60 (2F) power steering pump, just buy a new one. General consensus is that the 2F pumps often still leak after a rebuild due to an irreplaceable bushing.

FJ60 power steering box. Instead of having it rebuilt source a good used 80 series box. I've had two 60 series boxes rebuilt by West Texas in the past and both eventually developed leaks.

 

[Old Nick]

A flux capacitor??
View attachment 2933997

I found a hamster the last time I checked my wife's Prius...

 

[Old Nick]

How did this turn out? I just ordered the gasket set for my power steering pump from Kurt ($72.50) but this thread is making me nervous I may find more than I bargained for when I take it off…

Everything I’ve ever read about leaking power steering pumps on these usually points to that gasket on the shaft. I was hoping to get away with just that, but now I’m concerned…

I did what @Godwin recommended. No leaks and no whining (FJ62). If a leak should develop in the future, I'm tempted to do a rebuild with a good gasket and bearing set. There are quite a few good step-by-step videos on the Tube that walk the viewer through these rebuilds.

Here's one that is pretty good:

 

[Boss Hog]

FJ60 (2F) power steering pump, just buy a new one. General consensus is that the 2F pumps often still leak after a rebuild due to an irreplaceable bushing.

FJ60 power steering box. Instead of having it rebuilt source a good used 80 series box. I've had two 60 series boxes rebuilt by West Texas in the past and both eventually developed leaks.

How difficult is it to retrofit an 80 series box into an FJ60?

 

[Godwin]

How difficult is it to retrofit an 80 series box into an FJ60?

No more than installing a 60 series box. If you have a later FJ60, '85 up, then the bolt pattern for mounting the steering box will match. The 80 series box is a little larger so you have to wiggle it in some past the inner fender. The FJ60 pitman arm swaps over and the 60 series splined steering yoke mates directly to the 80 series box.

80 series box seems to be an improvement over the 60 series. I haven't noticed any difference in how the Cruiser steers but the 80 series box seems to be less leak prone at higher mileage. The box in our '97 FZJ80 has ca. 320k on it and is still dry. I don't think I've had a 60 series box make it to 200k before developing nasty leaks.

Car-part.com is a good source for a used box.

 

[Boss Hog]

Thanks. I have an ‘84. Figures