Power Steering Gearbox 86-FJ60

[srplus]

I have a serious leak and have decided not to buy an OEM power steering gearbox replacement (quoted OEM from local dealer: $ 2929.48 and know Cdan would be cheaper! - I could buy a 60 on Craiglist for less than the new gearbox… cruiserparts.net has in stock a used and in ‘good condition’ one very reasonable, but at 20 years old or so how much life does it have left?). An Auto Zone rebuilt is $ 625 and core is $ 153 for a total cost of $ 472 (have not heard good things about these). SOR wants $ 950 for a rebuilt with $300 for the core already figured in that price.

I have posted in the parts section here on mud looking for the year I need - between '85 - '87 – the one I would need for a replacement, with no success. Local dealer wants $ 146.39 for a seal kit... SOR - $ 125.35 for gaskets (years for the seal kits do not match the years for the pumps they say are replacements).

I am thinking of calling Cdan for the rebuild kit and have just about finalized a decision to just bite the bullet and rebuild my power steering gearbox myself. I searched mud and found this: http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/60psbox.php .

Has anyone else undertaken this daunting task and if so could you add any information to that posting? Anything at all... Skool me. Or other recommended course of action.

The original part lasted 20 years without leaking and the dealer offered the rebuild option when they did a diagnostic on the entire car… so I am pretty sure it is the OEM original part. I am not sure how closely they inspected it and am leery of the way they seem to always pad the bill when I let them do any work on the truck.


If you have an extra steering box laying around or do rebuilds of this kind I would consider buying the part used and sending it to you for rebuild. PM me if you offer this service. Remember the box I need must be from '85 - '87.

Thanx, appreciate it!

 

[Mace]

I have a spare later box sitting around. But I truly believe that you can rebuild your own box fairly easily..

It is not that tough, at all. Chances are the only seals that are bad are the input or output seals. Have you noticed a loss is steering ability lately?

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

I have a serious leak and have decided not to buy an OEM power steering gearbox replacement (quoted OEM from local dealer: $ 2929.48 and know Cdan would be cheaper! - I could buy a 60 on Craiglist for less than the new gearbox… cruiserparts.net has in stock a used and in ‘good condition’ one very reasonable, but at 20 years old or so how much life does it have left?). An Auto Zone rebuilt is $ 625 and core is $ 153 for a total cost of $ 472 (have not heard good things about these). SOR wants $ 950 for a rebuilt with $300 for the core already figured in that price.

I have posted in the parts section here on mud looking for the year I need - between '85 - '87 – the one I would need for a replacement, with no success. Local dealer wants $ 146.39 for a seal kit... SOR - $ 125.35 for gaskets (years for the seal kits do not match the years for the pumps they say are replacements).

I am thinking of calling Cdan for the rebuild kit and have just about finalized a decision to just bite the bullet and rebuild my power steering gearbox myself. I searched mud and found this: http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/60psbox.php .

Has anyone else undertaken this daunting task and if so could you add any information to that posting? Anything at all... Skool me. Or other recommended course of action.

The original part lasted 20 years without leaking and the dealer offered the rebuild option when they did a diagnostic on the entire car… so I am pretty sure it is the OEM original part. I am not sure how closely they inspected it and am leery of the way they seem to always pad the bill when I let them do any work on the truck.


If you have an extra steering box laying around or do rebuilds of this kind I would consider buying the part used and sending it to you for rebuild. PM me if you offer this service. Remember the box I need must be from '85 - '87.

Thanx, appreciate it!

Besides doing it yourself, yu can have yours rebuilt by west texas offroad. They will turn it around quickly, and for the last rebuild I payed 140$ very recently.

contact:
Matt Hodges
West Texas Off Road
325-651-5010

 

[srplus]

I have a spare later box sitting around. But I truly believe that you can rebuild your own box fairly easily..

It is not that tough, at all. Chances are the only seals that are bad are the input or output seals. Have you noticed a loss is steering ability lately?

Car steers fine... loses fluid rapidly and groans if I do not refill... if I use the thicker stuff it has to be refilled every other day... if I just use the cheapl stuff it will drain enough that it needs daily topping off. It is time to correct the problem before the gears get damaged.

This is my daily driver... If yours is the right years then I would be interested in it... then I could pull mine and drop in yours and rebuild mine... etc.

I bought a gallon of the regular PSF and it is thin... I was thinking about using transmission fluid with the seal expander stuff in it for a couple of fill ups of the pump since I use either hydraulic fluid or transmission fluid in my ladder truck's hydraulic system. Only until I get it repaired. I am parking the truck over the kudzu at the shop and putting something underneath it at nite so it all does not go into the ground.

 

[srplus]

Besides doing it yourself, yu can have yours rebuilt by west texas offroad. They will turn it around quickly, and for the last rebuild I payed 140$ very recently.

contact:
Matt Hodges
West Texas Off Road
325-651-5010

Thanx, the more options the merrier... Pee Wee has the same problem in Oregon IIRC... so keep 'em coming!

 

[Mace]

You sure it is not the pump leaking?

 

[srplus]

You sure it is not the pump leaking?

100% that there is no leak in the pump... took it to the dealer to be sure on diagnosis since I could not find the leak on my own... they wanted to sell me a new gearbox... I told the guy that if I had that much money just laying around I would use it for a down payment (with my 80 as a trade in) on a new LC... but I love my 60 and my 80 and love not making any payments.

 

[Mace]

so is it the seal at the pittman arm or the seal on the input?

 

[Phila cruise]

my steering is fine now

I purchased my FJ60 in January and it spent 3 months in a shop with more cars than communication..so I'm doing the rest my self...they replaced the power steering pump, but said i might need a gearbox change. I was all over the road...hit a bump and shift 3 feet either way...just randomly pull to either side...the usual it seems...I found a used one for $150 @ cruiserparts.net. (fast shipping; came as described in a couple days) While waiting to carve out time to replace it...i decided to change the 31X10.5 tires that came on the truck back to 235X75X15, and adjust the steering gear box as per an article on this board and my steering is fine...like a brand new truck...I'm going to wait to get an alignment til after I replace the front shocks and steering stabilizer...they're coming in the mail from coolcruisers, then a complete front knuckle rebuild (super kit coming from jt outfitters) and I'm done... i'm not even gonna replace the gearbox now. I'm gonna send it off for rebuild and hold on to it for when mine actually goes. Rides safe enough now that my wife even drives it...she's even starting looking for trails into the woods off main roads on motorcycle rides. Sure i won't be climbing any boulders, but I don't figure i need to anyway.

 

[srplus]

so is it the seal at the pittman arm or the seal on the input?

They just said seal... I am almost sure it is the pitman arm but it is pretty slippery under there and I will have to wash it off completely to know for sure which one. I really got the s***z from the dealer and was very unsatisfied with the 'complete diagnosis' that was done. I told them going in I wanted the car gone over with a fine tooth comb as if I was doing a buyers check for everything that was a problem with it and made certain they understood the steering box, vacuum system and manifold leak and everything else. I wanted them to give a full report and all I got were some crappy pencil notes on the back of the work order with part # and cost for some of the things I had already pointed out to them.

When I asked about the manifold leak, I was informed that they might be able to surface them but recommended new... (SUPER - that is what they always recommend). When I asked if the mechanic had put a wrench on the bolts to see if they were torqued properly, the response was - "He usually does not bother." Right there sealed the deal as far as me being too lazy to do my own work and getting them to do it for me instead. They will not touch the truck again.

Besides, there was also a very noticeable dent in the rear bumper that was not there prior to the car going in and of course, no one knew anything about it... and "If it happened on our lot we would know."

I have just been a little lazy because I used to have a great mechanic who did my work the way it was supposed to be done and I could concentrate on my business where I had a better return of $'s to labor hour. Unfortunately, my mechanic had a little problem... he died.

 

[Mace]

Just send it off to Matt at west texas.. he does awesome work..

 

[S&S1stCruzer]

I did a rebuild on my own, I solved the leak problem but have had a hell of a time getting it to work exactly as it did (long story). I'm sending it to West Texas Offroad for a rebuild and hydro tap.

 

[AACruiser]

You said "I bought a gallon of the regular PSF and it is thin"

Don't use PSF. The correct fluid is ATF, Dexron II. Some say bad comes from using PSF in Toyota power steering systems.

Andy

 

[srplus]

You said "I bought a gallon of the regular PSF and it is thin"

Don't use PSF. The correct fluid is ATF, Dexron II. Some say bad comes from using PSF in Toyota power steering systems.

Andy

I had not added any PSF until after the leak showed up... then the gallon that I bought that I called regular supposedly had a seal reconditioner in it... the problem already existed... before any PSF was used... the first 'attempt' was with Lucas but at almost $10 a quart that was a bit steep and it ran right out over a couple of days... the thin stuff was as compared to the Lucas which is like molasses in the winter.

 

[srplus]

Asked my transmission expert (friend of mine) about the seal question and we determined it was the pittman arm seal that is leaking... he recommended that I try a product called AT 205. It is an additive for engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems to help seal problems... He said one of the guys that works for him used it and stopped his rear seal problems in his engine and it worked perfectly.

I am thinking about throwing some in the pump... any thoughts or has anyone used this product or know of it? It is available at CarQuest but not the other auto parts retailers.

I am trying to make arrangements to use the 80 while the 80's pump is in Texas but I figured what the hey. It might be worth a try.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I am distrustful of "mechanic in a can" products. If the seal is bad, it's bad, and at most you'll coax a few weeks of life out of it. Since you are revved up and stressed about it now, seize the moment and send that puppy off for a rebuild. The quoted prices seem extremely reasonable given the cost of a new unit.

You might try a little harder to find a used unit in your year range, and send that to be rebuilt. Then the swap becomes a one day job and you have a core to sell when you are done.

 

[srplus]

I am distrustful of "mechanic in a can" products. If the seal is bad, it's bad, and at most you'll coax a few weeks of life out of it. Since you are revved up and stressed about it now, seize the moment and send that puppy off for a rebuild. The quoted prices seem extremely reasonable given the cost of a new unit.

You might try a little harder to find a used unit in your year range, and send that to be rebuilt. Then the swap becomes a one day job and you have a core to sell when you are done.

That is my thinking and still searching for a good used unit that has innards in at least as good a shape as mine... I know mine is only a seal issue and I risk getting one with messed up parts and seals... I remember doing this once before on an old 40 (much easier to get to) and it is something I only want to do once.

 

[srplus]

I purchased my FJ60 in January and it spent 3 months in a shop with more cars than communication..so I'm doing the rest my self...they replaced the power steering pump, but said i might need a gearbox change. I was all over the road...hit a bump and shift 3 feet either way...just randomly pull to either side...the usual it seems...I found a used one for $150 @ cruiserparts.net. (fast shipping; came as described in a couple days) While waiting to carve out time to replace it...i decided to change the 31X10.5 tires that came on the truck back to 235X75X15, and adjust the steering gear box as per an article on this board and my steering is fine...like a brand new truck...I'm going to wait to get an alignment til after I replace the front shocks and steering stabilizer...they're coming in the mail from coolcruisers, then a complete front knuckle rebuild (super kit coming from jt outfitters) and I'm done... i'm not even gonna replace the gearbox now. I'm gonna send it off for rebuild and hold on to it for when mine actually goes. Rides safe enough now that my wife even drives it...she's even starting looking for trails into the woods off main roads on motorcycle rides. Sure i won't be climbing any boulders, but I don't figure i need to anyway.

Tell me what year your 'extra' is if you can find out... your PM box is full... you need to delete something or buy a star.

 

[srplus]

Fyi At205

Per my transmission shop guy's advice I did put the AT205 into the PS pump per the instructions on the bottle... used about a third of a bottle in the pump...

That was six days ago and the seal has not leaked down since. I am still planning on doing a rebuild but I thought you all might want to know.

 

[KURTFLAN]

Just had one rebuilt at West Texas Offroad. Very quick service and reasonable pricing.