After reading a couple of threads on how to adjust the steering gear I went ahead and gave it a try. First I loosened the large lock ring on the rear face of the box and proceeded to make the sector mesh preload adjustment. The "lid" wouldn't budge, in either direction. Not being familiar with this procedure I didn't want to apply too much force and break something so I left it where it was and tightened the adjustment on the top of the box.

Does it take considerably more force to move the "lid" than the lock ring?

Any advice would be appreciated. The car is a 71 Satellite with power steering and only 42k mi.

Unless the box is seriously slack (way out of adjustment/worn), moving the "lid" definitely takes a tap-tap-tap with a drift and hammer. But why adjusting the box at only 42k miles?

(And did you remove the pitman arm first?)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

What is this lock ring and lid? Do you mean the locknut and screw? You aren't trying to turn the sector shaft cover by loosening the large (what, 3 or 4 inches or so?) lockring are you? It's late, and I must be confused. It's an allen "bolt" retained by a 3/4"(?) locknut that (when screwed into the "lid"[?])basically pushes the the tapered teeth of the sector shaft further into the worm gear to take up backlash. Feel with pitman on, linkage off. Uuugh, it's late. Sorry. Lost dart match tonight, not well. Not well at all... Aaagh forget it. great sttering though.

-out

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I gave it several good whacks with a hammer and drift (in both directions) and could detect no noticeable movement.

I decided to try and adjust the steering box because there was a lot of slop at the tires and I could not find any worn out/loose steering linkage, ball joints, wheel bearings or control arm bushings. The steering gear was the last resort.

I didn't remove the pitman arm but did get the wheels off the ground with the weight of the car supported on the frame. Should I have removed it?

First, don't forget to check that the steering shaft to box coupler hasn't broken inside - I've seen several that when I took them apart I could see that the slides were broken. It is very hard (neigh impossible) to get that cover back on, and I'd recommend having the rubber boot replacement on hand.

If that's good, I have seen in my '71 Satellite w/ PS a weird steering problem around 100K miles. The steering was unstable and would boost away from center - a very unsafe condition. Eventually I was told it was a bad O-ring in the top part of the steering box. I got another from a junk yard and replaced the who top unit, then adjusted as per the FSM. As I remember it (it was ~20 years ago), basically, w/ the 2 bolts loosened, I tapped it w/ a ball peen hammer back and forth until when you started the car it didn't want to turn the wheels off center. It's never given me a problem since.

Yep, looks like Steer & Gear finally have a solution to that. (3rd item down)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I don't think the coupler is broken. When I tightened the top set screw the steering tightened up considerably. I am just wondering if anyone knows why I couldn't adjust the sector mesh preload. Maybe I should just let her rip and see what happens.

Sorry, misread your post last night MI6. Too many beers and poor darts make James a dull boy...

-out

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