How to change steering box oil and shifter bushings

[chavezYchavez]

Guys,

I changed all the oils and fluids except the steering box I could not find a drain plug and the factory service manual just says to drain after the box has been removed from the truck how do you change yours?

 

Also I cant see where these bushings go in my shifter once again the factory service manual does not show this?

 

 

Any help would be gratly appreciated.

CYC

[datzenmike]

I wouldn't worry about the steering box, just top up. (if needed) The oil can't wear out.

 

The shifter bushings go here:

 

 

Top shifter below:

 

 

These brass or bronze ones I made from a door hinge kit. Nothing wrong with plastic, they just wear out sooner.

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[chavezYchavez]

I wouldn't worry about the steering box, just top up. (if needed) The oil can't wear out.

 

The shifter bushings go here:

 

 

Top shifter below:

 

 

These brass or bronze ones I made from a door hinge kit. Nothing wrong with plastic, they just wear out sooner.

.

 

 

I appreciate it I assume these go on the actual shifter and not the linkage right? How do you take it off from under the truck or from inside the cab? Also would love to know where you got the bronze bushings that looks alot better than the plastic? As far as the gear oil for steering box I just always like replacing 36 year old fluids it probably has never been changed?

CYC

[1974datsun]

the cab. there is a black plate that you unscew, the shifter is held on my a c clip and a pin. just pull the c clip off and the pin out and there you go!

[datzenmike]

Take the rubber boot off the shifter and look down, usually the right side, and find the C clip like the bottom shifter. Push off with a fingernail or small thin screw driver. Hang onto it, oops too late!With the C clip off push the cross pin through and out the other side. Lift shifter up and out. Replace the bushings and put cross pin back in, works either way if left handed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[chavezYchavez]

the cab. there is a black plate that you unscew, the shifter is held on my a c clip and a pin. just pull the c clip off and the pin out and there you go!

 

Thanks I took the plate off and seen a screw and alot of gunk need to clean some more to find the clip.

[pharouh]

Thanks! :thumbup:

I was wondering about those same things!

I bought a set of metal bushings on Egay. $14 w/shipping.

 

 

 

www.fourthstreetdesign.com

[Roadracer Al]

I made my own bushings -- what a huge difference! You'll really like the results.

[datzenmike]

I used this 'HELP' Dodge door hinge repair kit:

 

 

I found out later that there was a better one that fit perfectly. So this isn't the best way! To make this one work use a Dremel or hacksaw and slice lengthwise and pinch together. Keep going until it fits the shifter and pin.

 

 

 

You may have to file the flat sides down slightly for it to fit the transmission shift 'ears' so the cross pin will fit..

 

 

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[pharouh]

I hate to jack a thread,but I'm changing my bushings,too. I've got the cab off,so it's a good time to do it. The problem is that my trans doesn't look like that. According to the manual it's a F4W63 transmission.This is a first for me,:unsure: I've never worked on transmissions before.Is this a dogleg I keep hearing about? It looks like the bushings need to replace are up in the rear extension housing. :confused:

 

[1974datsun]

I hate to jack a thread,but I'm changing my bushings,too. I've got the cab off,so it's a good time to do it. The problem is that my trans doesn't look like that. According to the manual it's a F4W63 transmission.This is a first for me,:unsure: I've never worked on transmissions before.Is this a dogleg I keep hearing about? It looks like the bushings need to replace are up in the rear extension housing. :confused:

 

pull the c clip out(bottom right hand side on the pic) and the pin should come out, you might need a little help from a flat head screw driver, and then i belive you pry out the second pin and there you go

[pharouh]

OK,I took of the C clip (red arrow) The pin comes out. There's another pin (blue arrow) that has what looks like a screw head on the other side. Tried turning it-it won't move.

The whole thing moves side to side (white arrow) It looks like the bushings I need to replace are where the green arrow points to. :confused: Does this make sense? Hate to be a newb. :unsure:

 

[1974datsun]

OK,I took of the C clip (red arrow) The pin comes out. There's another pin (blue arrow) that has what looks like a screw head on the other side. Tried turning it-it won't move.

The whole thing moves side to side (white arrow) It looks like the bushings I need to replace are where the green arrow points to. :confused: Does this make sense? Hate to be a newb. :unsure:

 

just lube up the top pin really good and try to get the screw out. i belive the bushings goe in the top pin.

[pharouh]

but there isn't any play in that part. Every 620 I've owned has had about 6 inches of side to side play in the shifter. This one's no different. Changing those bushings won't fix that. It's where the the white arrows are pointing. That whole part tilts back and forth.

[1974datsun]

but there isn't any play in that part. Every 620 I've owned has had about 6 inches of side to side play in the shifter. This one's no different. Changing those bushings won't fix that. It's where the the white arrows are pointing. That whole part tilts back and forth.

if it has that much play in the shifter before it goes into gear, rebuild the tranny or buy a new one

[datzenmike]

The shifter bushings on the original post are for the FS5W71B, F4W71B and the FS5W63A dogleg and have a 'B' type shifter mechanism. Yours is not a dogleg. Yes you have an F4W63 tranny with an 'A' type shifter mechanism, also aptly called the 'monkey motion' shifter. (for good reason)

 

Here is a parts breakdown of the 'A' type shifter:

 

 

Pin 17 and part 37 don't really affect side to side play. Instead, the fork shaped part that pin 19 goes through should closely grip the shaft entering the back of the tail stock. You could remove the 19 pin and very carefully squeeze the forks together slightly amd replace the pin (19) with a nut an bolt with a washer on each side. Tighten it up to pull the two sides of the fork in close against the horizontal rod. You do NOT want this too tight, just snug. The fork has to be able to pivot forward and back as the rod moves in and out. Most of the side to side slop is in this fork area. You might also try slipping a thin washer up between the fork and horizontal rod to remove the slack and re-use the 19 pin and 18 C clips. I think I did this on my 521 with the same 'A' shifter.

 

Be sure the two rubber cone shaped #8 parts aren't worn out. Try extra washers and tighten the #4 nut.

 

mike

 

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[pharouh]

Thanks. Those parts seem to be fine with almost no play. It It looks like part #36 is allowing the shaft to pivot.Maybe the 2 washers #33? Maybe it's supposed to be like that? Here's some pics to show what I mean. first shows it in 1st gear.second pictures shows how far it moves. About 3 inches left to right.In nuetral it moves about 6 inches. It doesn't really bother me,but it seems like it should be tighter.

 

 

[DanielC]

Meanwhile, back at the steering gear box oil change, I looked at my factory service manual, and it said to drain it. But that was just after the section on describing how to remove it from the truck. I kind of think you have to remove it to change the oil in it.

 

Another option, leave the steering gear in the truck.

Remove the pitman arm off the steering gear shaft. Mark where it is first

Put a pan under it to catch the oil.

 

Now follow the first three steps in the disassembly.

1, Drain the oil. (never mind, that will happen soon)

2. Loosen the sector shaft adjusting screw lock nut, and turn the adjusting screw a few turns counterclockwise.

3. Remove the four bolts holding the sector shaft cover on the gear box, and pull the sector shaft and cover off the steering gear.

 

Oil will now be running out of the big hole where the sector shaft was.

 

Reassemble it, Make sure everything is centered. Be careful to not damage the seal at the bottom of the hole where the sector shaft goes. The manual says to replace it, that may not be possible.

Tighten the adjusting screw until there is no free play in the pitman arm, work the steering gear back and forth several times, do not go hard to full lock, with out the steering linkage hooked up.

Tighten the sector screw in very small increments if there is free play, in the pitman arm.

fill it with 90 weight gear oil, about 7/10 of a pint.

Cover bolt torque, 11 to 13 ft-lbs.

Sector screw lock nut torque, 23 to 27 ft-lbs. Do not let the sector screw turn when turning the lock nut.

[datzenmike]

Good luck getting the pitman arm off, you'll need a special puller, but I have had them off. The 521 and 620 have one piece bushings to support the shaft but others have rows of 30 needle bearings, so only lift the sector shaft enough to clear the bottom seal to let the oil out or they will fall out. Just in case.

 

The pitman arm and sector shafts are indexed. They can only go on in four 90 degree positions so hard to get wrong.

[hang_510]

I could not find a drain plug and the factory service manual just says to drain after the box has been removed from the truck how do you change yours?

not a truck... but after removal, pull the fill plug and invert (works better on a warm day ;) ) to drain the ancient lube.

 

refill. i add Mb (molybdenum) to the mix.

[DanielC]

To be honest, I was making a late night insomniac guess about the partial disassembly of the steering gear. It may not be possible to pull the sector shaft out of the steering box, with it still in the truck. It might very well be easier to pull the steering wheel, turn signal switches, and other stuff, and completely remove the steering shaft, and gear box out of the truck, and turn it over.