I decided after collecting all the various seals etc to try and sort my leaky box, that I ought to remove it before I lost access to a garage mate with a suitable puller. I couldn't get the metal cover at the bottom of the column to move, so I moved underneath to loosen the various nuts......don't know what all the fuss is about the drag link , I bent the locking tab back, removed the finger tight nut holding the drop arm and pulled the arm off using just one hand! Think I can undo the nuts on the rubber coupler from underneath....one question...there's a pinch bolt between the coupler and the box...if I loosened this, would the box come out without meddling with the coupler?
I may turn out that I'm superman, but I doubt it. Sods law, all the nuts and bolts, coupler down, were all easy ( as in too easy ) to remove, the coupler ones, less so ! Given them all a squirt of penetrating oil and given up for day.....not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon!
I was waiting for my ball joint splitter to arrive and was just checking how much hassle removing the various bolts would be. The drag link just fell off....it's still attached to the drop arm....the ball joints look to be in good condition, so was intending not to bother breaking the joint.
It would be easier to get to the coupler bolts with the box out of the way.....hence the pinch bolt query.
Didn't have to use any tools to remove mine, but there is room to get spanner or socket on..might need ramps for torque wrench.
If the domed metal cover at the bottom doesn't come off, how would you check the oil level....or to put it another way, how does the cover remove without stripping the steering wheel off ?
Can get a 30mm spanner on it, but that doesn't measure torque. Could get a 30mm socket on it for torque wrench, but it would need to be 4" long - is there some other way of doing it? Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
The cover comes off; put both feet on it and pull the tube up hard. Before you do this straighten the horn spade at the bottom of the tube - if it still exists. Hassle. I am thinking of drilling a 10mm hole at 12 o'clock in the plate to make oiling the steering box easier. Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Surely that just separates the two parts, it will still be in the way if you need to get to the coupler bolts. Why wasn't it made a slightly larger diameter so it could slide up the shaft !
Beware of yank it off advice on this. Later buses yep, Earlier buses you break that insulating plastic part you can see between the outer and the plate part that locks them both together. Go under, two spanners, you'll have to turn the steering now and then to access bolts but it's quite easy. Not sure there's room to pull the wotsit off the splines while shuffling the box out but no harm trying.
Nothing wrong with yanking off in a 74! As long as the curtains are closed Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Managed to get a suitably bent spanner on top of bolt and undid it from coupler...just getting all the years of crap off it, along with the underseal that has concealed the leak for years.
Went out and gave my tube a good old tug - bit embarrassing with all the bored neighbours watching - half expected to get arrested. Anyway here is the result Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk