VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Steering Gear

Good afternoon folks,

While out in the wrecking yard looking for 1965 M****** parts this AM, I found what looks like a 32 coach sitting out it the middle of a field all by its lonesome. It really is just a cowl and a frame, but the steering gear was still on it so I took it off and brought it home for free. It has very little play in it and the numbers on the casting are as follows:
260367
16
just as they appear on the casting. What might be the year etc? I will take it apart tomorrow to see how the gears look but it turns smooth. Thanks and best,

Mac

PS it still had some old seat frames and the dash along with the cowl vent.

Hi Mac,

Casting #260367 Could be from a 31, 32, 33-35 models CB,DB,EB,O,P,Q, or 36 models FB, R, FC.

http://www.gmpartswiki.com/getpage?pageid=121751

Since it has a cowl vent, that eliminates it being a 31 or 32.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

Hey Dan,I am by no means any authority for sure,but I recall a post on 3/26/13 questioning what year a car was,31 or 32 so I looked back and it seems that according to the dicussion that day the 32 coach did indeed have a cowl vent !! I cannot state that with any certanity but that seems to be what was stated in that post.I own 2 31 coaches (1wreck for parts) and they do not have cowl vents----is it possible the 32 does??

Hi Jay,

I'm certainly no expert on these. I was going by the Fisher Body Service Manuals for the Closed Body cars, which didn't show a cowl vent for the '32. It did show and describe the windshield regulator though.
I just reviewed the 1931 Service Bulletin and it indicatied that cowl vents were now installed on Open Body cars. I should have checked that earlier.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

The 32's have a cowl vent. Perhaps the Fisher manual you used is for a 31 as mine is, but there is a 32 supplement to update it for a 32.

my 32 coach does have a cowl vent. and a roll up windshield. I could look up the numbers on the steering gear but it is at the machine shop getting a seal installed.

All 1932 Chevrolets with a Fisher Body have a cowl vent, including the Coach.

My 32 has the cowl vent and the windshield regulator and the initial reply indicated the steering gear was for several years including 1932. I take it that I am good to go in replacing my worn gear?

got my 32 gear back from the machine shop. it has the numbers 260367 on the gear case and 260368 on the pitman housing.

Just got my old one off and my numbers match up. The one I took off is plum full of chassis lube and the bushing around the steering shaft is worn completely out. The one I stumbled over in the wrecking yard had diff lube in it that looked like molasses but smelled a lot differently. I have some 90 weight but it is not as heavy. Thanks for your help everyone. Best to all.

As I have written numerous times, grease will not lubricate the outer bushing. It takes a flowable oil to go through the small passage in the housing. Grease is too thick so the outer bushing and shaft are worn. I have never found a severely worn outer bushing if the steering box is filled with oil. All with grease have worn out outer bushings.

Chipper, looks like that is what happened to my original gear. The one I found has a plug where the zerk fitting is on the one I removed,

My experience on 1931 Chevys is that there originally (from the factory) was a plug in the hole. Later an Alemite (pin type) fitting was installed. Those fittings were and still are produced to use oil not grease. The "grease gun" (called by that name in Chevrolet literature) came from Alemite with an instruction sheet that in CAPITAL letters had "Do Not Use Grease" on the bottom of the first page.

following your advice, I took my gear out and soaked it in solvent for a day. the pitman arm had a click of movement, so I took it to a machine shop where they took out the badly worn bushings, both, and put in new ones. wow what a difference. I think grease doesn't flow into the inner one either. neither did the machinist. thanks.

I have one or two of the old Alemite oil fittings (strange looking thing) so I will replace the plug with one and be sure to use the 90 weight. I have an old grease gun in its original box and the warning is on the inside of the lid. I always thought is was for grease. Is there an adapter to use oil? Thanks Chipper and BAconfederate.

Mac

The 30's steering boxes (and transmissions/rearends) originally were filled with a product called 600W, which I understand is still commonly available and known in the heavy machinery industry as "cylinder oil'. I bought a 5 gallon pail through local Exxon distributor for $100. It is quite a bit heavier than 90W, and I am told is modern equivalent to about 160W.

I expect you will find 90W may seep past outer pitman arm bushing, sector gear shaft is likely worn enough to allow some to escape. After replacing my bushings, the 600W seemed to do the job, but even it seeps out a small amount (couple of drops a week). Others here have also suggested mixing 90W and chassis grease to get a thicker, molasses like fluid, and that should also work. However any grease product that can congeal or form ruts and result in loss of lubrication should be avoided.

I will look to get a source for the 600W. My parts guys are good at finding things I need for my 32 and I would bet they can find it. We have a BP jobber not far from where I live and I can get over to him as well. Thanks Gunsmoke

Hey,Geezer----the Filling Station has the 600w--ships to the lower 48 I think.That is where I get mine.Good luck,Jay

Excellent...Call them tomorrow. Thanks Jay

Mac

sssoooooo. I should have 600w in my 1935 steering box????

I get Lubriplate SPO 299 from a local NAPA store.