69.5 manual gearbox, there is a bolt, with a lock nut on top of the gearbox. Whats the proper proceedure to adjust the endplay in the worm gears, if thats what its called,,, LOL! Ive got about 1/8th-1/4 turn of play that seems to go away when I make this adjustment, but,,, dont want to mess it up if I can help it. Ive got to put a tape measure on the front end to get it in line, bushings etc etc are pretty good still, just have to tighten here, loosen and adjust there,, ya all know what I mean. Thanks! Chad
Straighten the wheels, steering wheel straight up. loosen the lock nut, tighten screw to just light-finger-tight, lock it down. I think they call for 10 in-lbs
Oil will most likely just drip out. I used Gear grease. I took the top off, filled with paint thinner, and turned it back and forth until all the grease came out, sprayed air in there to remove as much of the thin stuff as I could. Then took a grease tube and forced 2 tubes into it while turning it back and forth to squeeze it into the gearing, and when it started to come out the vent hole at the top, I stopped and put the top back on. My gears looked smooth so I assumed there was no damage and no need to have it rebuilt. I should have replaced the ball bearing in the bottom, but was lazy, and will probably pay the price later on
Know what...I read that post, and thought, "Didn't I do that too?" Went out to the garage, and took a look, lo and behold, and grease zerk fitting!!! Yeah, when I had mine apart, I added that as well...
I think Ill follow suit on that one. I took it out for a drive tonight, I hit a bump in the road, and it felt like the whole front end fell out from under it. Well it felt like it,, it didnt though,,, Found a broken torsion bar or brace bar going from the lower arm of the suspension, going up under the radiator, on the drivers side. It looks to have been broke for a while, wasnt a fresh break in the steel. Im gonna make a set from scratch, a bit heavier than whats on it. Other than that, well, had some water inthe gas tank getting out of it, but other than that, things are going the way I wanna go with the ol maverick. Is there a specific way of measurement on those torsion bars upon installing them? Im just making replicas, but out of larger diameter steel rod. Chad
If you fill the steering gear box with a 50/50 mix of Hilton Hyper-lube (or any motor oil additive viscosity index increaser) and chassis grease it will lubricate better than grease (because it is liquid and flows) and last for decades. This is what I filled my utility trailer wheel bearings with and it has gone for 20+ years without a failure or re lube. Good stuff!
The only problem with it being liquid is that those seals are 35 years old, and you will likely find your lube on the garage floor the next morning, or at least a little bit each morning for the next 10 years. Personally, I would have rather used a 90weight, but I watched the fluid leak out when I put the paint thinner in there, so I know a liquid would leak. As for the torsion bar break...that is part of what I am doing...replacing ALL steering and front suspension parts. And there are a LOT of them. When I pulled them off to switch to manual steering, I got pretty scared to learn that I had been driving on tie rods that were this bad...some would flop around in your hand like a wet rag, some were seized up, I was amazed the steering even worked. All rubber and bushings are cracked and some are missing outright.
That is a strut rod (not a torsion bar) and is controls caster. No wonder your front-end felt like it fell out. you need to replace that, and the bushings that go with it. I'll bet your steering pulls to one side too...
If you use grease,, use synthetic, should help when it gets cold and you need 3 men and a boy to turn steering wheel with that thick grease.
That is a strut rod (not a torsion bar) and is controls caster. No wonder your front-end felt like it fell out. you need to replace that, and the bushings that go with it. I'll bet your steering pulls to one side too... Yeah, especially when braking. Bushings are in real good shape, plastic, not rubber, I think it got overtightened and twisted off. I got it replaced, and back on the car. Should there be just slight tension pulling the assembly forwards a tad, or tighten em down where they sit? Car jacked up or sitting at ride height? Chad
The broken rod is the result of using those plastic bushings. Change em back to rubber. Do a search on the classic forums on stangnet.com and you'll find many cases of just what happened to yours.
you will need to get the frontend checked...that "rod" is part of the setting up of the frontend. ... ...
I agree with the 50/50 comment. Do a search, we've had several threads on this issue. I rebuild my own boxes and have discussed this with a gearbox shop. They recommended mixing my own "thin grease" for the same reason Paul mentions above. Grease won't move around in the box like a "thin grease" will. If you decide to rebuild the box yourself (it's easy), replace the lower seal. It can be bought at any local bearing shop.
