Topic: Steering Gearbox fill?

[68 S Code]

I'm thinking about detailing the top plate of the steering gearbox which would mean removing it. This is a real novice quesion but I've never cracked one open. Is it a fluid or a grease? Is there anything I will be effecting like some sort of pre-load? It works fine but is out of the car getting detailed so i want to do it right.

[T Lea]

It is grease. The threaded rod held by the adj nut is an adjustment. Probably not doing your self any favor by filling it

[68 S Code]

Actually i was thinking of taking of the top plate to detail it. Read a thread which has me rethinking if I need to change what i have. Read thread that stated that the steering gearbox was blacked out. i thought I heard it should be natural cast iron. Now I'm confused, black or natural. In this thread it was said that gearbox and the drums on a styled steel wheel car got blacked out for appearance purposes. Mr Gains said in the thread that the black was applied with a brush.

[CharlesTurner]

It's common for the early cars to have the top of the steering box blacked out, but you'll need to do your homework on the later cars like '68.

[68 S Code]

Well actually I figured posting on this site was doing my homework. I need cliff notes as this restoration has already taken 25 years. Already dome the undercarriage twice so I'm just trying to get her off the rotiserri. Thanks for the advice though. Lots of research to do.

[CharlesTurner]

Of course, posting here is always a good start.  What it will end up as is you'll need to narrow your research area to 2-3 months of production from the assembly plant where your car was built.  You will most likely find that a lot of details that were thought to span a large part of production may be different here and there.

[J_Speegle]

Actually i was thinking of taking of the top plate to detail it. Read a thread which has me rethinking if I need to change what i have. Read thread that stated that the steering gearbox was blacked out. i thought I heard it should be natural cast iron. Now I'm confused, black or natural. ..............

For a 68 San Jose car I would leave the steering box natural - cast body (with bright machined surfaces), new metal cover, darkened bolts, and bright threaded shafts for the pitman and rag joint attachment

[68 S Code]

Jeff your response at least has me pointed in a direction.  Do you believe that the gearboxes were all assembled in one plant and then shipped to  all the plants. Similar to rear ends. It makes sense that the main case came from a foundry Like dif or Cleveland. Then the castings would go to a sub assembly plant and ultimately throughout all the ford assembly plants.  Similar to a power steering pump. If this was true then no big difference between San Jose, Dearborn, metuchen, st Louis or Atlanta, mustang, fairlane, galaxy. Ford or mercury.

[Anghelrestorations]

I agree - the steering box on your car was most likely natural and not painted black.  That was something done on the earlier Mustangs.  To properly detail the box you really need to remove it and disassemble it.  This would be a good reference of what a detailed box could look like:

[68 S Code]

Pictures are a wonderful thing. Thanks. This gearbox is from what year and assembly plant? I would think all gearboxes were built at one plant and then shipped all over the country but i may be mistaken.

[Anghelrestorations]

That particular gear box in the photo is from Oct 68 used on a Metucheun built 69 Mach 1.  I cant say for sure where all the gear boxes where assembled.  These style boxes were used on 68/69/70 Mustangs. 

[68 S Code]

My gearbox tag says 8d16 so about 5 months difference. I would guess not much would change. The pic was a great help, thanks.