54 gmc ,anyone change this seal with the steering box still on the truck .It looks like it is accessible with the drivers wheel off .I took the seal out of a extra steering box I had and it came out easily .
I think it could be done. I did it when I had the steering gear off the truck for a full cleanup and rebuild, though. The pitman arm would have to come off of course, and you'd probably need a socket of the right size to seat the new seal. I assume you're going with the more modern lip seal.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
I changed mine (52 GMC, same seal) with the box mounted in the truck. You are supposed to pull the pitman shaft, but some of us have used a Lisle seal puller to drag out the old seal with the shaft in place.
Picture below is a leather stock seal being pulled with the Pitman shaft removed.
GM part number for the lip seal is 7801626. Federal Mogul 313842
It'll make your truck faster because the same seal is used on 1962-83 Corvettes.
Last edited by Bill Hanlon; 07/25/20263:24 AM.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
That original seal is a piece of felt. It should be ashamed to call itself a seal. Another optional seal is SKF 11055. That's the one I used. I have no seepage around the shaft, but a touch at the worm shaft adjuster threads. [on edit] Seems that RockAuto is out of stock on that seal. I guess we've bought them all.
Last edited by klhansen; 07/25/20265:37 AM.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
Napa should have the seal, SKF 11055, order two of them, they bend and deform pretty easy. It's not hard to pull the sector shaft back, at most, you might have to make a new gasket. If you don't mess with the adjustment, it will go right back in. Installing the seal with the shaft in place will be much harder than without the shaft, start making a seal driver now. A small diameter pipe with the right ID to slip over the shaft and long enough to hit it squarely with a small hammer. Even with a good driver, it's easy to bend the seal.
I changed mine (52 GMC, same seal) with the box mounted in the truck. You are supposed to pull the pitman shaft, but some of us have used a Lisle seal puller to drag out the old seal with the shaft in place.
Picture below is a leather stock seal being pulled with the Pitman shaft removed.
GM part number for the lip seal is 7801626. Federal Mogul 313842
It'll make your truck faster because the same seal is used on 1962-83 Corvettes.
I went one step further to make my 53 3100 go even faster by putting EPAS power steering on that is the same as the old Corvettes.
One more question after I get the seal in is gear oil going to stay in the box or should I use corn head grease.The way it is now is it has grease in the box and the box leaks oil out were the seal is
I would not use gear oil in your steering box. GM has called for NGLI 0 or 00 for steering boxes. Real soupy grease. Corn Head Grease is a suitable substitute.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
A quick and easy substitute is gear oil and chassis grease in a 50/50 mix, just make sure what ever you use is soupy. The worm gear and roller balls need to oily wet at all times and if the lube is too thick it can't flow into the ball nut. Penrite and Dynolite both make proper steering box lube if thats what you want, but the corn head grease will work just as well.
