Input Shaft Seal

Rick_S

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Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums so please forgive me if this question had been answered in a previous post. Question is: Do I need to remove the steering box to replace a leaking input shaft seal or can I remove the 4'' retainer ring with a spanner wrench from above? It's in a 70 Newport. Thanks for any available info. Rick_S
 
I think you're not getting an answer because we're not sure what you mean by "input shaft", but I'm guessing you mean the steering wheel or "worm" shaft that points towards the firewall. Do you have a Factory Service Manual either paper or an "e" version? Go here: MyMopar - Mopar Forums & Information - Service Manuals

There is a special tool to remove the worm (steering wheel) shaft seal while in the car, and a similar tool to remove the gear shaft seal under the car. But I don't think you'll be removing that 4" retainer nut either in the car or out out of it. It's holding some serious stuff inside there.

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Thanks Trace 300 Hurst. I'll try to remove it using the deck screw extraction method. It is the seal where the steering column connects to the shaft. Tools C-3638 and C-3650 are probably rolling around in the bottom of somebody's abandoned tool box. Wish me luck...Rick_S
 
Maybe now that we're using the same words, perhaps someone here has some advice or will loan you those tools. I'm sure someone here has 'em, and seal pullers aren't limited to Mopars. It's a common tool in many sizes.

But deck screws work too!
 
Success! I should have been a dentist. The extraction went as planned. New seal, no leaks, Life is Good once again. I also want to thank all who welcomed me to the C body community.
 
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I'll try to make a futile after the fact instruction of what I did. Step 1: Disconnect the battery 2:Drive out drift pin in the coupling (pic-1) 3: Disconnect shift linkage ( in park position) 4: Remove access cover (pic- 4) under dash 5:Remove shift indicator rod on column. 6: Remove (2) column (3) flange bolts on the firewall(pic-3) 7: Support steering column with jack stand (pic-5) and remove (3) nuts from column support plate. The column assy should be free to pull back and separate from the input shaft at this point and position to allow for a little room to work in. Moving on to (pic-6) I used a #43 drill bit for the seal. It's a tight space to get in to (pic-8). I had to recess the bit into the drill equal to the length of the shaft with a little extra. In regards to the screw,it was just laying around in my vast unorganized inventory of loose hardware. Something similar to the drill size should work. You'll only need a few turns as the seal housing is soft metal. (pic-7) is the vice grip I used along with a small claw hammer in between the steering box housing to jack out the seal. Once removed clean out the area around the input shaft. Apply a thin layer of grease to the inner lip and outside edge area of the new seal . I used a 3/4'' deep socket to tap the seal back in. Not the ideal tool but works OK if you're careful. That's basically it other than start engine...check for a leak and reassemble in the reverse order. Hopefully.this tidbit will be useful to a member or two.

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I think that's a darn good tidbit that many folks might put to use in the coming years. Knowing that this common problem can be solved using your method, what with the very tight quarters involved, is half the battle.

Good write-up, thanks.
 
Thanks for the write-up, I did the same operation with the pitman arm seal. Of course after that I noticed the worm shaft seal was leaking also so I’ll be tackling that this week.

Here is a pic of my pitman arm seal extraction. That 1 5/16 nut was the hardest part. Why do they have to be torqued to 180 foot pounds?

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Thanks for the write-up, I did the same operation with the pitman arm seal. Of course after that I noticed the worm shaft seal was leaking also so I’ll be tackling that this week.

Here is a pic of my pitman arm seal extraction. That 1 5/16 nut was the hardest part. Why do they have to be torqued to 180 foot pounds?

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I believe 180 ft lbs is an industry standard spec for a nut of that size for that particular application. I have never heard of a pitman arm falling off as it is basically pressed onto splined shaft with little space to travel even if the nut did fall off also contributing to the difficulty of removal to access the seal. Looks like you've removed the whole steering box. If you did the pitman seal the input shaft seal is not nearly as challenging.
 
Yep, the box is out. I’m trying to do everything I can before the engine goes back in, since right now it is very difficult for me to get under the car. My torque wrench goes up to 150. I’ll do that and then give it one more good pull with the breaker bar, should be good enough.
 
Adding to an old thread.
Spring is a few weeks away so getting a few things done one of which is the worm shaft seal.
I used Rick S procedure with a few mods.
First marked the column/ coupler to make sure its goes back the same.
I also took off the inner fender, gave me way more work area.
Used a flexible drill and 3/32 drill bit.
First hole and screw pulled out when I tried prying.
Second hole I slowly turned screw in and the seal crawled up the threads and came out easy.
Thought I would pass this on if any one is going to change the seal as it worked for me.
It would still help if you had girly hands and rubber arms but can be done.
And again use caution to not damage shaft.
Great site.

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Adding to an old thread.
Spring is a few weeks away so getting a few things done one of which is the worm shaft seal.
I used Rick S procedure with a few mods.
First marked the column/ coupler to make sure its goes back the same.
I also took off the inner fender, gave me way more work area.
Used a flexible drill and 3/32 drill bit.
First hole and screw pulled out when I tried prying.
Second hole I slowly turned screw in and the seal crawled up the threads and came out easy.
Thought I would pass this on if any one is going to change the seal as it worked for me.
It would still help if you had girly hands and rubber arms but can be done.
And again use caution to not damage shaft.
Great site.
Nicely done. :thumbsup:

Your tip about removing the inner fender at first SEEMS like a lot of trouble, but it's not. Simply remove the assorted stuff that's screwed to it under the hood (five minutes) and then it's just removing 10-12 fender bolts which is a jiff if you have an air ratchet. Doing so really gives a lot of room for doing work and general cleanup on both sides of the engine compartment.
 
Nicely done. :thumbsup:

Your tip about removing the inner fender at first SEEMS like a lot of trouble, but it's not. Simply remove the assorted stuff that's screwed to it under the hood (five minutes) and then it's just removing 10-12 fender bolts which is a jiff if you have an air ratchet. Doing so really gives a lot of room for doing work and general cleanup on both sides of the engine compartment.
You are correct in that the inner fender is easy to remove, except if the bolts are rusted or the spot welded nuts have broken off. I had much fun removing the inner fender liners (both) and had to get creative with getting the broken hardware out.
 
You are correct in that the inner fender is easy to remove, except if the bolts are rusted or the spot welded nuts have broken off. I had much fun removing the inner fender liners (both) and had to get creative with getting the broken hardware out.
That's a good point, so everyone's results may vary. PB Blaster might be advisable a week beforehand. In my case, the inners were a breeze.
 
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