Re: '56 Patrician Bendix Steering Ram

Posted by BH On 2012/10/4 8:47:57

You'd be surprised at how easy is it is to service on-car. I've no lift, here - only a 2-ton Walker floor jack, a variety of sturdy jack stands, and an old Army bottle jack. I do most of the work laying on a creeper (and have been known to nod off there, on occasion).

Yet, what's right for you is whatever you're most comfortable with.

WRT fitting the inner seal, keep in mind that the outer seal goes into a counterbore that's actually larger than the OD of the hydraulic seal.

Of the few units that I've resealed, I always had to massage the new hydraulic seal down into its bore, before installing the machined aluminum spacer. I NEVER use anything metallic to do that as it might nick the hydraulic seal, leading to a leak. I always save a few "popsicle" sticks that can easily be "tooled" to fit the immediate need. Everything else just drops right in.

BTW, in lieu of a protective seal installer (similar to what's shown in the BTV rebuild in the SM) I used to wrap some tape around the end of the piston, but have since found that a short piece of heat shrink tubing works even better.

Now, if the hydraulic seal isn't properly seated in its bore, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get the snap ring in its groove. Sounds like you got lucky and the seal lined right up with the bore, with the spacer finishing the job.

IIRC, the OE leather seal had a number stamped on the metal housing that could be cross-referenced to the modern seal.

The little hydraulic seal is the one that's hard to find, locally; no numbers on it.