'56 Patrician Bendix Steering Ram

Posted by John Payne On 2012/6/27 0:53:43

G'day Guys, I'm now heading down to the other end of the car. Mine has Bendix power steering and the ram is leaking, forcing me to use a drip tray in the garage. Has anyone rebuilt one of these and if so, is it a job for a professional or could a home mechanic do the job? I actually have a spare ram and have a seal kit that I bought from Merrett, and would like to have the spare rebuilt and then do a change-over. Somebody once told me that the top of the ram would have to be cut off and welded back on after the new seals are fitted - is this right? I would have thought the heat from welding would destroy the seals. Anyway, I'm not game to remove the circlip from the top of the ram to see what comes out just in case I stuff something up. Regards, John

PS - does anyone know of a full power steering box that is a direct bolt in replacement for the original? That is, the bolt holes line up and the steering column can be matched. I appreciate there would be other component issues to address as well (eg, drag link) but I'm sure that could be sorted if a box were available. JP