cville6

Looks like my steering gear box seal is shot. It's hooked on power steering fluid and stop leak. Has about a pint a week habit. I have looked up a seal kit on the Advance Auto Parts web site for about $20. Can the seal be replaced on the truck? Has anyone done this?

one54ton

Is it the seal on the top of the box? If it is I just ordered one as well. Ive been told that you can leave the box mounted to the frame during installation. 1 pint is nothing. If I dont tighten mine every day I go through a bottle!!!!!!!!

berner

Is it the pitman arm seal? Mine's leaking a bit too. I looked into changing it. Not that hard to do but you need a 250 lb torque wrench. There are 2 seals in there. You undo the nut and start the engine and crank the wheels to the left all the way for a couple seconds to pop the old seals out. I don't have the torque spec at work here. I'll update later today.

swmnkdinthervr

WOW...better pay attention to this thead...I'm beginning to lose PS fluid...haven't figured out where yet!

BlueRam01

FYI the pitman nut is 185 ftlbs (01 Ram should be the same for all)
If the pitman shaft seal is leaking chances are the box is already toast. Once the bearing wears, the seal can't follow the moving shaft and ... leaks.
Putting in a new seal might held for a little while.

berner

If the steering box is toast, you can install a DSS and it'll hold the pittman shaft from slopping around. If the shaft isn't scored too bad you should be able to keep seals in it. Crawl underneath and watch the shaft for side to side play while someone turns the steering wheel back and forth.

cville6

Thanks berner! I believe it is the Pitman arm seal that I have leaking. It sounds like it is a project I can handle. I think I'll buy the seal set and give it a shot. I'll figure out something on the on the torque wrench. Beg, borrow, or steal one.

BlueRam01

cville
I got my TQ wrech at Home Depot. 250 ftlb Husky. The price was not bad at all. I think it was less than $50. I stopped there on a whim because I had just left Sears, and they were all close to $100. This was when I was going to do my pitman arm seal the first time. Could not get that stupid pitman arm off for anything...I was afraid my cheap puller would break ($15 Autozone). So I installed the DSS and the seal held up for about a year when it completely failed. I guess the constant bath in PS fluid helped because when I put in the new box (PSC) the arm pulled right off. Same cheap puller.
2 weeks ago I put a new arm on my 3500. No leaky and the arm would not budge. This time I broke my cheap puller. Had to rent one to finish the job and still needed a bit of heat to lossen it. On the plus side, the cheap puller has a lifetime warranty and I got a new one.
The big torque wrench is used a LOT and it is holding up great. I always torque the lug nuts on all my vehicles and trailers.

running4bhs

FYI, I use TQs all the time in the marine Corps and we have to send those things to the cal lab all the time because it doesn't take to much to throw the calibration off, even dropping them does it. So with that said when was the last time you had your TQ calibrated?

BlueRam01

Never had mine cal'd. Don't do MIL spec work. However, I always reset and store at "0" or the min setting. I also treat my TQs with great care. I don't use them for general tightening, loosening or set them on the ground while working. They live in thier cases until needed for work.
We are ISO9002 at work so I have a calibration option available.