Steering box is leaking...Replacing front cover seal??

[fortcollinsram]

Well I took my box to xtreme engineering here in town and they sent the box (supposedly) to WTO to be drilled and tapped. Then they got the ram from Rocklogic4x4. Well I got my box back last Friday and put some 1/4NPT plugs in the holes so I could go wheeling over the weekend and then mount my ram when it came in on Monday. Well I put the box back on, added a PS cooler, bled the system and parked the truck over night on Saturday. Sunday morning I went wheeling but the mess on the concrete did not allow me to see if anything had leaked.

Well I went wheeling and the steering felt pretty normal, came home, parked the truck and came out the next morning and the stupid steering box is leaking out of the front cover. My box was drilled and tapped in the front "dome" cover and in the top pitman arm cover. I am planning on making hydraulic lines at work for it today after I am done with school so my hydro is complete.

Not my question:

How hard is it to replace the front cover seal on a saginaw box? It looks as if you just remove that large snap-ring on the outside and the domed cover just pops out...??Is there a large o-ring on the inside or what?? Any help would be appreciated...

Chris

 

[Triaged]

1) I don't think your box was tapped by WTO. They tap them on the side of the cast iron main body.
2) I think tapping the "dome" front cover is fine but I have seen pics of the top cover cracking because of being tapped.
3) There is a hole around the lip on the end of the box. You need to stick something in there to get the snap ring started on its way out. Then just work it around with a screw driver.
4) Yes it is just a o-ring in there to seal that cover.

 

[fortcollinsram]

Well, before i replaced the seal, I ran some Lucas stop leak power steering fluid through the system and no more leak. Not only that, but the whole steering system is MUCH smoother. Oh and BTW, Hydro-assist RAWKS....

Chirs /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif