Steering box piston rings

[bigred88]

So this is on my AMC Spirit, but it's got a Saginaw box, so it's at least a GM product I'm working on. And I figure if you let Jeeps in here, AMCs are allowed by association.

I'm resealing the whole thing, and part of that is new piston rings. They're made out of teflon, and a solid circle, like an o ring. To put them on, you have to stretch them a bit so they can get over the piston until they get to the ring land. Problem is, they don't return to their original size. The service manual says this is fine, and they'll return to their proper size when the fluid heats up.

Well, I tore off a piece of the first ring trying to get the piston back in the housing, because it hung up on the edge. I can't see a way to get it to fit. I've got a new ring (and a whole nother seal kit...), and I'd rather not break this one. Has anyone done this before? Any tips, tricks, etc, to get the damn piston to go in and keep the ring intact?

 

[Fordum]

Well, I did it a few years back on a Saginaw off a Jeep. I remember the ring, seems to me I put it in some hot water to get it over the piston, then more hot water and just squeezed it with my hand to get it shrunk back down.

Whatever I did, it was so simple and obvious that it did not stick with me. I just did it and kept going.

 

[4X4HIGH]

I lube the teflon seals and use a .010" feeler gauge to help ease install as to not cut or tear the seals.

 

[bigred88]

I did lube them, but I didn't think of using a feeler gauge to help.

Thanks for the tips, I should be giving it another go tomorrow morning, so hopefully I can get it to work.

 

[bigred88]

Just in case anyone else ever finds this in a search and is having the same problem, I ended up getting it all back together. I lubed the rings, used a feeler gauge to keep them from twisting, and once they were on I hit them briefly with a heat gun, because they still looked too loose. After they cooled they shrunk right back to their original size. Got it all back together, drove the car yesterday, no leaks! Well, from the steering box. Plenty of leaks elsewhere....

 

[Blue85]

I've never done it with a steering gear, but it should be the same as transmission teflon seals. There is a seal sizer tool made for every size seal that puts pressure on the seal to help it shrink. I experimented with a few things but finally found that electrical tape works pretty well. It won't stick to oily stuff, but will stick to itself. You stretch the tape as much as possible while wrapping the seal and go around a few times. Lo and behold - the tape is applying pressure to the seal evenly around it's circumference. Let it sit for a while before removing the tape.