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I combined two Ross steering gears into one and put it back inside. A complete rebuild thread will come later, now I am sorting a PROBLEM .
Steps done on work bench:
1) Cleaned everything thoroughly, oiled it in proper oil and put it back.
2) Out the cover/control house back according the specifications.
3) Put the rear cam cover back including whatever shims that came out.
4) Tried with one shim too much, cam turns free but also can be moved lateral.
5) Took one shim out. Cam turns free and easy, but does not have lateral movement.
According the TMs, this has to be done much more precise, but I only have a few used sims, so have to try work with what I have.
6) Installed the valve control house and adjusted the valve spool so it is in the correct position.
Two stupid things I forgot to do before mounting everything back in the truck
i) Forgot to mark on the outside how the Pittman arm is positioned when the internal works are exactly in the middle position. This might be a problem, see below. We could not get the Pittman arm off, so the Pittman arm of the new gear connects to the drag link of the old gear. Don't know if that can be a positioning problem.
ii) Forgot to put the drain plug back. I was wondering where the oil went.
Installed the steering gear box back into the truck. The biggest problem was to push the steering shat jacket into the control house: all kind of wires got mangled and blocked it going in smoothly.
Strange:
Without engine, wheel turns smooth both directions, BUT when I position the wheels in straight and the steering wheel exactly in the middle of the free play, I need about a 1/2 turn more to full left than to full right. Right or left is not blocked by steering gear but by the stopping bold, which has not been adjusted as long as I have the truck?
Steps done after mounting the gear box back in the truck:
7) Tried to fill at least part of the power cylinder through the hoses
8 ) Tried to fill the valve control housing through the hoses.
9) Reconnected all hoses
10) Filled up the hydraulic reservoir
11) Loosened the return hydraulic hose where it connects to the valve control house (not the highest point in the system)
12) Cranked the engine without starting conform the TM and moved the steering wheel to get air out of the lines.
13) When it looked like only oil without air came out, tightened that hose as well.
14) Started the engine and moved the steering wheel left and right.
Problem:
everything moves smooth, turning goes ok, but when being full turn right and leaving the steering wheel alone, it quickly turns back completely to the left. This does not happen the other way around. There is not much power behind it, when you keep the steering wheel in your hand you don't feel the pull left.
What is causing this:
A) Still too much air in the system? If so, how to get rid of it?
B) Wrong line-up of the Pittman arm on the cam and the power slider?
C) Something wrong in the valve adjustment?
Bonus question:
Is it a problem if the air system is open while driving: brake system is not put back yet and one glad/hand has been broken off. We just need to run the engine for adjusting the steering and then move the truck about 100 yards to its new location.
Steps done on work bench:
1) Cleaned everything thoroughly, oiled it in proper oil and put it back.
2) Out the cover/control house back according the specifications.
3) Put the rear cam cover back including whatever shims that came out.
4) Tried with one shim too much, cam turns free but also can be moved lateral.
5) Took one shim out. Cam turns free and easy, but does not have lateral movement.
According the TMs, this has to be done much more precise, but I only have a few used sims, so have to try work with what I have.
6) Installed the valve control house and adjusted the valve spool so it is in the correct position.
Two stupid things I forgot to do before mounting everything back in the truck
i) Forgot to mark on the outside how the Pittman arm is positioned when the internal works are exactly in the middle position. This might be a problem, see below. We could not get the Pittman arm off, so the Pittman arm of the new gear connects to the drag link of the old gear. Don't know if that can be a positioning problem.
ii) Forgot to put the drain plug back. I was wondering where the oil went.
Installed the steering gear box back into the truck. The biggest problem was to push the steering shat jacket into the control house: all kind of wires got mangled and blocked it going in smoothly.
Strange:
Without engine, wheel turns smooth both directions, BUT when I position the wheels in straight and the steering wheel exactly in the middle of the free play, I need about a 1/2 turn more to full left than to full right. Right or left is not blocked by steering gear but by the stopping bold, which has not been adjusted as long as I have the truck?
Steps done after mounting the gear box back in the truck:
7) Tried to fill at least part of the power cylinder through the hoses
8 ) Tried to fill the valve control housing through the hoses.
9) Reconnected all hoses
10) Filled up the hydraulic reservoir
11) Loosened the return hydraulic hose where it connects to the valve control house (not the highest point in the system)
12) Cranked the engine without starting conform the TM and moved the steering wheel to get air out of the lines.
13) When it looked like only oil without air came out, tightened that hose as well.
14) Started the engine and moved the steering wheel left and right.
Problem:
everything moves smooth, turning goes ok, but when being full turn right and leaving the steering wheel alone, it quickly turns back completely to the left. This does not happen the other way around. There is not much power behind it, when you keep the steering wheel in your hand you don't feel the pull left.
What is causing this:
A) Still too much air in the system? If so, how to get rid of it?
B) Wrong line-up of the Pittman arm on the cam and the power slider?
C) Something wrong in the valve adjustment?
Bonus question:
Is it a problem if the air system is open while driving: brake system is not put back yet and one glad/hand has been broken off. We just need to run the engine for adjusting the steering and then move the truck about 100 yards to its new location.
Last edited:
to my defense, it's late here and we are under pressure of several deadlines and actions, like our Czech Mikulas - Devil's forging tomorrow in our blacksmith workshop and the steam hammer getting into action this monday, that is, if my truck is out of the way.