weaselkeeper
Silver Level Sponsor
Writing this so someone else can avoid my mistake. SNAFU
This past weekend, I dissassembled/cleaned/sandblasted my SIV LHD stock steering box and opposing side steering idler. When I started reassembly, the steering box bushing installation went fine. The pin fits too tight, so this bushing will have to be reamed slightly to get an appropriate fit with the pin.
The idler bracket is another story. I pressed in two new bushings and found they are both too long by about 1/4 inch. When I dug out an old bushing, I found that indeed the idler bushings were shorter than what I purchased. (don't ask why I didn't do this first). Sunbeam Specialties catalog lists all three bushings as the same part number. After contacting SS today, they confirmed that the bushings were longer and they didn't know why the catalog didn't distiguish different lengths/part numbers. Now I get to ruin two new bushings to remove them from the idler bracket to make this right. SS will send me two more bushings at a discount. Very good to work with.
I suggest the following to anyone considering doing this. Save the old idler bushings and upon receipt of the new ones, first, either carefully cut them to the right lenght yourself and deburr them or let your favorite machinst do it for you before you press them in. Also have said machinist ream the newly installed bushings to fit both pins as I found both pins fit too tight. My calipers show one pin is .003 larger than the bushing it should slide into. No..don't hammer it in.
I hope this may save you some heartburn, $25 and a week delay to reassemble things.
On related note, SS does not have the two grease seals that surround the upper and lower shims on the idler. A lenghtly internet search failed to produce a supplier. Does anyone out there have serviceable spares? If not, have any of you solved grease seal problem another way?
Cheers.
This past weekend, I dissassembled/cleaned/sandblasted my SIV LHD stock steering box and opposing side steering idler. When I started reassembly, the steering box bushing installation went fine. The pin fits too tight, so this bushing will have to be reamed slightly to get an appropriate fit with the pin.
The idler bracket is another story. I pressed in two new bushings and found they are both too long by about 1/4 inch. When I dug out an old bushing, I found that indeed the idler bushings were shorter than what I purchased. (don't ask why I didn't do this first). Sunbeam Specialties catalog lists all three bushings as the same part number. After contacting SS today, they confirmed that the bushings were longer and they didn't know why the catalog didn't distiguish different lengths/part numbers. Now I get to ruin two new bushings to remove them from the idler bracket to make this right. SS will send me two more bushings at a discount. Very good to work with.
I suggest the following to anyone considering doing this. Save the old idler bushings and upon receipt of the new ones, first, either carefully cut them to the right lenght yourself and deburr them or let your favorite machinst do it for you before you press them in. Also have said machinist ream the newly installed bushings to fit both pins as I found both pins fit too tight. My calipers show one pin is .003 larger than the bushing it should slide into. No..don't hammer it in.
I hope this may save you some heartburn, $25 and a week delay to reassemble things.
On related note, SS does not have the two grease seals that surround the upper and lower shims on the idler. A lenghtly internet search failed to produce a supplier. Does anyone out there have serviceable spares? If not, have any of you solved grease seal problem another way?
Cheers.
