No wonder the new rag joint won't fit on the shaft I've got a flat spot on my worm gear shaft and Joe Lucia (thanks Joe!) says its not original for an L79 67'!! Can anyone tell me what year it is, I can't find it in any of my books? The cover has a tag under one of the bolts with #2760. # 22480 is on the housing and runs paralle to the worm gear shaft. 5677640 is also on the housing and is facing the frame (hidden when the box is bolted to the frame) The cover has 7802287 on it?? What is this box out of? Any help is appreciated!! Mike Arteaga #34566
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Re: What year steering box?
Mike-----
It's hard to say. Many of the components, internal and external, of Corvette steering boxes were the same from 1963-82. The only really significant differences were the wormshaft/nut assembly and the top cover. The latter 2 components are completely interchangeable between any 63-82 Corvette steering box. Here are some of the main configurations:
63-68----uses completely round, splined wormshaft with NO "flat spot" for indexing purposes. Top cover is cast iron. The most common casting number on the cover is "5666723", but there may be others;
69----VERY early 69 same as 1968. After VERY early, the top cover changes to aluminum. All the ones that I've seen of the aluminum cover have no markings or numbers, whatsoever, on them;
very late 1969--early 1970---sometime in this period the wormshaft changes to the type with flat spot. The steering box continues to have the aluminum cover and the "flat spot" wormshaft right through the end of 1982 production.
As I mentioned, the top cover and wormshaft/nut assemblies are completely interchangeable so any steering box of one original configuration can be reconfigured, intentionally or just as part of SERVICE procedures, to another configuration.
Is your top cover cast iron? If it's aluminum, then it's the first one that I know of with a number on it. If it is aluminum and considering the fact that the box has the "flat spot" wormshaft end, then I fully expect that you have a 70-82 steering box. If the cover is cast iron, then I expect that you have a 70-82 style box which someone has "re-configured" by installing the 63-68 style cast iron cover. The cast iron cover is "judged"; the "flat spot" on the wormshaft is not as far as I know since it can't be seen. However, a really savvy judge might know the difference between the 67-69 style coupling and the 70-82 style. Most won't, though.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: What year steering box?
Mike-----
It's hard to say. Many of the components, internal and external, of Corvette steering boxes were the same from 1963-82. The only really significant differences were the wormshaft/nut assembly and the top cover. The latter 2 components are completely interchangeable between any 63-82 Corvette steering box. Here are some of the main configurations:
63-68----uses completely round, splined wormshaft with NO "flat spot" for indexing purposes. Top cover is cast iron. The most common casting number on the cover is "5666723", but there may be others;
69----VERY early 69 same as 1968. After VERY early, the top cover changes to aluminum. All the ones that I've seen of the aluminum cover have no markings or numbers, whatsoever, on them;
very late 1969--early 1970---sometime in this period the wormshaft changes to the type with flat spot. The steering box continues to have the aluminum cover and the "flat spot" wormshaft right through the end of 1982 production.
As I mentioned, the top cover and wormshaft/nut assemblies are completely interchangeable so any steering box of one original configuration can be reconfigured, intentionally or just as part of SERVICE procedures, to another configuration.
Is your top cover cast iron? If it's aluminum, then it's the first one that I know of with a number on it. If it is aluminum and considering the fact that the box has the "flat spot" wormshaft end, then I fully expect that you have a 70-82 steering box. If the cover is cast iron, then I expect that you have a 70-82 style box which someone has "re-configured" by installing the 63-68 style cast iron cover. The cast iron cover is "judged"; the "flat spot" on the wormshaft is not as far as I know since it can't be seen. However, a really savvy judge might know the difference between the 67-69 style coupling and the 70-82 style. Most won't, though.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: What year steering box?
Joe , It's an aluminum cover and has the number I listed above! The numbers on the cover appear to be lightly stamped on rather than cast like the others the housing.
I'll send the coupler back to Zip and get the right one. By the way, the new coupler comes with plastic grommets on the studs that fit snuggly into the holes on the the steering shaft half of the coupler. It seems to snug up the coupler and eliminate some of the play? Should these be left in or removed?
Thanks again!! MikeComment
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Re: What year steering box?
Joe , It's an aluminum cover and has the number I listed above! The numbers on the cover appear to be lightly stamped on rather than cast like the others the housing.
I'll send the coupler back to Zip and get the right one. By the way, the new coupler comes with plastic grommets on the studs that fit snuggly into the holes on the the steering shaft half of the coupler. It seems to snug up the coupler and eliminate some of the play? Should these be left in or removed?
Thanks again!! MikeComment
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Re: What year steering box?
Mike-----
I've never seen an aluminum cover with numbers on it, but it sounds like you have one. No matter; if it's an aluminum cover with the "flat spot" wormshaft, it's very likely a SERVICE gearbox or a PRODUCTION example out of a 70-82 Corvette.
The plastic guides that you mentioned can be removed or left on, as you wish. After installation they really serve no functional purpose, but I left mine on.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: What year steering box?
Mike-----
I've never seen an aluminum cover with numbers on it, but it sounds like you have one. No matter; if it's an aluminum cover with the "flat spot" wormshaft, it's very likely a SERVICE gearbox or a PRODUCTION example out of a 70-82 Corvette.
The plastic guides that you mentioned can be removed or left on, as you wish. After installation they really serve no functional purpose, but I left mine on.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: What year steering box?
The plastic spacers were an assembly aid, to ensure that proper alignment and spacing was maintained around the "safety studs" on the lower flange to the cutouts on the upper flange while the column attachments to the firewall were secured. After those attachments were secured, the assembler used a "hook" tool through the holes in the tabs on the spacers to remove them so no noise or vibration would be transmitted from the lower flange to the upper flange and into the steering column. I don't have your year A.I.M., but most of them show removal of the plastic spacers in the written mandatory assembly sequence as the last step of the procedure.Comment
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Re: What year steering box?
The plastic spacers were an assembly aid, to ensure that proper alignment and spacing was maintained around the "safety studs" on the lower flange to the cutouts on the upper flange while the column attachments to the firewall were secured. After those attachments were secured, the assembler used a "hook" tool through the holes in the tabs on the spacers to remove them so no noise or vibration would be transmitted from the lower flange to the upper flange and into the steering column. I don't have your year A.I.M., but most of them show removal of the plastic spacers in the written mandatory assembly sequence as the last step of the procedure.Comment
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