T

TDIDISCO

New Member
My steering box is leaking on my disco so today I thought i'd have a go at sorting it out with a seal kit I bought from ebay.
After grief with steering arm I removed the dust cover,circlip,washer and seal and refitted new parts.
All back together,filled with fluid and gave it a run around the yard and the steering got heavier and heavier.
Now it's worse than ever and dumped all it's fluid out on the floor from the nice new seals i've just fitted.
Is it a case of change the steering box or have I done something wrong ?
The seal,washer,circlip and dust cover are in correctly the right way round and circlip is definatley located in it's groove.
Any ideas please:(
Thanks
 
exactly the same problem i had, in the end i just gave up and bought a second hand box for about 60 quid and touch wood not one leak yet :D
 
I had the exact same problem, and yeah the drop arm is an absolute biastard to get off! I realized it'd be far easier and reliable to get a recon'd steering box. So I did.
 
When the steering box in my 300Tdi began leaking 2 yrs ago I enquired from the main dealer re cost of seal kit . The parts man advised against it - he reckoned you would be very lucky to even get a few months of a cure at best.
So I got a recon unit from Paddocks and it was well worth it .
As you noticed the drop arm can be VERY difficult to remove - if I was doing it again I would get it with drop arm attached . Using a 10 ton hydraulic puller I just about got it to move .
 
All this talk about droparms being a barsteward to get off makes me laugh, I have a 300tdi that has been fitted with a replacement steering box and the droparm keeps working loose despite being tightened with an air gun (commercial) being wound right up on the pressure. I have to get it tightened every 3 months.
 
This probably comes under ' Murphy's Law' :

When you want it to stay put , it comes loose ; when you want it to come off - it won't . :confused:
 
Well it's supposed to have a castleated nut and a split pin that goes through it and a through a hole in the output shaft, I'm guessing you have haven't bothered with this which is why it keeps coming off!
 
My mistake, its end of the arm the castle nut's on. However, the drop arm retaining nut is supposed to have one of them giant washers under it which you wack with a hammer to make it fold round the nut to hold it securely. Have you got one of these nuts on?
 
when it comes to doing a steering box i would buy 2nd hand or get a recon if you can afford it.

basicaly its a hydraulic system and could have wear through water or dirt ingress (remember if oil gets out dirt/water can get in)

lpus you could have put a seal in backwards or pinched it when oyu refitted the parts, or the seals may have been old or incorrect for your steering box.

the only other way i would advise you get it done is take it to a hudraulic company that do that sort of thing as the have the correct kit and can get the correct seals and will pressuer test it on a bench and most will give a warranty (that said it would probubly be as cheap to get a recon one off one of the websites)

good luck if you want to have another go
 
the problem i have found is wear on the shaft. once there is a groove in it no amount of new seals will work. although a bit of brake fluid in the res will help as it expands the seals slightly. not recommended long term though!
 
All sorted now,I fitted a second hand steering box tonight.Bit of a pain getting the steering shaft off and un-doing the 2 pipes on top of the box but all done and so far no leaks !!!
Thanks for your replies.:D
 
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