Any source for 1952 steering box gasket kit ?

[Philippe M. Ruel]

The manual steering box on my '52 works well with minimum play, but it's leaking, and what comes out looks like honey...  guess I'll have to open it, clean everything and replace all gaskets.

I can't find any supplier for a gasket/oil seal kit, any address ?
USA P**** S***** offers complete rebuild for $500 plus shipping - forth and back from France may easily double the bill, no thanks.

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

41-51 rebuild kits here http://www.cadillacpartsltd.com/19camastgebo.html

I won't bother to re-gasket it like I did on my 49 as it still leaked with 90 w. I bought a bottle of No Smoke engine oil treatment from Auto Zone, which took care of the problem.

[Raymond919]

Do a search on this. I believe Jay Friedman offers some advice on what he did. I think it was a product called Penrite he used. He drained out the fluid from the box and substituted the Penrite. Do the search because I'm not sure about the name.

[Jay Friedman]

Right on, Ray.  I bought Penrite Manual Steering Box Lube from Restoration Supplies in Escondido, Calif.  I needed 2 bottles.  It slowed down the leak considerably but did not eliminate it. 

Some people install a grease fitting in place of the filler plug on the steering box and fill it with chassis grease.  I don't know anything about whether that is a good thing to do or not.

[Roger Zimmermann]

USA P**** S***** offers complete rebuild for $500 plus shipping - forth and back from France may easily double the bill, no thanks.

I would not do that either! You may get a nice steering box back, but the inside could be in the same condition as before...
Many years ago, I let restore a brake system by a company in Florida. When the booster/master cylinder came back, it was very nice. I filled it up with brake fluid; unfortunately, no fluid came out so I had to open it. What I saw inside was not nice at all.

[Classic]

Have you tried Lares Corp.?  http://www.larescorp.com/
He is an old car guy.

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

Frank Decou cut his eye teeth on 49's back then when new. He said they leaked when new so they drilled the filler cap for a grease fitting and pumped in the grease.

[R Sotardi #11719]

Be wary of using grease. It produces a tunneling effect as the gears turn through the grease and leave a void. Penrite works about as good as any thing. The issue is the pressed - in pitman seal that tends to seep a bit as the shaft turns. This is a flaw in the Saginaw recirculating ball non power systems.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Thanks for your inputs

41-51 rebuild kits here http://www.cadillacpartsltd.com/19camastgebo.html

I sent them an email asking whether it may fit a '52 manual box. No answer so far, but why would they write "41-51" if it worked on '52s as well ?

I couldn't find older--than-'59 products at Lares'

I won't bother to re-gasket it like I did on my 49 as it still leaked with 90 w.

The one on my car had not leaked in the past 20 years - since I own the car.
This must be the only place on this car with no leaks, as the whole underneath has been rustproofed by a heavy, solid coat of mixed engine, transmission and axle oil.


If I can't find a kit I will give the Penrite stuff a try. Ordering it from the US is not possible (hazardous product) but I found out they sell it at fair prices in the UK too.

[Classic]

Did you see page 170 in the Lares catalog?

[Jay Friedman]

Phillippe,

Penrite Steeering Lube is an Australian product also sold in the US and the UK and possibly elsewhere too.

Jay

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Did you see page 170 in the Lares catalog?

I did after your clue, and found out that Lares offers rebuild only, which I can't afford because of shipping cost.


No reply from Jeff's link (Cadillac Parts, Ltd) after about 2 weeks, either they don't read messages or their kit won't fit.