TE72 Manual vs. Power Steering Gearbox
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 8:35 am
So my manual gearbox on my 82 wagon has leaked all of its oil out - it stopped dripping out of the sector shaft seal several months ago. Now steering seems to be getting a little harder by the week... Anyway, I'm in the market for a new gearbox and it seems just about the only thing out there is for Power Steering - not manual.
I know power steering boxes still work manually (when belt breaks or engine dies, you don't lose steering), and also sometimes the power boxes have lower ratio gears (fewer turns to lock) than manual boxes, but does anyone have a reason a power box could not be used long term in a manual configuration (without a pump or lines)? At a minimum I think I would want to fill the box with PS fluid and connect a small line between in and out to loop the fluid.
My manual box does about ~3.5-4 turns to lock (hard to tell exactly with the wide wheels on ground and flex/recoil in the system). Based on Atsco 5920 POWER gearbox on RockAuto the it is 4 turns to lock - this would make me think I would at least not experience heavier steering with a power box...
Any experience with this would be appreciated. Thanks,
-J
I know power steering boxes still work manually (when belt breaks or engine dies, you don't lose steering), and also sometimes the power boxes have lower ratio gears (fewer turns to lock) than manual boxes, but does anyone have a reason a power box could not be used long term in a manual configuration (without a pump or lines)? At a minimum I think I would want to fill the box with PS fluid and connect a small line between in and out to loop the fluid.
My manual box does about ~3.5-4 turns to lock (hard to tell exactly with the wide wheels on ground and flex/recoil in the system). Based on Atsco 5920 POWER gearbox on RockAuto the it is 4 turns to lock - this would make me think I would at least not experience heavier steering with a power box...
Any experience with this would be appreciated. Thanks,
-J