Foretravel Owners' Forum

I have learned a fair amount about the Sheppard steering gear over the past few days, but not enough.

The particular gearbox family most FTs use is the M100 , but there are MANY variants.
You can identify the variant by the "cast #" stamped on the gear box.  The Sheppard website has pictures of where to find the #.
So, I could (were I mechanical minded and strong enough)  read the cast# off the old gear and then have it rebuilt or purchase a re-manufactured one.
Or, I could ask FOTs parts department for the part number for my particular build #.  FOT and BeamAlarm say mine (and probably most  Uni----s ) use an M100 of the  PBP1 variety
Sheppard says this was designed for motorhomes and buses.
Rumor says Foretravel considers it propriety.

If you ask FOT, they will quote something like $1,671 for the reman gear. Some $4-500 core charge.
About a week ago I responded to an eBay offering and purchased a Sheppard re manufactured. M100PCT1 gear box at a price  attractive enough to speculate with.

While waiting for the gear to arrive I poured over the Sheppard website and called both Sheppard and Redhead for more information.
Foolish me, I expected both to say 'sure, I have information, essentially engineering drawings, that would say "the bolt pattern is the same/not the same, the right hand thing-a-ma-jig is what you want will /won't work, etc." '.

What they did tell me (and if I were of a certain bent, an answer I would probably find completely acceptable)  was:

• measure the bolt holes
• take a vise grip and rotate the input shaft stop to stop and see if the count was the same for both gears
• see if the output shaft rotated in the same direction
• try it!!

However I don't have a core to compare. I know there are (is) one floating around and I am hoping someone with more insight also has more information.

Below are some pictures of the PCT gear.

I will eventually get a go/nogo on the gear---
In the meantime I have a VERY heavy doorstop.

Thanks for any words of wisdom (a little foolishness will be tolerated as well ) ???

This is what the bolt pattern looks like, don't think it will work

Steering Gear Oil Leak - 96 U270 (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=20546.msg150123#msg150123)

Also the splines on the output shaft don't look right to me. IIRC the splines on mine were much much finer. I should have some pictures. Let me look. Grumble, grumble... Can't find them... :(

see ya
ken

You have a nice paperweight. The input shaft is on the wrong end.

The sector shaft can be flipped.

The part number on the 1996 U320 was a M100PDP1.  I imagine that the U270 would be the same.  Billy Jack at Foretravel parts can confirm for you.