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Topic: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn (Read 2422 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #25 –
Steering gear sector shaft sticks out 2-3/4" from the body. 

Without pitman arm the gear must be moved sideways over 2-3/4".  Our front compartment sheet metal wall was 2" from the gear, so some metal must be removed to allow easier removal.

Using our Dremel and a single standard metal cut-off blade at fast speed, we easily made a cut up to the brake light switch to remove over one inch of metal.  For the last top 2" next to the brake light switch where the Dremel could not fit, we bent back the top 2 inches.

So now we have over 3 inches of space between the gear and sheet metal compartment edge.

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #26 –
Rebuilt Sheppard Red Head is installed, attached are steps we used to install steering gear. . .
      Major categories in attached document are:
CHECK / SET AXLE STOPS
PULLING STEERING COLUMN UP
REMOVE PITMAN ARM
IF USING STEEL PULLER THAT SLIPS OVER PITMAN
REATTACH STEERING COLUMN
PURGE
REINSTALL PITMAN ARM
MANUAL PLUNGER LIMITS
ALTERNATE BLEED PROCEDURE (usually not needed)

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #27 –
Nice write up
Bruce, Linda, and Macy
Zoey RIP 1/20/19
1999 U295 40' build #5400
2017 silver Jeep Wrangler, 1260 watts of solar on top
Moving around the country

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #28 –
With our Red Head steering gear installed, would like to share our experience. . .

1 – GETTING STARTED

July 1st after moving into our San Diego campsite, we noticed oil puddle under steering gear.  Cindy said "Looks like we're about to have an Adventure".  With COVID, we were staying put, so took our time researching what to do.

Hydraulic oil leak was at steering column input shaft seal.  With engine running, it leaked oil.  Checked with ForeForums Friends, read a lot, and decided on a plan.

Our steering gear is Sheppard M100 PDP1 with manual relief valves.  Rebuilder alternatives included Red Head (WA) and Straight Line Steering (CA).  We chose Red Head.  Knowledgeable, experienced, answered our many questions.

Maybe this was an opportunity to change to a PGW1 with automatic relief valves?  Daniel Foster at Red Head said he had never seen a Foretravel with other than PDP1.  Don't know if they had any PGW1, but had 3 rebuilt PDP1.  Better to send our PDP1 for rebuild (known history) but waiting 1-2 weeks was not an option for our situation. 

Ordered PDP1.  Red Head shipped immediately.  83 lbs.  Arrived UPS Ground in 3 days.  Delivered to our campsite.

Red Head Steering Gears
4302 B st NW, Auburn WA 98001   
206-364-3333, x100 (Daniel Foster)
info@redheadsteeringgears.com
       
     $  796  Sheppard M100 PDP1
         500  refundable core
           90  UPS ground shipping to us
           90  UPS ground return shipping
             0    no tax, shipping out of state
   $1,476  total billed
   $  976  cost after core credit
 


Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #29 –
2 - PREPARATIONS

Access to the steering gear was somewhat available from our front storage compartment.  Our 8Kw Isuzu generator (1997 U270) has side-mounted belt-driven fan and radiator.  Removed insulation we put in the compartment to keep generator radiator heat out.

Red Head told me sector shaft sticks out 2-3/4" so the heavy gear would have to be moved to street-side far enough to clear the sector shaft out of the mounting plate hole.

The compartment had only 2" space between edge of sheet metal and the steering gear.  So cut off 1+" of sheet metal on the forward side-to-side panel with a Dremel. (Tip from ForeForums)

Removed rubber/steel frame panel underneath generator compartment.  Rolled out generator.  Now have access behind generator to the Pitman Arm, retaining bolts, and sector shaft end.  Had already sprayed PB Blaster Penetrant on retaining bolts.

Had always used Delo 15w40 HD diesel engine oil in hydraulic tank, but was not available, so switched to Costco's new Kirkland 15w40 HD oil.  Bought 3 cases (9 gallons).  Didn't know how badly would leak on 20+ mile drive to repair shop. 

Got out wrenches for sliding out generator, removing 4 dash steering column bolts & removing hydraulic tank top.

Hydraulic Tank:  Removed clamp holding down the top, left cover tightly in place, wire brushed all the rust dust that always accumulates under clamp.  Then used Loctite Extend Rust Neutralizer over rust and inside steel clamp.  We carry spare hydraulic tank Fleetguard 87610A filters & 99955A rubber gasket, but decided not to change triple-filters or gasket at this time.

Borrowed a heavy steel pitman arm puller that slips over pitman arm and has a center hole in the thick front metal plate.

Repair Shop:  Can't do coach maintenance in our campground and handling 83 lb steering gear is way above our pay grade.  Were fortunate to find a highly recommended, old-style family-owned heavy-work truck/auto shop about 20 miles away (Wheel & Axle in El Cajon CA). Been in business 30+ years with several mechanics with them 25+ years.  No problem to stay in coach during repairs and overnight if needed in their locked yard with electricity and satellite TV.  We were parked outside, beside their building.  No problem giving our thoughts/ideas, explaining, and hanging around. 

Shop was unfamiliar with our coach and its limited access for R&R so I wrote up procedure steps, which were helpful.

Not sure we could drive motorhome 20+ miles from our Mission Bay campground to El Cajon without losing lots of oil, we drove the route in our Jeep to find 4 safe pull-offs for our motorhome where we could check the oil level.  Turns out almost no oil was lost during our drive, though we did leave a puddle at the shop when we arrived.  Only used about 2 gallons of oil after leaking, hose removals & purging.

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #30 –
3 - PITMAN ARM REMOVAL

With coach air bags at highest all-raise position & generator pulled out, shop mechanic slid under front of coach.  He easily removed pitman center bolt with 5/8" Allen socket on battery-impact wrench.

Our style of gear puller tool uses pitman arm center bolt to pull back on puller, which puts pressure on the backside of pitman arm.  So center bolt was re-installed in preparation for being used with puller.

In our case, it seems the puller we used may have been too big in its internal front to back dimension.  Looks like it had too much air space between flat sides of pitman arm and inside of puller tool.

About half the length of the center bolt threads were out in air space before the inside of the puller contacted the back flat surface of the pitman arm.  So only about half the remaining bolt threads were left to do the heavy pull, were not up to the task, and just stripped out from the force of the impact gun, without budging pitman arm.

No sure where to find a new center bolt, our first call went to Red Head, who had two choices based on torque rating stamped on our damaged bolt, which is 350 ft lbs.  Bolt was $45, UPS overnight $43.  New bolt comes with a new locking ring attached.  BTW, Red Head calls the center bolt a 'nut'.

For 24 years, pitman arm was tightly splined to sector shaft and it was not easy to get them to divorce each other.  After several different approaches, the one that worked used brute force.  A long heavy solid steel rod was inserted into bay and held against the backside of pitman arm.  Another strong mechanic hit the end of the steel bar with a sledgehammer.  Nothing I would recommend, but it worked without any visible damage to pitman arm. 

Know lots of Foretravelers used a similar style tool to pull pitman, but from what I experienced, using the center bolt's fine threads to do the heavy push is asking a lot and if it does get the pitman off, bolt threads could be stressed.  I would recommend buying a new center bolt with every Red Head rebuild.

It is possible that even with a correct tight-fitting tool, a pitman arm very stuck on the sector shaft, with a strong impact wrench, all the center bolt threads could still strip out.  They initially used a battery-operated impact, so it was not too strong and our threads stripped.  I would now recommend the puller style with its own center bolt, to be used without the pitman center bolt.  It seems to me that with a very strong impact wrench, something has to eventually give-out, and if pitman spline does not move, bolt threads could give out.

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #31 –
4 - REMOVE & INSTALL STEERING GEAR

After Pitman Arm was removed, next step to unbolt the old heavy steering gear, remove it, and install the new.

First, removed bolt holding steering column universal joint to steering gear input shaft.

Cindy & I had previously removed 2 of the 4 bolts holding steering column to dash.  Now was time to remove the last 2 bolts.  Bolts are hardened with locking nut, making the removal slow and harder.  We later put the bolts back with new grade-8 thick flat washers.

Earlier, cut off several cable ties around steering column floor rubber boot and wires near dash, to free up steering column.

With dash bolts removed, pulled steering wheel & column out of steering gear, and supported this raised position with box on seat under steering wheel, being aware to not stress 12-volt wires.

Removed hydraulic hoses & all bracket bolts.  Mechanics strong-armed the sector shaft out of the mounting plate, rotated gear and lifted it out through the compartment door.

Reverse everything to install new gear.  It took two strong mechanics working together to put gear in place and then Cindy & me to lower steering column and hold in place while they put the universal back on and bolted in place.

Pitman Arm is NOT yet installed at this step.

While waiting for overnight shipment of new center bolt, we had time to purge, fill hydraulic tank, and purge some more.

With mechanics working on other vehicles, Cindy rotated steering wheel with engine off, continuously about 20 times, gently lock to lock, to start the purging of air in lines and gear.

Next, with engine running to pump hydraulic fluid through steering gear, Cindy turned steering wheel again continuously about 20 times, gently lock to lock, only this time, not hold steering wheel at either full left or full right.  A lot of air bubbles showed up in hydraulic tank, and fluid level went down about quart or so.

------------------------------------

5 - REPLACE PITMAN ARM

Engine off, without Pitman Arm installed, count # of steering wheel rotations from full left to right, divide in half to find approximate center position of steering gear.

Mechanic installed Pitman Arm with slight rotations of input shaft to line up splines.  Put in new center bolt that came with a new locking ring, and torque to 350 ft lbs.

After, check that axle stops were ok, mechanics adjusted left & right relief plunger limits with a small screw driver turning top and bottom screws.

New gear came with plastic plugs in hydraulic fitting holes that need to be put into old gear to keep oil from leaking out while in return package. We had mechanics put old dirty gear in our two large heavy leaf bags, sealed them and put them back in the same shipping carton packed with absorbant paper towels, in case of leak.

UPS Store clerk carried the return carton from our Jeep into the store, and with pre-paid shipping label, sent core back to Red Head.

Driving back to our campground coach steering was tight and bit smoother without any play in steering wheel.  Didn't have noticeable play before the leak.

We will be back to normal after we clean up, install generator bottom, and put things back in the front compartment.

Frame & Axle labor cost $945, with Red Head, project total cost is about $2,000. 

What an "Adventure"!





Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #32 –
Hi Mark,

We posted our steering gear experience in our existing tech forum thread.

Thanks for all your help. Nice to have this behind us.

Thanks,

Barry & Cindy

Foretraveler@gmail.com

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #33 –
Great write up B&C!
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #34 –
Hi Don,

We posted our steering gear experience in our existing tech forum thread.

Thanks for all your help. Nice to have this behind us.

Thanks,

Barry & Cindy

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #35 –
Hi Justin,

We posted our steering gear experience in our existing tech forum thread.

Thanks for all your help. Nice to have this behind us.

Thanks,

Barry & Cindy

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #36 –
Thanks Richard & Keiko, nice to have this job done. No fun being in a situation where we cannot travel.

Re: Shepard Steering Gear Leak - Barry & Cindy's turn

Reply #37 –
Hi Tim,

We posted our steering gear experience in our existing tech forum thread.

Thanks for all your help. Nice to have this behind us.

Thanks,

Barry & Cindy