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Steering Box & Column Removal

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Brakin80

Senior Member
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About to rebuild the steering box (BN7), after discovering the leaking seal. Only problem is we can't seem to get the darn thing out of the car. Have everything disconnected from both ends, but can't get it to come through the grille. The steering column is hitting the bottom of the float chamber of the back carburetor, so we can't get the steering box high enough to come out the front. The manual says to remove the 2 plates around the steering columns at the scuttle. The interior plate was no problem, but getting at the bottom two screws on the engine side plate is next to impossible (They've been painted over, making it hard to torque in a very tight space. If we were able to get those screw out, that panel can only drop about 1/4". Yet the steering box needs to come up about 2" clear the opening. Do you have to remove the carburetors to give you the needed clearance for the column?
 
I would just remove the carbs & not fight it. Make very sure that you know how all of the carb hoses, linkages & brackets go back together. Digital cameras are wonderful, but pencil & paper will work.
D
 
You should be able to rotate it (the whole column and box).
I just did this recently and had just enough clearance on the BT7.
 
<font color="green"> </font> Make sure you have all brackets removed from box, and even the top plate can be removed first. Then by rotating it should come out the grill opening. Keep us posted on the results. Are you going to install bushing yourself?
 
Which seals are you talking about leaking? I replaced the seal in the bottom of my steering box without taking anything out of the car.
 
The oil seal that is leaking is on the bottom (around the steering lever) and not the end cover gasket. I don't see how you could replace the seal that I'm talking about without removing the steering lever. That being said, I don't see how you could remove the lever without taking the whole thing out of the car. There isn't enough clearance to get a puller on the bottom of the lever to remove it while it's still in the car. Johnny, I'm not sure what bushing you are refering too.
 
Thanks for listing those old posts Dave, which confirm you can get the steering arm off without removing the box! I was starting to doubt my memory about replacing the seals with the steering box in the car (it was 10 years ago now).
 
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