Re: steering box gasket not available... use what?
Hi Tim, Keoke,
My take on it from the various books - manuals:
There were three types of steering gears used in the early BN1/BN2 cars.
Type 1, from start to about car 219137, Sep. 1954, used shims under the top plate to set rocker shaft adjustment. No top plate adjusting screw for the peg.
Front end cover retained by three screws.
Type 2, by "Burman" from about Sep. 1954, C219137 to Mar. 1956, C231109, used an adjusting screw on the top plate to set rocker shaft adjustment.
Front end cover retained by three screws.
Both types 1 & 2 had ball bearing type pegs.
Type 3, by "Cam Gears" after Mar. 1956, C231109, to end of production, used an adjusting screw on the top plate to set rocker shaft adjustment. It had a peg with no bearings.
Front end cover retained by four screws.
Your BN2 is likely to have either of the later two gears which are adjustable WITHOUT top plate shims. (Gasket thickness is not critical.)
All three types have shim adjustment on the front end cover to set worm/steering shaft end play. Now is a good time to make both adjustments.
All date/car number change points are approximate, they used whatever was available. My BN2, Apr. 1956, C231459, still has the type 2 gear. In my limited experience, the bearing peg gears provided noticeably lighter steering effort than the later type 3 gear with no bearings.
D
PS - You just identified the type 3 gear with the square 4 bolt end cover. Note that this cover should be adjusted with shims to set worm/steering shaft end play. Gasket thickness IS critical on this.
The top cover gasket thickness is NOT critical. Any differences can be covered with the top peg adjuster.
D