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TR2/3/3A Steering box lubrication

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Scotsman

Scotsman

Jedi Hopeful
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On inspecting the steering box on my tr3 I have discovered that the top of the box has a grease nipple, and its been packed with grease rather than the original 90W oil. I've been told this is not unusual for this to be done to old steering units which start to leak and loosen up, and it should be OK to drive without causing any significant future damage considering the age of the vehicle etc. I have a tin of "sta-lube molib-ium" black grease sitting on my shelf, and I was also told this would be very acceptable (if not overkill) to use to repack the box with.

Note: the steering is good with very little slack.

Question

Is the feedback I was given accurate? If so is there any further advice folks would like to offer such as how full should the box be packed.
 
My opinion, that is strictly a band-aid. If you do a proper rebuild on the box, the steering will be much lighter and more pleasant to drive. I limped along for many years (on my previous TR3A) and then when I finally tackled the box, my first thought afterwards was "Why didn't I do this sooner?".

That said, I don't think using grease will damage the box any further. It does need to be pretty full though, I suspect, as the critical high stress point is pretty high in the box.
 
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