Pontiac FIREBIRD 1972 Service Manual page 1215

9-62 1972 PONTIAC SERVICE MANUAL
replaced without removing the gear assembly from .the
vehicle as follo ws:
REMOVE
1. Remove pitman nut and lock washer.
2. Disconnect pitman arm from pitman shaft using
puller J 5504.
CAUTION: Do not hammer on end of puller.
3. Thoroughly clean end of pitman shaft and gear hous-
ing, then tape splines on end of pitman shaft to insure
that seals will not be cut by splines during assembly.
NOTE: Only one layer of tape should be used;
an excessive amount of tape will not allow the
seals to pass over it, due to the close tolerance
between the seals and the pitman shaft.
4. Remove pitman shaft seal retaining ring with snap
ring pliers J 4245.
5. Start engine and turn steering wheel fully to the left
so that oil pressure in the housing can force out pit-
man shaft seals. Turn off engine.
NOTE: Use suitable container to catch oil
forced out ofgear. This method ofremoving the
pitman shaft seals is recommended, as it elemi-
nates the possibility of scoring the housing
while attempting to pry seals out. Ifpressure of
oil does not remove seals, turn o f f engine and
remove seals in normal manner being careful
not to score seal bore in housing.
6. Inspect seals for damage to rubber covering on out-
side diameter (O.D.). If O.D. appears scored, inspect
housing for burrs and remove before attempting new
seal installation.
7. Clean the end of housing thoroughly so that dirt will
not enter housing with the installation of the new
seals.
INSTALL
1. Lubricate the seals thoroughly with power steering
fluid to install seals with J 6219 (Fig. 9-78).
2. Install the inner single lip seal, then a back-up
washer.
NOTE: Drive seal in far enough to provide
clearance for the outer seal, back-up washer
and retaining nng. Make sure that the inner
seal does not bottom on the counterbore.
3. Install the outer double lip seal and the second back-
Fig. 9-78 Installing Pitman Shaft Seals Using Tool J 6 2 1 9
up washer in only far enough to provide clearance for
the retaining ring.
4. Install retaining ring.
5. Fill pump reservoir to proper level with power steer-
ing fluid (see POWER STEERING PUMP DE-
SCRIPTION).
6. Start engine and allow engine to idle for at least three
minutes without turning steering wheel.
7. Turn wheel to left and check for leaks.
CAUTION: See CA UTION on page I of this
Section regarding the fastener referred to in
step 8.
8. Remove tape and reconnect pitman arm. Tighten pit-
man arm nut to 185 lb. ft. torque.
MAJOR SERVICE
ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES (ON
BENCH)
Adjustment of the steenng gear in the vehicle is dis-
couraged because of the difficulty encountered in adjust-
ing the worn thrust beanng preload and the confusing
effects of the hydraulic fluid in the gear. Since a gear
adjostment is made only as a correction and not as a
periodic adjustment, it is better to take the extra time and
make the adjustment correctly the f i t time.