Pontiac FIREBIRD 1972 Service Manual page 1228

STEERING 9-75
Fig. 9 - 1 0 7 Valve Body in Housing
JRN
b. Position seal compressor J 8947 of J 7576 against
the shoulder in the housing.
c. With ball retainer J 7539 in place in the rack-
piston, push the rack-piston (with teeth toward
pitman shaft opening), into the housing until tool
J 7539 contacts the center of worm (Fig. 9-109).
d. Turn the lower shaft clockwise with a 3/4" 12-
point socket or box end wrench to thread the
rack-piston onto the worm while holding tool J
7539 against the end of the worm.
e. When the rack-piston is completely threaded on
the worm, remove ball retainer J 7539 and seal
compressor J 8947.
5. Install the pitman shaft and side cover as follows:
a. Install a new "0" ring in the pitman shaft side
cover and retain with heavy grease.
-
'ER
I
Fig. 9 - 1 0 8 Installing Adjuster Plug
Fig. 9 - 1 0 9 Installing Rack-Piston
NOTE: Some po wer steering gears are equipped
with a side cover seal that has a metal gasket
with a molded rubber section, which fits into
the "0 " ring groove in the side cover. When
the gasket seal is correctly seated in the side
cover "0
"
ring groove, the gasket cannot be
rotated. I f the wrong gasket face is against the
side cover, the gasket will rotate freely. Two
metal tabs are provided and are to be bent
around the edges of the side cover. This secures
the gasket in the proper position for handling
and assembly,
b. Turn the lower shaft until the rack-piston teeth
are centered in the pitman shaft opening, then
install the pitman shaft and side cover so that the
center tooth of the pitman shaft engages the cen-
ter groove of the rack-piston.
c. Install the side cover bolts and lock washers and
tighten to 30 lb. ft. torque.
6. Install the rack-piston plug in the rack-piston and
torque to 75 lb. ft.
7. Install a new housing end cover "0" ring and lubri-
cate it with power steering fluid. Install the end cover
and retaining ring.
8. Adjust steering gear (see ADJUSTMENT PROCE-
DURES
-
ON BENCH).
CAUTION: See CAUTION on page I of this
Section regarding the fastener referred to in
step 9.
9. Install flexible coupling on stub shaft and tighten
clamping bolt or nut to 35 lb. ft. torque.