Hey Everyone,

I've got a new steering box for my truck, and the existing fluid inside it is nasty, so I wanted to flush it out.

My truck is an '86, and the replacement box is also one of the early-style IFS steering boxes.

In the service manual, they show a picture where you can un-do a bolt, and check the level of the fluid in the box, as well as, presumably flip the box upside down, and drain the existing fluid out, and re-fill with 400 mL of 90-weight oil.

I just can't find the fill hole for this box -- for those of you who have worked on the steering box, how have you filled it??

Also, if anyone could explain me the basic workings of the steering box, I'd really appreciate it. I've seen one of the teardowns online, but, what's confusing me is that you fill red ATF into the power steering reservoir, which is connected to the power steering pump. The lines from the power steering pump are connected to the steering box. Gear oil lives in the steering box, and no ATF comes there. What is the gear oil doing exactly, and what is the ATF doing in the steering system?? It's not working out in my head at all!

Here's the beast I'm trying to flush out:

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4935/dsc00302hk3.jpg

Thanks!
khany2002

 

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b.../9descript.pdf

 

Hey,

Thanks for the help -- that diagram still isn't clear on the two different types of fluid; from the diagram on the first page, it simply seems like the red ATF services everything. I know from the '86 FSM, as well as from the actual steering box, that there is gear oil in it, which comes out of the pressure fittings on it. I'm just wondering what path it takes.

Thanks!
khany2002

 

Diagram and text descriptions are clear as glass to me ...

The ATF drives the hydraulic valves that actuate the mechanical gearbox.

 

Hey does anyone know how to add / remove fluid from the '86 early stype IFS steering box? The manual shows there is supposed to be a bolt which you can remove to simply add / drain fluid. I can't find one on my new or old boxes.

If anyone knows, that'd be a great help!

Thanks,
khany2002

 

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