So, my $34 (incl. shipping) hollow bolt with grease fitting on the top arrived and im ready to grease the Steering Box.   Before I do, id like to remove the top cover and get as much as the old 18 year grease out of the box before adding fresh Valvoline Synthetic #2 Grease .  My concerns are :

|UPDATED|9/17/2015 9:43:45 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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1970 built 454 coupe., M21, 336-1 rear, numbers matching . Approx. 550 hp/600 tq. #2 Condition .
For Sale :  $32,000 very firm .
Have a full write up with closeup walk-around video for the serious minded only please.

I wouldn't be removing the top on the box unless you plan on having it rebuilt. Messing with the adjustment can cause serious steering issues. Best to install the new bolt, remove one of the other bolts as you mentioned, and then just pump the new stuff in. It will push a  lot of the old crap out as the new stuff goes in, but it won't get all of it, of course. If you're not having any steering issues now, then doing anything more that new grease would be tempting fate, imho.
The "grease" used in these boxes is really more of a heavy oil than a grease...it's pretty thin. Back in the day the boxes were filled with 90wt gear oil. Leakage issues made everyone start using a light grease that wouldn't leak as much, but still provide the proper lubrication.
Check out Jim Shea's Steering Papers for everything ya wanna know...


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Fair enough ;  your reply confirmed to just add grease and hopefully push some of the old grease out of the box.    Thanks for the link you provided at the bottom too.   Dave.

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1970 built 454 coupe., M21, 336-1 rear, numbers matching . Approx. 550 hp/600 tq. #2 Condition .
For Sale :  $32,000 very firm .
Have a full write up with closeup walk-around video for the serious minded only please.

UPDATE: I did the greasing yesterday.  I took  2 of the top screws out at a time and forced grease thru each....and went around the top screws doing the  same till I have all 3 holes oozing out the fresh grease.  I got no old yellow colored grease out at all which surprised me.   I must have given the big grease gun about 12 full pumps of grease so the box must have been pretty dry . No signs of leakage on the outside of the box though.   

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1970 built 454 coupe., M21, 336-1 rear, numbers matching . Approx. 550 hp/600 tq. #2 Condition .
For Sale :  $32,000 very firm .
Have a full write up with closeup walk-around video for the serious minded only please.

There is NO pressure internally on the gearbox, and not much way you can force too much lube into it, as long as you had a "bleed" hole opened up, which you did. It may pressurize it a little when the box gets hot from engine heat, but I doubt it would be enough to create a leak. Most gearbox leaks are simply from old, hard seals.

Did you turn the steering wheel back/forth as you pumped the lube in?

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

No, I didn't turn the steering wheel back n forth as I was injecting the grease. But ill take it for a long ride and do some turns with the car then recheck the grease level in the Steering Box.  Thanks

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1970 built 454 coupe., M21, 336-1 rear, numbers matching . Approx. 550 hp/600 tq. #2 Condition .
For Sale :  $32,000 very firm .
Have a full write up with closeup walk-around video for the serious minded only please.