Collapsible Steering shaft bushings

[gcc6 0]

Hello,

New member here trying to fix the steering shaft in my 1969 Mach 1. The enclosed picture shows the part I need. It's one of a pair of plastic bushings that mount onto the notches in the lower part of the upper steering shaft and is supposed to take up the gap between that shaft and the lower shaft that it slides into. I have searched many sites, but have not found it, nor have I found its part number. Someone suggested C9AZ-3E629-B, but I don't think that's it.

Any help that you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

[gcc6 0]

Somehow, the picture did not get included the first time.  Here is another attempt.

[1969_Mach1 333]

Don't know where to het those.  I saw them when I had my column apart for the Borgeson steering box conversion.  There are corresponding holes in the outer shaft at those groove locations.  My thought is Ford would assemble the shafts and inject Nylon or Teflon, etc. through the holes in the outer shaft to lock the two shaft pieces together at the correct length.  In an accident the plastic would shear so the column could collapse.  After discovering that I will never use a Borgeson steering box conversion again as part of the process is collapsing the shaft which breaks those plastic pieces.

If you leave those plastic pieces out, there will be play in the steering and a faint metal to metal clank will be heard as you jiggle the steering wheel.  Short of getting another shaft that has not been collapsed yet, I don't know how to resolve the issue.

[danno 128]

Maybe wrap the column with teflon tape to take up the difference?  Not the stuff plumbers use, they make it for sticking to electrical things.  This is kind of spendy, but maybe something like it would work? Wrap it a few times?  You want something that is not going to squeeze down and compress under pressure. 

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/3m/63-3-4-X36YD/1819363

It is coincidental that there are 2 small holes in the outer shaft the same distance apart. The are almost too small to be injection points, and the holes are at the top end. 

[gcc6 0]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

1969_Mach1:  Those clips are so finely finished that I don't think they were injection-molded in-situ, but I did something similar to what you suggest.  I seem to recall those little holes had little nylon plugs in them that would push against the inner shaft for a tighter fit, probably to prevent wobble.

Danno, I tried using tape before, but most tapes are too thick and flimsy to stand up to being shoved into the lower shaft.

I ended up filling those notches with JB-Weld and jamming the upper shaft into the lower, and installing the upper bearing retainer, and letting it set over night.  It has completely taken up all the slack, so no more play between the inner and outer shafts.  I figure that if the unthinkable happens and I do a face plant into the steering wheel, the JB-Weld should give away, since there was a bit of grease in between the two shafts, so it could not have glued them together.  But if I ever have to pull those apart again, I may have some problems.

By the way, this was part of an exercise to replace the original steering gear with a Unisteer rack & pinion steering system:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNV6Vu-rw9zZNfGv9zlUHiwNyGcG_uIBRf9I8FmullGyLDrD8N3jH4CfzyfJaEEgg?key=ZVNlMlRfR2E4VmVMQW56WE5LWVZEOUVmWjRfSFl3

[1969_Mach1 333]

gcc6:  Your Mach 1 is painted almost identical to one my older brother had back in 1979.  One tip with after rebuilding the toploader trans, change the oil shortly after driving it.  I wasn't aware that it's normal to get some metal shavings after a rebuild and didn't change the oil soon enough in mine.  Metal shavings then destroyed the rear bearing and I had to do a second rebuild.

[gcc6 0]

3 hours ago, 1969_Mach1 said:

gcc6:  Your Mach 1 is painted almost identical to one my older brother had back in 1979.  One tip with after rebuilding the toploader trans, change the oil shortly after driving it.  I wasn't aware that it's normal to get some metal shavings after a rebuild and didn't change the oil soon enough in mine.  Metal shavings then destroyed the rear bearing and I had to do a second rebuild.

I was trying to mimic the colors of the 1969 Boss 302; Grabber Orange with black contrasts.

After I rebuilt the Toploader, I still had instances where the 1-2 shifts would occasionally grind.  I found out that the lube I used, which was the most commonly available GL-5 spec, should not be used in these old transmissions as their additives are not compatible with the synchronizer material.  So I did drain it shortly after the rebuild to fill with a lube specifically designed for the old style sychroniers.  I had read that Redline MTL worked very well, but I ended up using a Valvoline lube designed for old manual transmission.  It's worked well in that I have not ground the syncrhonizers once since the change.

I am having a problem with leaks though; it seems to be leaking from everywhere.  I replaced the O-rings in the shafts of the "cams" in the side of the case and all the other seals ad gaskets that came with the rebuild kit.  But the cam shafts are leaking, and it looks like the front where the counter shaft is pressed through is leaking as well.  I was wondering if it was necessary to apply some kind of sealer to the ends of the shafts that are pressed through the case holes. 

[1969_Mach1 333]

On the front of the shaft for the countershaft cluster I applied a good amount of Ultra Grey silicone.  It gets pushed against the bell housing anyway.  But for that shaft, I didn't see anything to stop leaks.  I guess Ford was relying on the fitment to the case to prevent leaks.

Are you certain your trans is vented okay?

[Vicfreg 772]

I did a Borgeson conversion on both my cars.  On the first one, I used a nylon bushing and fit it to the end of the steering column, modified/drilled to fit, and staked it to the outer column.  One my most recent build ('70 convertible) I used a bearing kit supplied by Borgeson on the end of the column.  Pretty slick.  You can see it in the picture.   I have several columns for parts in my storage locker, I am sure I can find a shaft with the original plastic inserts if needed.

 

 

[gcc6 0]

On 4/7/2021 at 4:07 PM, 1969_Mach1 said:

On the front of the shaft for the countershaft cluster I applied a good amount of Ultra Grey silicone.  It gets pushed against the bell housing anyway.  But for that shaft, I didn't see anything to stop leaks.  I guess Ford was relying on the fitment to the case to prevent leaks.

Are you certain your trans is vented okay?

Sorry, for some reason I did not get a notification of your reply.

But yes, I installed a vent cap included with David Kee's rebuild kit on the tail shaft housing.  I suppose I could double up by also punching a hole in the gasket of the top plate.

[gcc6 0]

Vic, the Unisteer kit also came with a bearing mounted at the end of the outer column shaft.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNV6Vu-rw9zZNfGv9zlUHiwNyGcG_uIBRf9I8FmullGyLDrD8N3jH4CfzyfJaEEgg/photo/AF1QipO1TFn-OZ1rj369MjcNakereP7Z4qCPqam7ZFo8?key=ZVNlMlRfR2E4VmVMQW56WE5LWVZEOUVmWjRfSFl3

I've used JB weld between the upper and lower shafts and let them set in position.  So now the play between the two are gone.

Thanks for you offer of your old parts though.

[1969_Mach1 333]

On 4/7/2021 at 2:01 PM, gcc6 said:

I was trying to mimic the colors of the 1969 Boss 302; Grabber Orange with black contrasts.

After I rebuilt the Toploader, I still had instances where the 1-2 shifts would occasionally grind.  I found out that the lube I used, which was the most commonly available GL-5 spec, should not be used in these old transmissions as their additives are not compatible with the synchronizer material.  So I did drain it shortly after the rebuild to fill with a lube specifically designed for the old style sychroniers.  I had read that Redline MTL worked very well, but I ended up using a Valvoline lube designed for old manual transmission.  It's worked well in that I have not ground the syncrhonizers once since the change.

I am having a problem with leaks though; it seems to be leaking from everywhere.  I replaced the O-rings in the shafts of the "cams" in the side of the case and all the other seals ad gaskets that came with the rebuild kit.  But the cam shafts are leaking, and it looks like the front where the counter shaft is pressed through is leaking as well.  I was wondering if it was necessary to apply some kind of sealer to the ends of the shafts that are pressed through the case holes. 

In my experience Valvoline oils tend to leak more than most others.  Try a different oil.  I've had good luck with basic Sta-Lube GL4 rated gear oil.  I just replaced it again this last weekend and refilled with Pen Grade GL4 rated gear oil.  I'll see how that works after driving it a bit.

If the trans is out of the car, I'd also vent the trans through the original top plate.  It seems to be a more direct path for venting the trans than through the rear bearing then the vent installed in the tail shaft.  When the top plate gasket is installed correctly the vent hole in it is no where near the vent hole in the top plate.

[gcc6 0]

I never thought about how venting would have to go through rear bearing to get to the tail housing.  And I am driving the car now, so I'll have to add the vent to the top plate if I ever have to drop the trans for whatever reason.