Tempo L4-122 2.0L DSL (1984)
Steering Gear: All Technical Service Bulletins
Steering Gear - Simplified Valve Seal Service
Article No. 85-6-5
STEERING GEAR - TRW POWER - SIMPLIFIED VALVE SEAL SERVICE
FORD 1981-1985 ESCORT, EXP, TEMPO
LINCOLN-MERCURY 1981-1985 LYNX, LN7, TOPAZ
Ford Service Engineering continues to receive reports from fleets and retail customers of high costs for overrepairs on TRW rack and pinion steering
gear pinion seal leaks on 1981-1985 Escort/Lynx, EXP/LN7, and 1984 Tempo/Topaz. Repairs for pinion seal leaks on TRW gears are apparently being
confused with Owner Notification Program M24 which concerned pinion bore wear on Ford manufactured gears installed in vehicles other than the
subject car lines. Because of this confusion, some dealers are replacing TRW steering component parts unnecessarily. Technical Service Bulletin
83-12-4 previously outlined an "on the car" valve seal service procedure for replacing the lower pinion seal.
Figure 7 - Proper Seal Positioning
Most of the TRW gears returned to Engineering for evaluation as "unsealable" are found to have the seal installed backwards. The following illustration
(Figure 7) shows the proper seal position on the installer tool -Part Number T84P-3504-F. The instruction sheet with the tool states that the seal should
be installed with the garter spring towards the tool. Proper installation of
the seal, using the "on the car" procedure, will reduce repeat repairs and will reduce the cost of repair to an acceptable level. The following procedure is
being republished for your convenience.
PROCEDURE:
Disassembly
1.
Set the steering in straight ahead position and lock steering column.
2.
Raise vehicle on hoist.
3.
Remove bellows clamps and slide below outboard from gear housing. Thoroughly drain and wipe any fluid from boots.
4.
Remove pinion cap. With column locked, remove pinion nut.
5.
Place drain pan on floor below pinion area and lower vehicle.
6.
From inside vehicle, remove column boot from dash panel, and disconnect intermediate shaft from gear (it may be necessary to loosen steering
column to separate intermediate shaft from the steering gear).
7.
Turn gear input shaft to the "on center" position so that D-flat is in the 3 o'clock position and road wheels are straight ahead.
