Looking to replace the seal in steering box on 52 hornet. 2 questions. Do you have to get bearings out to replace? and, any cross reference #s or available seal? Bearings are fine by the looks and feel.
The seal is National 240356. The seal comes out easily, once you get the pitman arm off, and the sector shaft out. You will need to either jack the front of the car up and remove the left wheel. then remove the rear triangular splash guard covering the steering box. You will need to remove the starter to get the pitman arm puller onto the pitman arm and have room for the wrench or ratchet. Once you have the pitman arm off, now you will need to loosen the 4 cap screws holding the big sector cover on the side of the steering box. You will need a shallow pan, like a pie pan or plastic tub, to catch the gear oil that will come out when you pry the cover off the box. Be aware that the cover has a thrust screw in the middle for adjusting the gear lash. The inside of the cover where this adjuster screw is slides over the end of the sector.once the cover plate is loosened from the gasket and the box, you can pull it and the sector shaft out together. You may tear up the old gasket, so get some 1/32" thick gasket material to make a new gasket. Now that you have the sector shaft out, you can carefully pry the oil seal out with a flat screw driver, taking care NOT to pry on or against the needle bearing. Just work it out a bit at a time, all the way around until it pops out. Clean out the counterbor and install the new seal, and wet the seal lip with some oil. Next, clean the splines on the sector shaft. Before installing the sector shaft back into the box, wrap the splines with masking tape or electrical tape so the sharp splines do not cut the new seal lip.Carefully reinstall the sector shaft. Put the cover back on with new gasket, and snug the 4 screws down.What I do , I put the wheels in the straight ahead position before I start the work, and it should be easy to put everything back in the same orientation. The sector shaft had 4 wide gaps in the splines 90 degrees apart so the pitman arm can only go on 4 ways......If for any reason you lose your place, the steering box has about 5-3/4 turns from lock to lock, You can turn it until it reaches right lock, turn it back left about 2-1/2 turns and then line the 4 slots in the pitman arm bore with the 4 slots on the splined end of the sector shaft and push the pitman arm back on and out the lock washer and nut back on. Now that you have it all together, you need to set the steering gear lash. Loosen the cap on the adjuster screw , and remove the cap. there is a slot in the screw for a screw driver. pull the tabbed star shape lock washer off the screw and with the steering centered, wheels pointing straight ahead, gently tighen the screw until you feel it starting to bottom. DO NOT tighten it more than that. Now check the free play at steering wheel. It should be about 1-2 inches, with NO perceptible binding. Once the adjustment is set, put the tabbed star washer on the adjuster screw....you may need to back it off a bit to get the lock washer seated on the locating bump on the cover...DO NOT tighten the screw to get the tabbed lock washer on. Put the lock cap nut back on and tighten. Now re-fill the box with 90W gear oil, or 75W-140.
That will do it. Thanks so much for the info.As seen in the pic, the engine is being swapped out with rebuilt one, I should have made It clear that it was already apart, no matter. To clarify, is the 1-2 inches free play at the steering wheel? I'm familiar with adjusting manual boxes, just want to be sure. I felt like the steering was "wandery" The king pins seem tight, as do the tie rod ends. Wheel bearings are good. I have the center link pin out and checking it and bearings now. I'll have to check toe in toe out when its' all together. Almost felt like it's toeing out.
Anyway, thanks again for the valuable information. Jim 
