Ford 850 Power Steering Column Breather Cap Dribbling Fluid

tractorford

my ford 850 gonna git the dim mak
Okay, so Im slowly getting this 'project tractor' up and running over the past year.....

I noticed the power steering plastic vent cap on the steering column pisses out power steering fluid when I turn the wheel left or right--
its not gushing out from the steering wheel top or anything, its just from that damn plastic cap that has a spring under it on the steering wheel column---

I read someplace a member named Ultra had some guide that was supposed to fix this but I cant find it...
 
The breather is for the gearbox, which is below the power steering control valve. If power steering fluid is coming out of the breather, then the lower seal for the control valve is leaking. The gearbox, which is at the bottom of the steering column, should contain only gear oil, or possibly NLGI 00 grease. The upper end of the steering column needs to be disassembled and the lower seal for the power steering control valve needs to be replaced. The user on here named Ultradog, not Ultra, has posted some good information on how to do this. Unfortunately the search capabilities on this forum since the last major upgrade have been sub-optimal (that is my way of putting it politely), so I cannot find his posts on the subject.
 
Thats the fellar! Thanks for pointing out the actual user name. okay great, the seal kit for the control valve arrived from amazon so I will get digging around in there... is there a proper method to adding the grease to the inside of the control valve housing once the seals are replaced, maybe its obvious once I disassemble it...
 
The control valve does not take grease. The control valve gets power steering pumped through it, which happens automatically after you hook everything back up and start the engine. The grease only goes into the gearbox at the bottom of the steering column. If you don't have a service manual, get one. Taking the steering control valve apart and reinstalling everything requires the instructions in the service manual on tightening the large nut to a certain point, then backing it off a particular fraction of a turn and then staking it in place. If you don't follow that procedure to the letter, the power assist will not work properly. If you can find Ultradog's posts on rebuilding the control valve, his pictures are very helpful in determining which of the holes get which sets of plungers, balls, and/or springs.
 
The control valve does not take grease. The control valve gets power steering pumped through it, which happens automatically after you hook everything back up and start the engine. The grease only goes into the gearbox at the bottom of the steering column. If you don't have a service manual, get one. Taking the steering control valve apart and reinstalling everything requires the instructions in the service manual on tightening the large nut to a certain point, then backing it off a particular fraction of a turn and then staking it in place. If you don't follow that procedure to the letter, the power assist will not work properly. If you can find Ultradog's posts on rebuilding the control valve, his pictures are very helpful in determining which of the holes get which sets of plungers, balls, and/or springs.
Tractorford,
Sean has given you good advice.
Follow it.
If you get hung up, we can help.
 
Tractorford,
Sean has given you good advice.
Follow it.
If you get hung up, we can help.
Thank you!! Had to switch over to the hydraulic pump rebuild, my replacement ebay one came in yesterday, once thats buttoned up I'll swing back into the steering shenanigans.
 
wiggling my way back to this one-- was cleaning up the power steering lid-- (eaton pump vertical) on this ford 850... noticed this seam up top and was about to jb weld it :unsure:

then i read the lid "should?" be vented??

must be some kinda beatnik 1950s james dean marilyn monroe spruce goose engineering that creates some kinda uni-directional "venting cavity" in between this here lid tin???? :ROFLMAO:
IMG_2019.jpeg
IMG_2018.jpeg

then i got to noticing these 3 holes on the underside.. and started getting the grime out....

when i spray carb cleaner in the holes they all spurt out the cleaner through at the same time as does the open seam on the outside of the lid top--- 😐

---if thats an indication the "venting" feature is now unobstructed then thats great--- but if it shouldnt be like that then-- im gonna have to seal em up....


now is that supposed to be how it is??? are all 4 places supposed to spurt out like that or maybe just them 3 holes on the underside of the lid... if not i might gonna be jb weldin that thar there open seam on that lid top...
 
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