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Classic/Antique Car Repair/1934 CHEVROLET MASTER SEDAN

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Expert: - 5/27/2010


Question
QUESTION: I have lubricated the steering box by filling up the resevoir at the steering box and now the lubricant is leaking out but I cannot detect where from. I have since read the service manual and it talks about lubrication every 1 000 miles. How much lubrication should I put into the steering box. Have I overfilled it or could you suggest where it could be leaking from.

ANSWER: The recommended lube is plain old gear oil 90 weight. However in the day when these cars got some mileage on them we used to pump chassis lube into them. The correct fill is to fill to the plug. I would suggest washing down the underside of the gear box and then watching over a period of time for the source of the leak.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I want to confirm. Is it correct to put gear oil and chassis lube into the STEERING BOX.

Answer
Gear oil is what was recommended when the car was new, but as you know there were no new cars built during the second world war. When I began working on cars in the family garage in the late 1940's we were routinely putting chassis lube in these steering boxes as the boxes were so worn that the gear oil would run right out.

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Brad Sears

Expertise

All automotive including antique and collectible. However if the car has been modified I can only answer in general terms and maybe get you pointed in the right direction.

Experience

Automotive tech instructor. Syndicated auto columnist 1970's though the early 1990's. Syndicated auto radio talk show, Ask Brad About cars, CBS Radio 70's through 90's TV Show "Last Chance Garage" 1980's PBS-TV syndicated. Auto instructor for the following companies: Fram Autolyte Holly Carter AMF Ford Motor University Of Conn Blue Hills Technical School Sugar River Technical Center Grew up in a family garage in Needham Mass and turned wrenches from the age of 14.

Publications
Manchester Union Leader, Nashua Telegraph, Motor Service Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Popular Mechanics (Saturday Mechanic early 80's), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and lots more.

Education/Credentials
More than I care to remember. Basically Franklin Technical Institute in Boston, Northeastern University, Fitchburg State Teachers College, Tufts University, and a lot of factory schools along the way.

Awards and Honors
Moto Award winner. And much more.

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