qwank

did you clean the box good before you put it on? they ususaly come wet with fluid from when they test it. is it possible some fluid was stuck between some crevices and just weeped out once you put it on and drove it?

persuader

Im thinking that with the broken frame, When you turn the wheel the box moves too excessively that it puts too much stress on the box's input shaft allowing the seal to leak. Steering column is not moving but the frame is. And the new rag joint isn't going to give much. Just thinkin'

'75

That's what I'm thinkin too. With a solid frame now it might be ok.

zuendler

Are you sure the fluid on the steering box is oil and not break fluid that drops from the master cylinder onto the steering box? (This is what happens in my car )

Zero1Niner

Bringing this thread back to life because I think my Borgeson is leaking again.

Ive been back on the road for a month or 2 now since reinstalling the Borgeson, and all seemed ok as far as I could tell. Today I was doing a little looking around, and noticed that the Borgeson, the surrounding frame, the pitman arm are all damp with oil again. They were completely spotless when I reassembled the car back in December. I painted the frame where the crack was, which happens to be in the area where the Borgeson mounts to the frame, and since the area was clean, I painted the entire frame where the work was being done.

I could swear its coming from where the top silver plate meets the box. See the pic. The oil seems to be pooling in the cavity in that plate. It also seems to be dripping down the box, onto the frame, and onto the pitman arm, etc.

If I take the Borgeson off the car again, its not going back on. After going through all of the hassle installing it the first time, then having to remove it and pay a bunch of money to ship it back to Borgeson just to have them tell me its fine, then reinstall it again, now back to leaky square one. This is getting old. Im starting to hate this car.

Someone suggested it might be brake fluid leaking onto the Borgeson, and although I cant completely rule that out, I did consider it. When I was searching around tonight there are no clear signs of that happening. The master cylinder is not damp like everything else below it, and there are hoses and wires between the master cylinder and Borgeson that done appear to be wet at all.

Les

Just a few thoughts...The leak appears to be small, whatever it is. That gives you time to monitor things without having to sweat about a sudden failure. I'd keep a close watch on the fluid level in the pump reservoir. For the sake of consistency I'd only measure it when cold and see if it changes with use. I'd also clean the box & all lines and hoses thoroughly, including brake lines, especially on the underside where it's hard to see. Then I'd be checking all of those after driving to see if any fluid shows up. Checking with rubber gloves on makes it easy to see the fluid shine on the fingers. I've also had good luck using white paper towels because everything shows up on white. If you're methodical I think you'll find the source of your leak. Hopefully it's not the box itself. Good luck. Oh, and don't hate the car. They will all have problems at some point but they're worth the trouble.

commander_47

I will tell you that it would be a very rare thing for the box to be leaking.

Especially after getting it back.

Those frame issues aee worrisome.

Thw welds are messy. You might want to grind that area clean, re weld and rustproof. Maybe reinforce wirh a plate.

This may sound silly, but did you overfill the pump? Very easy to do, I know. It is under the alternator and hard to get to.

If it is overfull, fluid will blow out of the top until it reaches normal level.

jb78L-82

If you go back to the factory setup, I can strongly recommend a former forum member who custom rebuilds/blueprints the factory OEM box and you will be shocked at how great the steering is after this process is done-I have it on my 78 C3 and absolutely love the steering now. PM me if interested.

Zero1Niner

Great advice Les. I will do just that. I really hope it ends up being the master cylinder...doubtful, but hopeful.

Zero1Niner

Those dog crap welds are all gone. Bubba was up to no good fixing the car before I got it.

The frame was welded and reinforced, cleaned, painted. Im not 100% sure that it resolved forever, but it was a better alternative than junking the car or replacing the frame. I will be watching it carefully, thats for sure.

Im sure the pump was not overfilled. If it were overfilled, i would think the fluid wouldn't likely end up on the Borg box and pitman arm. It would be on the pump, crossmember and surrounding area i would think.

Zero1Niner

I really rather not go back to the factory setup if I can avoid it, but losing confidence in the Borg. I HOPE it ends up not being the Borg so I can stop thinking about it. I paid a lot for that box, and spent way too much time messing with it for a new (not inexpensive) part.

Maybe I will start thinking about R&P.

65-StingRay

I don't know if it's still under warranty or not. I would send those pics to borgeson so they can see the leaks for themselves. You know for how many steering boxes they sell they should have sent you another one the first time it was there. That way your grief and there reputation stays in tact.
Hope you can resolve it.

65-StingRay

aussiejohn

Zero,

I feel for your frustration with this. Here are a few things to think of that may find the culprit. I notice that the return line in the first photo runs right over the top of the box, could there be a minuscule hole in the hose? If not the return line, then maybe the high pressure line has a pinprick that is allowing fluid to leak onto the frame and then down into the side cover (that's what they call the "top" cover). Then there is the adjusting screw in the middle of the side cover, could this be the source of the leak?

I agree with the others who commented on the "welding" on the frame, Bubba was having a good day there! The flexing frame would cause the box to move sideways, putting intense strain on the seal at the input shaft, possibly causing a leak.

Either of the above paragraphs could be the source of the leak, which would explain why Borgeson could not find a fault with your box. They did not have your hoses or chassis and steering shaft to connect to your box when they were testing it.

A white paper towel or shop rag wrapped around the hoses and secured with tape would soon show if the leak was coming from the hose/s.

Good luck with finding the cause of your leak.

Regards from Down Under.

aussiejohn

Zero1Niner

That was exactly what I had hoped they would do as well. If nothing else, I would at least have the peace of mind knowing a new box would not likely have the same problem. Really frustrating. I think it is still likely under warranty, but as you know its not a 10 minute job taking it out, not to mention the downtime of the car, the expense (again) shipping it back to CT, waiting for it to come back, reinstall, etc. Nightmare.

Fingers crossed its not the box.

Zero1Niner

Hey John!

Thanks for the post. That is a great point about the hoses that I will investigate.

As mentioned, Bubba's handiwork has all been repaired. In addition to the newly repaired frame and cleanup of all the fancy welds, a spreader bar was added, so frame flex has been greatly reduced. There is no abnormal pressure on the box now.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I will try the paper towel trick tomorrow.

commander_47

One other thing with the hoses.

Did you use the brass sleeves?

Those high pressure hoses need a LOT of torque to keep them from leaking.

I had to really crank on mine to seal them up.

Zero1Niner

Yep. I sure did use the bushings. It doesnt seem to be damp in the area where the hoses connect to the box.

vette_20

looks like brake fluid dropping onto the box try washing with water as brake fluid will dilute in water . Will then no if brake fluid or power steering oil
regards Ian

aussiejohn

A simple way to check this is by taste. Brake fluid has a distinctive taste, oil tastes like oil. Make sure you only put a small amount on your tongue and have some water nearby to wash your mouth out.

Regards from Down Under.

aussiejohn

Griff2002

If I recall the fluid that came in my Borgeson unit was red. Can you distinguish brake vs. steering fluid by color?