Assembly of steering gear for cars produced since May 1983 (Escort 3)

Clean and thoroughly check the technical condition of all parts. Install the guide bushing in the steering gear housing. Apply a thin layer of semi-liquid grease used for the steering gear to the rack and insert it into the housing. Set the rack to the middle position, fill the grooves between the teeth of the drive gear with grease and install the gear with the bearing in the housing. Make sure that the chamfer of the gear is perpendicular to the stop plug and points towards the part of the housing in which it is installed. Apply sealant such as EM-4G-14 or SPM-4G-9112F to the threaded part of the stop nut, tighten it using device 13.009 A and punch around the circumference onto the steering gear housing.

NOTE: Since the rack teeth have a special shape, the rack must be set to the middle position to adjust the stop.

Install the stop and spring in the mechanism housing, apply a sealant such as "Loctite" to the plug thread and, using device 13.009 A, tighten it to a torque of 4.0-5.0 kgf·m. Screw it in, then loosen it by 60-70°. Using special sleeve 13.004 and dynamometer 15.041, measure the torque of resistance to turning of the drive gear, as shown in Fig. 5.8.



To do this, turn the drive pinion counterclockwise by 180°, then clockwise by 360° and note the torque value. Again turning the pinion counterclockwise by 180°, using the stop plug, adjust the torque of resistance to rotation within 0.3-1.3 kgf·m. After adjustment, punch the plug at three points around the circumference. Move the rack to the extreme position and clamp the housing in a vice with soft metal pads. Install and tighten the axial joints. Use a special key to install previously removed joints. Steering rods supplied as spare parts may have chamfers on the axial joint balls to facilitate their installation. Make sure that the steering rods are installed in the position before disassembly. Tighten the hinge nuts until the punching points align with the groove on the steering rods. Punch the hinge nuts on the steering gear housing.

NOTE: Do not tighten the pivot nuts unless the gear housing is clamped in a vice to avoid damage to the drive pinion.

Apply a thin layer of grease to the mating surfaces of the protective boots to the steering rods and housing. Install the protective boots and make sure that they enter the grooves. Pour 120 cm³ of oil according to the Ford SQM-2C-9003-FF specification into the rack tube and put 70 cm³ of semi-liquid Ford SAM-1 C-9106-AA grease into the steering gear housing.

NOTE: The diameter of the steering rods can be from 11.8 to 13.3 mm. Make sure that the protective boots match the diameter of the rods, otherwise the seal will not be ensured or the protective boots will rupture. Install new screw clamps.

Apply SMIC 10 212 A grease to the dirt protection ring and install the drive gear cover.