Thank you again for a peaceful, insightful and entertaining episode Jethro, many will agree with me here, other 'tubers could learn a lot from your approach to content creation - zero hype - 100% quality.
@@JethroBronner My '69 GTV is supposed to have 165 tyres. For a time I had 185 tyres fitted instead. The additional grip is PHENOMENAL, but only body builders can turn the steering wheel at parking speeds. (I exaggerate for comic effect, but not by much.)
I've enjoyed this video even more than usual, and that's exactly because of its niche topic :) Steering components hardly ever get any attention, and I have learned why these 'boxes sometimes fail. Great work, keep it up!
Excellent video! I had my box literally blow apart as I steered into my driveway on my 72' GTV. Previous owner had fitted very wide large tires and the added stress and age of the box did it in. Thank god it didn't happen while on the road. This was 20+yrs ago and I still have the outer shaft which I use as a breaker bar. Replaced it without the use of a lift. What a PIA....
I find your presentation so refreshing. And thanks for the explanation about the binding and shims in the box. You turned on the light bulb, and now it's time to take another run at the steering box in my old '63 Avanti.
I’m just echoing what everyone is saying. I don’t want to big this up too much but I watch a lot of RU-vid restoration videos and yours redefine the genre. I love the calm, measured, logical and thoughtful way in which tackle the projects on these beautiful Italian cars. Your passion for these Alfas is contagious and linked to top quality video production they’re like works of art, very classy. Many thanks, looking forward to more Alfa adventures.
One of the more satisfying automotive videos I've watched recently. Relaxed, thorough, detailed. Well done. You were concerned, I liked what you created.
I have always loved the way each video tells a story and is a life lesson on dedication, overcoming wrongs, and a beautiful reward at the end. In this work, your filming and editing was taken to a higher level. Mastery of that is as impressive as your engineering, which is high praise. Your work has grown so much that I can only imagine where it will go. As a psychiatrist, all I hear is woe. You are a very bright light that inspires others. Thank You Sir !
I have my box still disassembled on the table and had it for a few months until now that I'm nearing completion of rust repairs in the engine bay and welding in of reinforcement plates from alfaholics on my car. You video is right on point to finally get it back together, thanks a lot. 🙂
Great work Jet I think it’s the one component I’ve not touched either.. But thanks to your ingenuity and future proof consistency I’m feeling confident to do one as well. Thankyou Keep me up to date on your Australia visit if you are still considering one .. All the best Geoff
The holes in the steering wheel are for another type of puller, but your little tool is fine too. I use a small puller with threaded rods to suit, put 'em through a harmonic balancer puller, but your solution uses the same mechanism, and works!
yeahsss!!!! - Amazing work here - especially the machineing on the end of the worm gear. Having mine out in the past, and knowing what it looked like, I can tell this will be in my future 'someday' because - Nothing is ever perfect, and nothing is ever done, and nothing lasts forever.
Just came across your channel...I' an owner of 1970 1750 GTV which I restored 20 years ago...i replaced the idler a number of years back plus all of the steering gear and a new suspension kit and have had no steering issues..but....for whatever reason I worry about the steering box as it is original and I'm thinking fatigue may be setting in. As with brakes...steering failure not something you want. The steering box is the last remaining (significant mechanical) original part on this car...mainly because I have had no steering issues. I thought about putting in a new re-original jus for peace of mind...not terribly expensive for that. Going o have a look and see if there are any fissures or cracks...its always been on my mind.
FWIW, years ago I sent by steering box to Burman in the UK for a rebuild. It did come back really "tight", meaning tough to turn. On the lift, it was very hard to turn the road wheels side to side. No problem from the steering wheel. But it drove fine and "loosened up" after some road time. Assuming Burman knew what they were doing with the rebuild, that might indicate to rebuild these on the "tighter" side.
Thank you Jethro for the video, Just re-welded the cracks on my box today. it wasn't easy at all. here my tips on how to TIG weld it: Clean the box at least 5 time with fresh thinner. grind to white metal all area to be welded. preheat the box 80-100deg c. use low heat input, I started at 135 Amp and it was way too much. The more amps the more porosity you end up with. The first pass is the most difficult due to the base metal gazing out unreasonably the remaining pass are more manageable. I found that having too much AC balance would generate more pores. Overall I feels like this alloy possibly contains zinc (like a 7000 serie) it is not designed to be welded! I used 5356 filler as that's all I had, 4043 is probably better. I wish I would have been told this is a pain to weld! I would have been more carful with the amp settings. Take care and be prepare for a few rude words :)
Seeing the hairline fractures in the casting reminded me of the Monty Python film skit "just a flesh wound". Mine had a 1mm gash with black grease coming out of it and having to guess which way the car would be pointing. Fortunately I had a spare steering box.
Jethro.... good to see you back on the channel... Interesting topic today, on a subject that very rarely come up.... these cars are not built to last forever, Its good to see that you are here to give them a few more years.... great vid
Forgive me -- you may have already answered this question somewhere. Exactly how many ball bearings are supposed to be in a Burman box? Many moons ago, when restoring my '74 Spider, the box came apart with... let's say, much less finesse, than what you have demonstrated. :) At the time, I thought I had gathered all the ball bearings off the shop floor, but exactly how many there were supposed to be has haunted me for 25 years. (The terrible blue-and-yellow manual was of little assistance!). As an aside, the bottom seal on my Burman has never stopped weeping and it PAINED me to put grease into it as a solution -- I wholeheartedly agree, packing grease into the box is at best inelegant. Borrowing courage and conviction from your video, I will retackle the job sooner rather than later! Cheers, Jethro!
I think it was either 54 or 57, I can’t quite remember. I just made sure I filled up the bearings until there wasn’t space for anymore ball bearings to fit. I guess one benefit of the grease is that it stops the ball bearings falling out when you open the box.
What a excellent example of doing it right. Well done on your video and perfect restoration not just getting in done haha. The lathe part was impressive. I have a Datsun 1978 310 (140Y) that I’d like to restore. I could only wish to be able to have the time and patience that you show with your Alfa projects.
Hi Jethro, By my uninformed logic surfacing the face of the box at the bearing cap tightens the clearance and is the equivalent of adding a shim rather than the reverse.
We've got to keep this skills around for the future, it may be hard to learn them in person in the modern age, but at least we can create archives online for the future.
Nice work, and a pleasure to watch. My only concern is the machining of the worm gear bearing surface. I'm not sure how much you actually removed, but I worry the depth (or thickness) of case hardening is very tiny. Time will tell soon enough - if the layer was very thin and mostly removed during the machining, it'll wear out quickly under load.
Yes time will tell. However, even after I had removed the pitting that surface was still incredibly hard, the carbide tool could still barely scratch it.
A few things that I noticed: 1) When trying to get the ball joints open (the taper), just apply pressure with the ball joint splitter and hit the ball joint with a hammer, the taper will open quite easily. 2) NEVER USE GLOVES WHILE TURNING! If you value your most important tools (you hands), then please do not use gloves when turning.
@@JethroBronner When working on things, be it a car, furniture, painting a wall, I keep my sanity with some childish humour....I fully expected you to ask that steering link that fell some dumb question..."Where are you going?" or "Kom terug my broer", which is what I would have done. I think if someone were watching me, they'd think I'm a little wonky. Jethro, you have no idea what it means to me seeing these videos. I have such a passion for those old Alfas, but just cannot afford to get one, the prices they go for now! I should have kept at least one of the seven or eight that I had as a youngster....thank you that I can "work" alongside you, great memories.
@@johnjones4825 Yes I’ve been incredibly fortunate and privileged to get this little collection of cars. I was lucky enough as a teenager to pick up some project cars for very cheap. At the time I had no idea they would ever be so expensive.
Hi Jethro - I'd enjoy hearning more about you, personally. Such as: how old you are, whether you're married or have a girl friend, etc., what classes you liked in high school and or college, and how you learned about cars. I love the content of your videos, but I've watched so many of them that I feel like I'm getting to know you, and I'd like to know something about you personally. Thanks.
I had similar problems on my '69 GTV. If you've got an old Alfa and the steering isn't intuitive, either the box itself has problems or the box is loose on its mounting.
Thanks for the video! I'm having some difficulty removing my steering wheel. Can you explain the device you made/ use in the video? Thanks again for all the great videos!
I noticed on the final assembly of the front cover, the spacer that goes in after the front race sticks out a bit. Does this compress inward as the cover is tightened?
Help! I have a 1991 spider that someone reattached the steering box to the car about a bit higher than it should. Welded it. So the geometry is off messing with the alignment. If I remove the engine it might be possible to redo the mount correctly...or not. Most shops aren't able to do fabrication as they're too busy or don't know how. Dreaming of fixing the problem by modifying the arm to be a bit lower. Seems like too much till I see this video. Inspiring. Sure you could figure it out in a jiffy. Good job. Any advice is appreciated.
Hi Jethro! Great video as always, I agree that chassis flex is one of the problems but I don't believe that those cracks are due to that. Those cracks look like the roller gear was hitting the aluminium case when the steering was turned fully over due to miss adjusted lock stops. If the steering lock stops are misadjusted you will force the steering box casing and the cracks are due to this. What do you think?
I think you have a point here. After I filed this video I realised that the lock top on the passenger was missing entirely, probably the cause of the cracks. I will address this is the next video.
"Easier In Theory Than In Practice." Jethro, do you know the difference between theory and practice? In theory there is no difference, but in practice there is.
I pray to God that my burman box is in gwo, as that appears a very patience sapping task. Is this a job which can be achieved with the engine in situ'?
Just what I needed….Thanks Jethro. I had exactly the same problems with the steering on my GT junior. I Did all the work (at least I thought so) but it was still so heavy to turn, when it was mounted on the car again. Your explanation of how to shim op is what I missed and maybe the answer to my problem.
I've always had the Union Flags, because I'm half English, but the American stuff was just what I picked up on my last trip abroad. I like the California car culture, and most of my audience is American. I actually have very few South African viewers.
@@JethroBronner Interesting. For the viewers... so do you place any value in the flag/country itself. Seeing as you are in it. The other flags seem to bare significance enough to be put up. Just on the meaning to you. Yet not the RSA flag...?
@@gideontladi I’m not particularly invested in the American flags, being neither American, nor having any desire to be. They’re just things I had on hand after a trip to California. I do however find the California vintage car scene very interesting and is something I’d like to explore more. There’s no particular depth or meaning beyond that. The Union flag of course is a different story, hence it’s position high up and I the middle. But I don’t imagine that really answers your question. I think the question you’re circling is “why aren’t you a Proudly South African Patriot?”
@@JethroBronner Mate, you have answered it. I was not circling anything I was enquiring... Seeking to understand. There is nothing more to ask or understand. You have answered me.
Hi Jethro, many thanks for taking the Burman steering apart and explaining what the issues are with this type of steering box. Have been doing similar repair recently and can confirm that there is no other reasonable video on that topic out there yet. Now it is. Many thanks. Machining the rear end ball bearing surface is quite a reasonable thing to do with a good lathe available and a well grinded chisel. Using grease to get all the balls in the nut is unavoidable as well as getting the balls in the bearings. 7.144 balls are standard and can be purchased from specialised sources. Even oversizes are available. These balls are available in different tolerance classes. Thanks for not using background music.
@@JethroBronner As You said, there's no other serious dealing with this problem to find, so it was very interesting and a paragon seeing what You do with that steering box. We all can't do without any inspiring tech support all the time, so thank You for Your worthy contributions, no matter how "niche" (often the more "niche" the more interesting if done the Jethro-way!). "What would Jethro do?" could easily become a standard for 105 Models this way - only slight irritation is the steering wheel's location in Your cars, recurrently seeming like somehow ..... mirrored, hay? 😁Cheers
That was tremendously satisfying, which of course is the stratum above highly informative! As for that scissor action ball joint puller, I don't know how much you were tightening that but for the record, it's important to snug them up and then tap on the assembly in the spot of your choice and then tighten a bit more, etc. This way, you make use of resonance to break the parts free without ever using tremendous force which will definitely break the tool one day. (My first one was an 18G1063 BMC factory service tool for the Austin and Morris minis that I picked up in 1971. A very old mechanic gave me this tip about loosening parts at that time and I've been passing it on ever since.) 🙂 One day I wandered into a shop where they had tightened the hell out of a puller on a Jag XJ12 halfshaft which still refused to budge. Distress was building among the staff but they wouldn't let me near it, so when everyone was at the other end of the room, I gave it a tap with a hammer. It popped right out and I was offered a job on the spot. Fun times.
Ball joints are broken free by hammering where the tapered bit fits after loosening the nut. Real mechanics never use a ball joint puller, but a hammer
Hey Jethro, good to see the Myford getting some proper use! It’s nice to watch stuff that doesn’t totally rely on a musical backing track, also I like the technical detail. Thanks
Anyone who enjoys this type of video, should check out Allen Millyard's You Tube channel. He works on motorcycles, not cars, but his approach is similar, as is his laid back style, and his engineering skills are off the charts.
7.14mm = 9/32" for the ball bearing, and it is probably easier to find 9/32" ball bearings than the equivalent metric, just about all ball bearing from this time period used imperial units. Great and interesting video.
Cheers Jethro, very interesting video as always! It’s fascinating to see what kind of tricks are needed to keep these beautiful cars running, years after their intended service life. You must’ve been quite happy that the shims were spot on even after the rather invasive surgery.
Wow, what a fantastic video! Your production quality is off the charts and it continues to amaze me how much you know about the smallest of details. I've always been fascinated by automobiles and their mechanical complexities and you deliver absolutely peerless content.
Wonderful Jethro - I actually was thinking how useful this was to be committed forever to the internet - please don't apologise for the length! Your attention to detail is mesmerising - can't wait for the next one!
That wire up the centre of the shaft for the hooter is a really dumb idea, by modern standards. On my '66 Sprint, the wire wore through, that poor old lady in the parking lot nearly died of a coronary or shock or something, when the hooter (horn for you guys in the US) wouldn't stop going off as I tried to park.Of course, this was back in about 1980... Sorry, Lady!
Zen might be the wrong concept for maintenance... Applying zen, the idea would be to simply use it, whatever happens is meant to happen. Wabisabi might be a better way to look at it. Repair what is broken to show appreciation, but not look to "perfect" or "hide" the damage. So use it, care for it, appreciate it, but if it's damage, wear it like a badge and work to make it serviceable again, but no aesthetic repairs as it hides the thing's history(kintsugi repairs in earthen ware, they literally put emphasis on the cracks).
I'm curious about the bottom bearing race you spent all that time on your lathe with to take care of the pitting. Do you think it would be possible to upgrade those loose bearing with a cartridge bearing set? The surfaces would need to be milled to accommodate the cartridge bearings, but those would be something that what last a good long time and be easily replaceable.
Went through this about 25 years ago so my memory is a bit dusty but it's likely that once the car is full weight on wheels you're going to find a dead zone in the center caused by wear on the part of the upper arm that interfaces with the carrier which is very difficult to restore. You can take some of it out with a shim under the spring plate but this tightens the entire mechanism. there was a guy in LA way back when who was machining new arm faces but don't know if he's still around. Also, as was my case, there may be cracks in the housing beyond the ones that were visible. It would require dye penetrant or some other NDT detection method to see them. If the housing breaks it will do it when you are turning the wheels when stopped such as trying to squeeze into or out of a parallel parking spot. Another option is to replace with a ZF box but I think they may only fit into a 115. A problem with these boxes, especially the LH drive ones which are on the exhaust side, is that the oil most likely drained out of them a year or two after they left the dealership floor and nobody ever bothered to check. As far as I know there was never anything in the service manual telling you to top off the steering box oil.
Exactly. And on the RHD cars you have to remove the carburetors just to top up the oil. So this oil seal conversion should help it enormously in the fight to keep the oil level up.
@@JethroBronner I used some stuff that was being suggested at the time. (sorry can't remember the name) It was a red colored liquid and best described as being about halfway between gear oil and grease. It has been in there for over 20 years now so seems to have worked well. The leftover tub is around here somewhere I'll see if I can dig it up.
These "a few sandwiches short of a picnic" kinda "repairs" Alfas, and 105 Alfas especially, are particularly prone to I reckon. Only vintage cars I would know of with worse repairs were LandRovers, which are tractors more than cars anyway, and can use some a little bodged up parts to make 'em "authentic". No matter BMWs, Mercedes, Citroëns or Lancias I was lucky to work on had ever so many bodged "repairs" "done" to 'em like the 105 Alfas I tried to keep on the road - and that was already the same when I got started with my first Giulias and Bertones back in 1982 ......
@@JethroBronner I got mine in northern Italy (just about 300 km away from my town) from some wreckers I knew, we also bought those cars standing *_behind_* the Alfa and Lancia dealers in some shady corners. Usually, we needed three to come to two complete working ones - the rest went to our wrecker in town who payed well by weight - I can't say I did drive bad cars in my youth, but it was a piece of work driving Alfas, Lancias and other "Exotics" on a strict budget between all those boring Opel, Ford, VW and Audi my fellow Bavarians prefered ..... Today, I get nightmares remembering what we threw away in the eighties and nineties, once You bring up "worthless" .....
what is your opinion of the new Alphas? I have a 2007 Lotus Elise and love it. It's amazing how they managed to build the "English" into the car. But the new Lotuses do absolutely nothing for me. Greg
@@JethroBronner The new cars have no soul. They're very canned. I admire Pur Sang or GTO Engineering. I think there is a real place for these types of cars.
