Power Steering Gear: Disassembly
- Thoroughly clean the exterior of gear with solvent. Hold gear upside down over a drain pan and turn worm shaft back and forth several times to drain fluid, then secure gear on a work stand.
- Remove pitman arm nut and using puller (49 0223 695D), remove pitman arm. Remove sector shaft adjusting screw lock nut. To center the gear, turn worm shaft until identification mark is in the position shown in Fig 1 .
Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.
- Remove side cover attaching bolts. Tap lower end of sector shaft with soft hammer to loosen, then remove cover and shaft as an assembly. Turn side cover counterclockwise to remove cover from adjusting screw.
- Remove adjuster plug lock nut, then loosen, but do not remove the adjuster plug. Unscrew valve housing attaching bolts and remove valve housing and worm shaft as an assembly from steering gear housing.
Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.
- Stand valve body and piston on end with piston end down. Rotate worm shaft counterclockwise out of the piston letting the ball bearings drop into the piston. Turn the piston upside down and catch the 26 balls in a container. Unscrew ball guide cover screws, then remove cover and ball guides.
- Clean and inspect housing. Replace seals, if necessary, as follows: Pry lower seal from housing and remove upper seal snap ring, spacer washer, and upper seal.
- Dip new seals in gear lubricant and coat seal bore of housing with lubricant. Place lower seal in bore with lip facing inward. Install spacer washer, then seat snap ring in groove. Insert upper seal in bore with rubber side facing out and press into place.
- Unscrew adjuster plug from valve housing, then remove outer bearing race, thrust bearing and inner bearing race. Remove valve and worm shaft assembly, bearing races and thrust bearing from the housing. Remove worm shaft bearing and pry oil seal and dust seal from adjuster plug. Remove Teflon ring and "O" ring from piston and ball nut.