Here's my problem:

'69 Camaro I've owned for just one year. I noticed that it turns more to the left than the right. I've narrowed it down to the steering box.

The steering wheel shaft is indexed at the 12 o'clock position - this I have verified.

The steering coupler can only go on one way, due to the bolt-slot in the steering shaft. Check.

The rag joint can only go on one way, due to the flat spot on the steering box input shaft. Check

I have the box out of the car now.

When I turn the input shaft (with the rag joint on it), it turns just UNDER 2 1/2 turns stop to stop. So whatever that number is needs to be divisible by two, so I can find the exact center of the steering box shaft, before I install it.

The problem is, it's about 1 and 1/4 turns to the center or middle. Yet, that is not a position that will mate the rag joint to the coupler.

So, what the heck am I missing here?

The steering box top cover has these numbers on it:

014 9


5686555

When you are nearly on center the flat on the gear input shaft will be close to 12 o'clock. The flat on the shaft always indicates the center gear mesh point when it is at 12 o'clock. There were some gears (used on Chevelles for a few years) that actually had slightly more travel one directions than the other. Center was always defined by the flat location.

Is it possible that someone may have installed the wrong gear in the past? Otherwise, I would just use the 12 o'clock rule.

Jim

Thanks, I did not know about the flat being the center....It is possible that this is not the orginal box from this car. After messing around with it, it's clear that something is not right inside the box. After turning it one full turn from one stop, that should be the center point. But turning it past center, results in 1 1/3 turns, considerably more travel than the first half of the turn. Guess I'll be hunting for a new box.