March 2012

FRED ENGLE’S CDV (CAMARILLO, CA), OWNED SINCE 1986
IT WORKED FOR ME: STOPPING A STEERING BOX LEAK WITH SPECIAL LUBE
By Jay Friedman
Although my 49 steers precisely and easily, with no play or looseness at the steering wheel, my '49's steering gear box
has always had a slow leak. I put a new gasket on the end cover a couple of years ago, but it did not improve things.
Annoyingly, every month or so I‟ve had to top it up.
After reading a CLC Forum thread on this subject and mulling over the suggested alternatives (all of which involve
thicker oil or grease), I bought a ½ liter plastic bottle of Penrite Steering Box Lube for Vintage Cars (for anything without rack
and pinion steering or power steering), an Australian-made flowable grease. It is sold in the U.S. by Restoration Supply
Company in California and costs $17 per bottle, plus about $10 shipping. I ordered 2 bottles. When they arrived, I raised the
front wheels off the ground, took off the left front wheel to provide better access to the steering box, and drained the oil from
the steering box by removing the lower inboard bolt on the end cover. After replacing the bolt, I then removed the filler plug
and squirted lube into the box by squeezing the bottle. To get it to settle in the box I had to turn the steering wheel from side to
side a couple of times between squirts. One bottle was not enough to fill the box completely, so I had to use part of the 2 nd
bottle. It took several days before the lube totally settled, so I checked the box after every drive and topped it up. The box no
longer leaks.
A QUESTION FROM AUTHENTICITY MANUAL COMMITTEE MEMBER
(AND FORMER CLC PREZ) BILL EDMUNDS
We have found paint chips for 1949 which include paint mixing formulas. Does anyone have
similar literature for 1948 which includes paint mixing formulas that can be put in the next printing of the
1948-49 Authenticity Manual?