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does anyone know what steering gear box is in the 97 serengeti, mine just started leaking out the left side a steady stream. thanks
jim king, 97 serengeti, 3126 cat, 6 spd allison. thanks .and has any one taken one off for a rebuild ?

Hello Jim, I have a 96 Serengeti, 3126 cat with 6 spd Allison with a Sheppard M80 steering gear box. I took mine off and sent it to Red head steering gears (redheadsteeringgears.com) and ask to have it rebuilt and blue printed to help take out some of the road wonder. Very pleased with the job and the phone # for them is 1-800-808-1148 ext. 100 I did work with Daniel Foster at Red Head Steering Gears, 4302 B st NW, Auburn Wa 98001. Hope this helps
Mike Huneycutt 96 Serengeti, 3126 cat with 6 spd Allison

Goodmorning Jcking,
Sounds exactly like the sector shaft seal is leaking. I replaced mine about two month back. If you call Sheppard they can give you exact two kits that contain the seals. You replace one seal and one large o-ring. Believe the 6 bolts at the end plate of the sector shaft plate cover are 18 mm (but I’ve been doing lots of maintenance to mine so could be confusing that with the shin’s shackle nuts.) it’s a fairly straight forward replacement. Let me see if I can attach some photos here. I think I posted some in the FB Safarifriends group initially.

This is a quick video recapping the repair. There is at least one other good how to reply here in the group. Search the old legacy files using ‘Sheppard steering gear box’ or similar combo of words. You’ll want to leave the bolts threaded in just a bit when you get ready to start coach so the hydraulic fluid bumps the plate off. And BE ANSOLUTELY CERTAIN your Dectron III fluid tank is FULL of fluid. You don’t want to rub the pump dry! Of course have a catch basin to catch the fluid under the gearbox otherwise you’ll have a mess.
Well it appears my two min video is too large. It’s 116Mbytes. But hopefully with Liz and write you have the jest of what to do. To recap, the sector shaft end plate comes off and the seal and print go on it. Reattach, retorque bolts, add new fluid. And good to go. Have >700 miles on my repair as of today.

I've read another "fix" is to replace the plastic cover where it leaks, with an aluminum plate using the original plastic cover as a template. Place a gasket between the new plate and the body and it'll never leak again.

astrnmrtom wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 8:22 pm I've read another "fix" is to replace the plastic cover where it leaks, with an aluminum plate using the original plastic cover as a template. Place a gasket between the new plate and the body and it'll never leak again.

The "plastic cover" is on the power "steering/power brake fluid reservoir"...not on the "steering gearbox".

Thanks everyone, I have found this seal kit for the sector shaft, the part number is 554-5581 however, I am reluctant to replace it all. I think the dust cover over the endplate is missing on my unit, which according to the Shepherd parts department is why it's leaking. I think I might try a service department at Freightliner. They are not too far away, East Houston. Thanks again, Jim, 97 serengeti, 300 cat, 6 speed Allison.

stuplich@ymail.com wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 12:33 pm

astrnmrtom wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 8:22 pm I've read another "fix" is to replace the plastic cover where it leaks, with an aluminum plate using the original plastic cover as a template. Place a gasket between the new plate and the body and it'll never leak again.

The "plastic cover" is on the power "steering/power brake fluid reservoir"...not on the "steering gearbox".

Mel,

This is the cover I'm referring to. It has a tiny breather hole in the center, and from what I've read on other sites, when the seal goes bad, fluid leaks out the breather hole. While it's possible the center of the cover is very thin sheet metal, when I tap on it, it sure sounds like plastic, and I recall it being described as plastic in other forums. The fix I read about involves removing those bolts and the cover, then using it as a template, make a replacement out of aluminum - or steel - and reinstall with using gasket material. This fix avoids having to do a removal and replacement of the seal. Mine hasn't leaked but I do carry a piece of aluminum plate with me just in case I need to do a field repair.

Tom
1998 Serengeti 3706

hello everyone, finally got the right number on the seal kit and on the second try, stopped the leak from the sector shaft , replace the o-ring , the pressure seal and another seal you tap in on the face of the shaft cover. Jim King 97 serengeti, 3126 cat, 6 spd allison, rh sheppard m-80 steering gear, thanks for the help and encouragement .

Hi Jim,
This is offered to anyone that may be having steering box issues. I bought a '97 Safari Sahara in 2017. On way home from WA to ID the steering box developed a large leak. Finding no help in ID I came upon Pro Steering in Portland, OR. They rebuilt the Sheppard M80 for about $700 as I recall and it has been stellar since. I would recommend them to anyone in that area needing steering box help.

Glenn
'97 Safari Sahara
Cat 3126/Allison 6speed
84,000 mi