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.

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!

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.

Work can wait a few more minutes. You could do audiobooks and I'd choose your version over anyone else.

My father-in-law had two of them in his garage when he died. I wanted so much to fix them (one of them was my wife car 30 years ago when she was going to university in Oklahoma City). We now live in Canada, so can’t do. But I kept his Alfa keychain.

Jethro is pure Zen.

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....

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.

The Gran Turismo vibe of car repair videos. Love it.

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

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.

Absolutely stellar video and commentary. Bravo!

That face you made when the ball joint popped off? Priceless!!

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.

Nice work Jethro! Love the "couple sandwiches short of a picnic..." bit 😂

Thanks for releasing such a "niche" project. Very interesting and entertaining!

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.

Your channel is probably one of my favorite things on the whole internet, the cinematography/editing is perfect.

I’m just echoing what everyone is saying. I don’t want to big this up too much but I watch a lot of KZfaq 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.

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.

This video is not just informative, but it’s a mini work of art.

One of the more satisfying automotive videos I've watched recently. Relaxed, thorough, detailed. Well done. You were concerned, I liked what you created.

Thanks for the patient used to produce a video like this. KZfaq really needed this. I wish in more videos like this one. Kind regards from a mechanical restorer from Italy

Great video. Something I need to fix the leaky seal at the bottom of my Burman box but not just yet. Lots of jobs to do. Refreshing to watch these videos without all the nonsense. Very soothing viewing!

Terrific work, so satisfying. Working like a switch watch now!

After a terrible 2 weeks stretch, it makes me happy again watching you doing delicate work in a calm, assured way. Thank you sir !

I come here for the soothing Zen of an artist creating automotive perfection. Now I find Jethro’s Zen hits a hard stop when it comes to grease in the steering box. But, somehow, knowing his Zen has limits makes it all the more real, and I appreciate it more because of it. ;-)

Great job on this!! One thing I have always seen as helpful that I didn't see you do on your video is to make sure that the box will still operate smoothly when you apply force to the steering arm, and not just the wheel. A small difference in the shims can make it difficult to "motor" the box from the arm, which would of course mean that there wouldn't be much feel of what the front wheels are doing on the road, and possibly not enough freedom for the steering to self-center due to caster. Great job on these videos. I really enjoy them and admire your care and pride in a job well-done.

The blinking eyes of....... Anticip........ pation.

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

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 !

3 videos inside a month, you’re spoiling us 😁

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 :)

I've enjoyed your videos for years, classy high quality productions. Just this week my dear longtime friend and alfa guru Vince Sartor passed away at 52 years of age from cancer In Melbourne Australia. Now that he is no longer with us, I thank you for taking the and effort in making these videos in a way that even the inexperienced among us, can get the courage to take on some of the less daunting jobs on these classics. At the end of the day we are the custodians of these fine cars, keeping them for the next generation . Thank you my guru...Serge

This will be much more relaxing for me than it was for you.😉 Great work as always 👏

Incredibly high quality work! Both filming and mechanicing.

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!

Thanks for this excellent tutorial. Your videos are the ultimate Alfa owners guide. I wish you all the luck in the world.

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.

Thanks for putting such a logical and easy to follow segment together on these steering boxes. It's helping us on the refurb of our project car as we tackle the box. 💪

Thank you Jethro. Nothing is ever perfect. Nothing is ever finished. Perhaps this video is both. 😎

Thanks Jethro! Great info! Thank you for sharing!

Like a guided meditation for engineers....Bliss.

love watching your vids your doing a realy great job so relaxing watching you work haha

Very nice work Jethro , the proof will be in the driving...👍🏼

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 held my breath throughout the whole of the bearing face lathe work section. Great work!

Nice, loved the rant.

In the 1970s I worked on a number of Alfas prepared for racing in the U.S.A. In many instances the steering boxes had ribbing built up from weld to prevent the cracks your example has. All the Autodelta built cars I serviced had this feature. I believe there was a technical bulletin on how to add this reinforcement mentioned in the ALFA ROMEO COMPETITION REFERENCE HANDBOOK curated by Don Black. I’ve enjoyed watching your videos and it brings back many fond memories.

The end result is a mechanical work of art that was probably the last thing on the engineer's mind and is why I loved my 67 Beetle.

This video helped me rebuild my Burman box. And I’m so glad I did. The main nut was so worn. Keep this content coming and more people like me will be brave enough save an Alfa.

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!

And here I was thinking about filling my Ra28 steering box with grease!! Great video, cheers from Ireland.

Mate fantastic work and great quality video 👌

My shaft had the same bottom pitting as yours, I installed a 17mm Internal Dia 47mm OD 15mm thick tapered roller bearing in place of the old one, the rounded edge of the inner bearing opening rests against the pitted groved part of the shaft (less than optimal contact surface perhaps, but not terrible either), and it's smooth without any play, no other modifications needed

I love the squinting as you apply what seems like *a little too much* torque to the ball joint separator. We've all been there!

Great work. Nice to see you resurface that bearing area! Patience is key…

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.

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. 🙂

Cheers from California, Jethro. Excellent video. I have a spare box in my garage, I now have the knowledge to dig into it. Keep it up, I await the next videos. Love the single cylinder Hondas too. My first bike was a CB125.

Beautiful video! Thanks for sharing

Brilliant clip. Goes far beyond what I'd learned on the BB. Many many thanks

Graceful and fluid disassembly and reassembly, just like the movement of the steering after the repair.

lovely work on that worm gear… love your machinists with more experience that I have years on the planet… but at the end if the day…

Great video! Thank you so much!

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.

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.

thank you Jethro ! Another quality video !

As usual, your calm demeaner and technical expertise make for an enjoyable video. Now can you please rebuild my steering box on my 69 VW Beetle? ;)

Jethro you amaze as always with your cerebral approach to whatever challenges come up on this restoration. The quality in this video is top notch!

An excellent channel. The man is proper uncompromising top tier engineer.

Very good job .Thanks

Good job ! Congratulations from Milan ! 👍

You did a great job reconditioning that steering box.I agree the box should have oil inside and must not be packed with grease.The mechanic who had been there before you was a slap happy joker as some ball bearings were missing from some of the bearings,there were cracks in the aluminium steering box,he had packed the box with grease and the worm gear needed to be machined smooth which he hadn't done.Your attention to detail is impressive.

I just completely relax with these videos. Love them

amazing work

Oddly fascinating to watch, and a remarkable job, done very well. Keep 'em coming!

The black art of steering boxes

Great work as always, Jethro. Thanks for sharing!

That steering box is huge compared to my pick up trucks.

Stunning. Insightful.

Jethro, Thanks a lot for this, I need to rebuild a ZF Steering box on my Porsche 356 and this has given me some very good idea's. Have a 916 Alfa and 156 Busso as well. Thanks from Sydney, Aus. Steve

Great work you‘ve done, always enjoy your Videos!

Nicely done! Always a pleasure to see you tackle projects such as this with absolute aplomb.

your videos and approach is probably the best out there. thank you for your time and efforts.

Always look forward to your videos, informative and narration is just right, look forward to the next one.

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.

Awesome job.

You doing amazing work 👏

Great video. I rebuilt my burman box a few years back and found the same cracks around the bolt holes during the process. At the time the billet aluminum boxes were less costly so I bought one and completed the rebuild accordingly. The result was excellent. By the way, I also decided to reinforced the attachment points for the box and the steering idler by adding 1/8 inch steel plates where the three bolts pass thru the front wheel wells. I was told this is an old trick many racers used back in the day. By doing this the opportunity for the box to flex or twist is further reduced. No issue in the last five years. I also agree with you regarding the use of oil vs grease -- not a solution only a band aid. Thankfully the new box and seals do not leak, so far.

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.

Super useful. Thank you for this resource man.

Good work❤

Great build, just rebuild the steering box on my Landrover interesting to see the differences.

Great video, clear and very useful to understand how the preload works. I'm restoring my steering box following your suggestions and your video is really an effective guide to correctly address all possible issues. Thanks for sharing information on such niche topic, it will save me time and money. Let's wait for you next video....

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.

Great video. Great work. Hope to hear that reparation was good driving.

Your videos are inspiring me to get to work, thanks from JDS in AZ usa

the longer the video the better 😍 therapeutic

WoooHoo! Saved to savour later! Thanks Jethro.