[fordguy40]

Managed to go through the trans. and driveshaft a bit. First, scored a proper TH400 converter cover off eBay. Just couldn't find one of these in the local boneyards.

Next, on to find out why I couldn't get it to go into gear. Pulled the pan in the hopes that maybe the pressure regulator was stuck and cycled the valve with a long flathead. Threw a magnet in the pan for good measure, filled it with the proper amount of fluid and it gets every gear now; fluid was fresh but about an inch below the edge of the pan when I dropped it. I'm guessing that when the truck was serviced last, they couldn't keep it idling long enough to get a fluid level reading so they just filled it until it read full with the engine off, which turns out to be about two quarts less than it needs. Threw on a new dipstick tube gasket, vacuum modulator, and speedo housing seals and, for now, I have a leak-free Turbo400. Probably going to throw a shift kit in to firm up the shifts a bit.

Also rebuilt the leaky steering box and added a new rag joint. For anyone attempting this for the first time, there's an article on rebuilding the Saginaw steering boxes on fourwheelernetwork that really helps supplement the sparsely-worded instructions and line drawings in the Edelmann seal kits.

Threw in a new set of Moog u-joints, too, while I was replacing the broken driveshaft center support bearing. The ones I replaced were still in decent shape, but being able to grease the new ones is a plus.