Pinion Shaft & Spool Valve Assembly: Disassembly

1992 Ford Tempo LX, 2.3 X, StandardSECTION Disassembly
  1. Clean pinion shaft valve housing, yoke lock nut and plug, and pinion bearing plug. Mount gear in holding fixture. DO NOTΒ  remove external pressure lines unless damaged. If lines are removed, NEW Teflon seals MUST be installed.
  2. Relieve preload by loosening yoke plug lock nut and yoke plug. Remove pinion bearing plug. Install Pinion Shaft Torque Adjuster (T81P-3504-R on Escort, Tempo, Topaz and Tracer; T74P-3504-R on all others) on pinion shaft. Hold pinion shaft. Using a socket, remove and discard pinion bearing lock nut. Ensure rack does not reach full travel when loosening or tightening lock nut.
  3. Using a small, sharp chisel, pry pinion shaft dust seal out of valve housing. Ensure valve housing surface is not damaged. Remove retaining snap ring. Attach Pinion Shaft and Valve Body Puller (T86P-3504-D and T81P-3504-T for Escort, Tempo, Topaz and Tracer; T78P-3504-B for all others) to pinion shaft. Turn nut to remove valve. Pinion shaft seal and bearing should come out with valve body.
  4. Remove lower pinion shaft seal by inserting part of Lower Pinion Seal Remover (T78P-3504-E2 on RWD models or T86P-3504-F on FWD models) until it bottoms along with spacer collet.
  5. Using 2 wrenches, hold large nut and turn small nut until expander fully tightens. Using Impact Slide Hammer (T50T-100-A), pull seal remover and seal from housing. Using Puller Attachment (T58L-101-B), remove pinion bearing from gear housing.
  6. Only serviceable components of pinion shaft and valve assembly are 4 plastic "O" rings. Cut rings off, using care not to scratch valve sleeve. See Fig 1 .
Fig 1: Cutting Plastic "O" Rings From Valve
G107079Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
RENDER: 1.0x

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When to See a Mechanic

Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:

  • β€’ You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
  • β€’ Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
  • β€’ The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
  • β€’ You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
  • β€’ You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.