I cracked my steering box in half

[375instroke]

Luckily it was cold since it sprayed all the oil on the exhaust.  Made noise like it was low, so I popped the hood, and oil was all around the box.  Cleaned it, started the motor, and oil was coming out a crack from the return line fitting to the adjuster bolt on top.  How is this possible?

[70 sublime]

Just lucky ??

I think that part with all the hose connections just bolts on to the top of the steering box
Maybe sometime in the past changing an engine it got bumped and cracked and today was your lucky day

I have a busted fitting on my project 70 Charger steering box and that is what it looks like happened before I got the car

[375instroke]

It's not the fitting.  The box is cracked from that fitting to where that big spanner nut holds the pitman shaft in.  You could see the fluid coming out the crack.

[Kern Dog]

50+ years of use and abuse, vibration, etc...

[b5blue]

I swapped to Bergman/Borgeson steering, let me know if you want a deal on my used box. 

[375instroke]

50+ years of use and abuse, vibration, etc...

Would have thought it'd be past the burn in period, and stress tested by now.  I've never heard or seen a steering box cracking like this.

[Kern Dog]

It is unusual but what if "core shift" occurs in the P/S case castings like it has in engine parts? I've seen thin spots in cylinder walls that break and fail.
It could be from some defect at the time of machining that somehow held together....until it didn't.
Mystery for sure....

[375instroke]

[b5blue]

JB Weld won't fix that!