Steering box adjustment

When I was driving the car to see what was going to happen I was surprised that my toe adjustment seemed o k. About 1/8 toe in. It tracked straight at the low speed, no more than 50 yet. BUT..there was a lot of play in the box ( I knew it) so, back up in the air, Loosen the nut and turn in the slotted screw. A lot. Took out most of the play...will see when I go out next. I know I need a new box, it's a 60's gm thing. Will look at a vega or mustang with the pitman pointing up. Want the drag link level as much as it can be. I think about everything on this car is in need of replacement except the body and upholstery. Maybe the frame but, I think maybe some surgery. Oh well I don't want this to be another unfinished car to go on the market. Gotta see it through.

They say to adjust that screw on the side of the box a 1/4 turn at a time , I have a new Corvair box and still had to adjust it , plus I had problems when I got it wasn't the same exact size, only off a flat washer size but made the box bind . So after fooling with it removing it and it worked perfectly on the bench I did some measurements and just that small made a difference

Try this from Clark's Corvair Parts


Steering Box Adjusting
This is from the 1965 Shop Manual
and is easier than the 1961.
Before attempting steering gear adjustments in an
attempt to correct such conditions as shimmy, loose or
hard steering, or road shocks, make a careful check of
front end alignment, shock absorbers, wheel balance
and tire pressure for possible causes.
Correct adjustment of the steering gear is very
important. Only two adjustments are possible but they
must be made in the following manner, step by step, in
the order given. The lash adjusting screw is accessible
through the trunk compartment floor pan plug.
1. Remove pitman arm nut and lock washer and,
using Tool J-6627, pull pitman arm from pitman
shaft (fig. 3).
2. Loosen pitman shaft lash adjuster screw locknut
(fig. 4) and turn the lash adjuster screw a few
turns counter-clockwise to remove overcenter load
(increase lash). Gently turn the wheel in one
direction until stopped by gear and then back off
one turn of the steering wheel.
CAUTION: Do not turn the wheel hard against the
stops when the pitman arm is disconnected since
this may damage the ball guides.
3. Pry off the horn button. Using a suitable size
socket and a low reading (in. lbs.) torque wrench
on the steering shaft nut, measure the torque
needed to keep the wheel in motion. This should
be between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 in. lbs. If the torque
does not fall within these limits, adjustment of the
worm bearing is necessary.
4. To adjust the worm bearings (See Figure 1): loosen
the worm bearing adjuster locknut and turn worm
bearing adjuster down until there is no perceptible
end play in worm. Check the pull at the torque
wrench, readjusting the adjuster nut as necessary
to obtain proper pull. Tighten the locknut and
recheck pull. If the gear feels "lumpy" after worm
bearing adjustment, the bearings are probably
damaged and the gear should be removed and
disassembled for replacement of the damaged
parts. See "Service Operations''.
5. After proper worm adjustment is obtained, and all
mounting bolts are securely tightened, adjust the
lash adjuster screw (fig. 4). First turn the steering
wheel gently from one stop all the way to the other,
counting the total number of turns. Then turn the
wheel back exactly half way to the center position.
The mark on the steering shaft should be at the
2 o'clock position. Turn the lash adjuster screw
clockwise to take out all lash in the gear teeth,
then tighten the locknut. Check the highest torque
needed to turn the wheel through the center
position (fig. 5). Torque should be between 8 and
10 in. lbs. in excess of worm bearing preload,
but not more than a total of 14 in. lbs. Readjust if
necessary to obtain proper pull.
6. Tighten locknut and recheck. Torque must lie
between the specified limits.
NOTE: Always make the final lash adjustment in
the clockwise direction.
7. Reassemble pitman arm to pitman shaft, first
making sure that wheels are straight ahead and
that the steering wh

The missing words in the above post are "wheel and gear are centered."

I got your back Bruce!

Lizzy came with a reverse Corvair when I got her.
I took the lock nut and adjuster off (but not the cover end), pulled out the worm gear and inspected it (the bevels were still sharp), cleaned all the pieces, and flushed the inside with Gumout (the grease inside was so old part of it had turned to liquid)
Guess I was lucky since the worm gear and the rest showed almost no signs of wear, so I didn't bother with a rebuild kit.
A 1/4 cup of AT-205 (I love this stuff...) left in the case overnight to soak made sure the original end seal swelled up tight.
I packed it full of molybdenum grease before reassembly.
It felt tight after the rebuild, but after installing it and putting the front on jackstands, I felt about 4 inches of play in the wheel... too much.
I just loosened the adjuster nut, gently tightened the screw about an 1/8th of a turn, then tightened up the nut again. I did this 3 times, each time the play got less and less.
3rd time was a charm.
There is almost no play now and she tracks straight as an arrow.
I also wanted my drag link parallel, so I put the pitman arm straight up. (Had to "adjust" my step bracing a bit, but it works just fine.)
Steering is plenty tight so I don't feel antsy at 80 mph...

What’s the round thing sticking out under the drag link?

A siren... a guilty pleasure that I got at a swap meet.
It's not super loud, but it sounds just like the old-timey police cars on tv.

That's cool. More noise. I like it!