[Healeys] steering box worm gear question

[richard mayor]

Greetings Listmates,  I have a question for the group regarding early 3000
steering boxes. I have one box where a previous owner cut off the worm
gear/steering shaft about 5 inches above the box.  The part # is 16097 9 58. I
have a donor shaft that has a part # of 16097 11 59. The donor worm
gear/steering shaft seems to work OK as I do a bench assembly. However, I have
learned from past experience that working smooth on the bench is not the same
as working smooth under load in the car. Does anyone know what these part
numbers mean? The first 5 numbers are the same - but the last 3 are different.
Is this a distinction without a difference?
 Richard Mayor

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