Below are some pictures of a disassembled steering gear from a 1980's
crown victoria
Cosmetically, this steering box was in really nice condition externally
with no noticeable rust. This steering gear is from an automotive
salvage yard located in
the arizona desert, where water is scarce and road salt is not used.
Internally, this box was a mess and the solid black fluid inside felt
sort
of like sandpaper from all of the debris in circulation.