Steering Wheel Box

[KR500]

Yes, be afraid to adjust the sector. If you cause it to bind you're not going to have a good day. 
If you need to have it rebuilt I'd suggest Roger Rode at Rode's restoration in Gallion, OH.
He does great work, is reasonable and has been doing it since 1977. He did the box on my 67 500.
It's a 16:1 gear as well.
Phone:   (419) 468-5182

Why would you be afraid to adjust the sector shaft? It is an adjustment that the manufacturer provided that has a (in this case Ford) factory service adjustment procedure. If you didn't do the procedure right and it binds no big deal, do it again. You are not going to hurt the gear box unless you crank the crap out of the jack screw ( hard to do with it being a straight slot )or drive it a long time with it binding. If Ford or any other manufacturer didn't want it to be adjustable they would not have made a provision to do it or would have made it very difficult to do it and they sure as hell wouldn't publish a service procedure. In the method I described all I have done is substitute a very close value in lieu of disconnecting the steering linkage and using a torque wrench   Would you be afraid to adjust your engine valve clearance if they were adjustable? You might but that is no reason to tell any competent mechanic they shouldn't.

[Rbwiii]

I had a couple of boxes for my 68 GT 500`s restored to Concours condition, Jim at Shelby parts did them. They came back looking real nice but required adjustment.  It was what I thought was a required procedure after a rebuild. Using a very long flat head screw driver I turned the jack screw until the desired play was established. I didn't get carried away with turning the screw, you could tell the difference in the steering wheel as adjustments were made. Didn't seem to be a big deal.

[The Going Thing]

Jim doesn't do them at all. Rode does them for him.  Yes, they have to be welded and machined.

[JD]

^^^ that was my understanding too

[The Going Thing]

Yes, be afraid to adjust the sector. If you cause it to bind you're not going to have a good day. 
If you need to have it rebuilt I'd suggest Roger Rode at Rode's restoration in Gallion, OH.
He does great work, is reasonable and has been doing it since 1977. He did the box on my 67 500.
It's a 16:1 gear as well.
Phone:   (419) 468-5182

Why would you be afraid to adjust the sector shaft? It is an adjustment that the manufacturer provided that has a (in this case Ford) factory service adjustment procedure. If you didn't do the procedure right and it binds no big deal, do it again. You are not going to hurt the gear box unless you crank the crap out of the jack screw ( hard to do with it being a straight slot )or drive it a long time with it binding. If Ford or any other manufacturer didn't want it to be adjustable they would not have made a provision to do it or would have made it very difficult to do it and they sure as hell wouldn't publish a service procedure. In the method I described all I have done is substitute a very close value in lieu of disconnecting the steering linkage and using a torque wrench   Would you be afraid to adjust your engine valve clearance if they were adjustable? You might but that is no reason to tell any competent mechanic they shouldn't.

The procedure for adjustment is providing the gear is still in specification. I saw a vehicle that was adjusted that bound while in operation. The driver wrecked the vehicle.  It's not worth the risk in my opinion. If you've taken a box apart the grease is hard as a rock. The recirculating balls also are problematic.  If you're not doing a Concours box It can be new spec for about 225.00. 

[KR500]

It does not matter if the steering gear is brand new, rebuilt or used, at some point it was adjusted to the spec! Just because you know someone that was an incompetent dumb a$$ doesn't mean the rest of us are.

[The Going Thing]

If they are adjusted after a certain point of wear they bind. You don't have to be a dumb ass.

[TLea]

You don't have to be a dumb ass.

Exactly. You don't