Hey brikheads thanks for the help on the steering issue. Yesterday I removed the magnet from my reserveour dipstick (it was encrusted with very very fine metalic powder) and flushed the system using the turkey baster method....more properly the giant syringe used to slurp up 2 stroke oil for premixing. The fluid was filthy and a deep deep mahogony color. I filled the system with fresh ATF cycled pole to pole a dozen or so times and flushed it out again. After 3 fills and flushes the fluid was totally clean. I topped the level off and then went on to phase 2....I constructed an extension for my PB Blaster sprayer...I took a piece of the spray tubing off of another brand of lube can and inserted it into a 3ft length of the smallest vacuum hose that I could find. i then attached the other end of the vac hose to a long piece of stiff wire...aka a coat hanger put a 30 degree bend in the tip and bam...a great extension that allowed me to reach both Universal Joints aka steering couplers and douse them with PB blaster....I repeated the PB lube 24 hours later....followed by a spray of white grease on both joints to make the fix a bit more permanent. The creaking and groaning felt in the steering wheel (think a spanish gallion slowly rocking in the waves) which I felt in slow turns is 100% gone!....the reserevour cap still leaks a tiny bit, but I will live with that. thanks to all who helped....Happy Brick slingin