***1968 power steering pump question***
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Saskatchewan, Canada
***1968 power steering pump question***
Good day,
Can anyone look at the pictures and tell me if this is a "correct" p/s pump for my '68 L36. Does a '68 pump have a wide or narrow reservoir (where the cap screws on)??? Are there any GM numbers or date codes??? Any differences between a big and small block pump??? If someone could post a picture of a correct '68 big block p/s pump - that would be awesome.
Thanks in advance. 
Can anyone look at the pictures and tell me if this is a "correct" p/s pump for my '68 L36. Does a '68 pump have a wide or narrow reservoir (where the cap screws on)??? Are there any GM numbers or date codes??? Any differences between a big and small block pump??? If someone could post a picture of a correct '68 big block p/s pump - that would be awesome.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by bkvette3; Jul 25, 2010 at 11:26 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
At casual first glance, that looks a lot like the one in my 68 L-36, but I am mostly recognizing the black peely paint 
Plus I can't attest to the originality/correctness of mine anyway. And of course mine is well hidden under the generator. Lemme check some numbers...
If you care about this stuff you really should get the NCRS TIM & JG, but hold off, I think they are coming out with a new edition soon. 427 p/s pumps are different, "have a neck that is wider at the bottom than at the top and blends gradually into the body." The cap is black metal with raised letters: Check Oil Hot. Use Automatic transmission Fluid TYPE A. (WTF? how bout p/s fluid? ) Date code is on the cast iron portion of the pump body inside the reservoir. (Not sure if you can see it even with pump off the car. Would be interesting to check in there)
Plus I can't attest to the originality/correctness of mine anyway. And of course mine is well hidden under the generator. Lemme check some numbers...If you care about this stuff you really should get the NCRS TIM & JG, but hold off, I think they are coming out with a new edition soon. 427 p/s pumps are different, "have a neck that is wider at the bottom than at the top and blends gradually into the body." The cap is black metal with raised letters: Check Oil Hot. Use Automatic transmission Fluid TYPE A. (WTF? how bout p/s fluid?
) Date code is on the cast iron portion of the pump body inside the reservoir. (Not sure if you can see it even with pump off the car. Would be interesting to check in there)
Last edited by PRNDL; Jul 25, 2010 at 02:34 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,682
Likes: 3,135
From: Shamong, NJ
I can't say that the pump pictured is correct though. 63-74 pumps I've seen have the pipe in the back of the pump come straight out for about a half inch and then take a 90 degree turn straight down and end just short of the bottom of the pump. I would think that the pipe on that pump would position the hose incorrectly. I'm not sure the shape of the reservoir looks right on that pump either. The cap on it is correct though.
You may want to call or e-mail Lonestar Caliper about that pump. They rebuild pumps for most of the Corvette vendors and could probably confirm whether the pump is correct or not. Lonestars number is 903-829-8400, their web is www.lonestarcaliper.com.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
yep, I just quoted from the book - NCRS Technical Information and Judging Manual. It's a good reference, but not 100% foolproof. Those pics do look like mine... ok, going to the garage with camera. 
unfreaking real!!
you won't believe this... pics coming
so you know, on a BB 68 with p/s the p/s pump is practically hidden under the generator. Hard to get at, hard to see. For that reason I rarely if ever check the p/s fluid. As long as p/s works and no leaks under the car, all is good. So I go out to the garage, camera in hand to take some pics for this thread, and this is what I see:
unfreaking real!!
you won't believe this... pics comingso you know, on a BB 68 with p/s the p/s pump is practically hidden under the generator. Hard to get at, hard to see. For that reason I rarely if ever check the p/s fluid. As long as p/s works and no leaks under the car, all is good. So I go out to the garage, camera in hand to take some pics for this thread, and this is what I see:
Last edited by PRNDL; Jul 25, 2010 at 09:16 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
So thank you for this thread. I have no idea how long I was driving around with the cap off my p/s pump.
At least I had no trouble finding the cap
Good opportunity to check the cap. Based on the description above, it would appear that I have an original cap!
Very hard to get pics of the pump, now that I put the cap back on.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,719
Likes: 95
From: Saskatchewan, Canada
So thank you for this thread. I have no idea how long I was driving around with the cap off my p/s pump.
At least I had no trouble finding the cap
Good opportunity to check the cap. Based on the description above, it would appear that I have an original cap!
Very hard to get pics of the pump, now that I put the cap back on.
