Power steering pump alignment solved
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 695
Likes: 55
From: Palm Desert California
Power steering pump alignment solved
Hey; thought I would let everyone know the outcome of my mis-aligned P/S pump. After buying a pump from NAPA and then comparing old and new, (both were the same and would not align), I finally bought a pump and pulley from Ecklers. When the they arrived the pump was dented, paint was scraped off and the return tube was at a different angle interfering with the tensioning bracket, it looked like it had just been pulled off a thirty year old car, put in a box and shipped, no good. The pulley was cast iron with three spokes, different from my stamped steel pulley that my restoration book said was correct for an L82. I fit the pulley on my NAPA pump and knew it was right when it measured 3/16ths closer to the pump body, the same amount my old pump was out of alignment. I can only assume now that since I have owned the car (18 months) this has been misaligned all along and I just missed it until I removed the pump and installed another. Needless to say the pump is on it's way back to Ecklers at their expense. Paragon catalog states that the cast three spoke pulley is correct for all 69-74 350 c.i. without A/C which is what I have. So much for restoration guides, as Reagan used to say "Trust but Verify" . Glad to put this one behind me. 115 degrees here in the desert, not fun working in the garage. Thanks for all the replies.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
When I did my Borgeson kit the PS pump return hose fitting was at a bad angle... a few careful visits from the torch and some channel locks fixed that. The pump was otherwise beautiful though.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 695
Likes: 55
From: Palm Desert California
Hey; thought I would let everyone know the outcome of my mis-aligned P/S pump. After buying a pump from NAPA and then comparing old and new, (both were the same and would not align), I finally bought a pump and pulley from Ecklers. When the they arrived the pump was dented, paint was scraped off and the return tube was at a different angle interfering with the tensioning bracket, it looked like it had just been pulled off a thirty year old car, put in a box and shipped, no good. The pulley was cast iron with three spokes, different from my stamped steel pulley that my restoration book said was correct for an L82. I fit the pulley on my NAPA pump and knew it was right when it measured 3/16ths closer to the pump body, the same amount my old pump was out of alignment. I can only assume now that since I have owned the car (18 months) this has been misaligned all along and I just missed it until I removed the pump and installed another. Needless to say the pump is on it's way back to Ecklers at their expense. Paragon catalog states that the cast three spoke pulley is correct for all 69-74 350 c.i. without A/C which is what I have. So much for restoration guides, as Reagan used to say "Trust but Verify" . Glad to put this one behind me. 115 degrees here in the desert, not fun working in the garage. Thanks for all the replies.
