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Sometimes it's cool to have an all-original car, with all of the faults of a 54 year old design forced to work with modern reproductions and rebuild parts assembled by people who DGAF. But sometimes there's a better way. The Borgeson in my 79, with a fresh power steering pump, doesn't leak. The manual conversion using C3 parts in my 80 doesn't leak. I'm assuming that a fresh rack and pinion unit wouldn't leak, either. And none of these three options are going to do this:
is it a corvette only part or do other gm cars have that control valve? might find one elsewhere?
The power steering control valves used on 63-82 Corvettes were also used on 58-64 full size Chevrolet's, and 62-67 Chevy II/Nova's. The Corvette slave cylinders are similar to, but not quite the same as full size and Nova PSSC's. The end with the hose wholes is positioned differently in relation to the mounting stud, on full size slaves, and the Nova ones have one corner of the square end removed for added clearance.
The Corvette power steering system is a 60 year old design, and like the early Powerglides, they've always seemed to leak. While in high school around 70-72, I worked in a gas station and saw plenty of leaking Nova and full size control valves and slave cylinders. I seem to remember that we did a lot more slave cylinders, mainly because the seals were often damaged, or the shafts scored, by dirt or other debris, getting in the seal.
Sometimes it's cool to have an all-original car, with all of the faults of a 54 year old design forced to work with modern reproductions and rebuild parts assembled by people who DGAF. But sometimes there's a better way. The Borgeson in my 79, with a fresh power steering pump, doesn't leak. The manual conversion using C3 parts in my 80 doesn't leak. I'm assuming that a fresh rack and pinion unit wouldn't leak, either. And none of these three options are going to do this:
Fix it right, fix it once, and never look back.
That part was originally bolted to the frame. Looks to me like someone got too excited with a welder and caused the problem.
Corvette America list new units (1999) for $226.99.
That is where my "new" valve came from. Normally I expect better quality from them
Originally Posted by 7T1vette
IMO, the seals in the rebuild kits are not the problem. They seal just fine (10 years on mine and NO LEAKS). The problem is installing them without cutting/damaging them and/or correctly installing them. Even builders of "new" stuff [apparently] do not test their parts: WE test their parts. And a significant percentage of them fail.
Poor assembly work probably accounts for the largest percentage of early new & rebuilt control valve problems, as well as for most 'owner' rebuilds. But, I suspect that the owner failure rate is LESS than the rebuilt failure rate.
Or you can throw more than 1000 dollars at it and buy a Borgeson box....which isn't really any "better" than what you have now (except in the case of new build quality). For the HUGE difference in expenditure, I would choose to throw 20 bucks at a rebuild kit for my C/V and "take my chances". I did just that and have been happy with the results for more than a decade.
I agree. I rebuilt a valve and damaged a seal putting it together. Got lazy and installed a new valve which leaked worse than the one i rebuilt. Installing a Borgeson box here would mean lots of extra certification costs and would end up at something like a $2000 job, and that's if you do it yourself.
I went through both the Service Manual and the Unit Repair Manual with no luck for the bolts connecting Valve To Adapter assembly.
The chart interpon posted will work just fine, just make note if the bolts are plain or plated.
I did learn something new though, now I know what the C stamp means...lol
Thanks. My car is a 76. I have the 74 manual and there is no mention of the halves/torque, at all. I believe the bolts are 1/2". According to the torque tightening chart, I believe 57 - 70 ft lbs. may be reasonable. I'd be a little nervous going any higher; I may post in the performance section to see if I get any other feedback. Thanks.
Thanks. My car is a 76. I have the 74 manual and there is no mention of the halves/torque, at all. I believe the bolts are 1/2". According to the torque tightening chart, I believe 57 - 70 ft lbs. may be reasonable. I'd be a little nervous going any higher; I may post in the performance section to see if I get any other feedback. Thanks.
I don’t think I’d wanna go that high, 35 ftlbs or so sounds familiar to me. Put some blue loctite on the threads if you’re concerned about it coming apart.
I don’t think I’d wanna go that high, 35 ftlbs or so sounds familiar to me. Put some blue loctite on the threads if you’re concerned about it coming apart.
Yea, even 50 ftlbs sounds a bit high for that little unit; I will take your advice and go around 35ftlbs and locite it. Thanks.
