1982 owner, got a good leak in the power steering system. Im certain I have a leak in the slave cylinder, and I have another on one of the top hoses but I haven't narrowed that one down. Anyway, for the slave cylinder, does anyone have any good suggestions for a cheap rebuild kit? Don't wanna spend hundreds on a new one or a conversion.

 

I’ve seen rebuilt ones leak.
I know you don’t want to spend hundreds….but…you’ll be very glad you did.
i installed a Borgeson steering box on my 74 and it got rid of all the problem areas in the ancient steering system on our cars.
Just an opinion.
I bought my setup on fleabay for a steal for $600+.. Installation was a breeze with my engine out for my resto.
Best of luck!

 

<cough> Borgeson Conversion </cough>

I think the trick to the rebuild kit isn't so much who makes it, but taking care to assemble it, especially getting the lip seal just right. Watch some videos before you do it. I think Willcox may have a good one.

That said, after fighting the leaks for a while, including replacing every hose at least once, and still having leaks, I pulled the stock stuff out of both cars. I have a Borgeson system in the 79, and factory manual steering in the 80.

 

Buy the rebuild kits, watch the videos and diy.

 

Thank you all. See, I understand that conversion is the way to go, problem is I don't got conversion money right now. Soon I will, but for the next few months I just wanna drive this thing. What about the power steering fluids with the stop leak, anyone have luck with those? I saw one post here about it claiming it works, idk if it would cause more damage tho.

 

Pics of cylinder piston? They say if chrome worn replace it…

 

 

is this the factory unit? I see rebuild products for Edelman units, not sure if they will work for this one. Willcox is down right now.

 

If you are going to save up for a Borgeson conversion soon, you should really use a new/rebuilt pump anyway. So you'll be using none of your current steering system.

At that point, what does it matter if you damage the existing garbage? Send It with Stop Leak!

EDIT: Zip has the kits. Cylinder kits, too.
Can you get someone to spot you $750 for the Borgeson kit? I hate fixing things twice. I hate fixing things right before I KNOW I'm going to replace them even more.

https://www.zip-corvette.com/63-82-p...build-kit.html

 

Also, spray some degreaser on there to see where the leak is coming from. Keep it away from your alternator, but most of the engine can get wet. I use spray cans for the thick stuff, and diluted Simple Green in my pressure washer for the rest. Be sure to soap and rinse really well after, and don't get the degreaser on paint, or leave it on anything with a finish you care about.

 

I've had mine many, many years. once I rebuilt my ram. the second time it blew, years later, I put in a new one.
Don't believe the Borgeston crap. Read all the threads on here about the installation trouble people have with them.
the factory system works fine. A new hose kit and a kit for your Ram will buy you years.
I run the factory system. it works great. Yes hoses age. so do pumps. But the Borgeston setup still has hoses. Still has a pump. And years from now. Will you still get Corvette parts?. I'm betting yes. Years from now will you get parts for a aftermarket setup???

 

I rebuilt mine. A small leak began so I used Lucas ps stop leak stuff. The leak kept leaking and Lucas kept being added. I finally decided to fix the leak. There were small cracks in the ps hose from pump to pscv. Bought hose from NAPA. No more leaks and the rebuild of the pscv and ram still leak free after 5 years. Borgeson is like electric fans, just not needed but its your money.

 

You need to protrude the hydraulic rod out a little to see if the chrome is worn. It wears at the most movement location ...which is right in the middle of your steering (as you go down the road). It can wear 'thin' too, you don't necessarily need chips.

Also, check the hoses and the return hose on your pump. That could be leaking down onto the cylinder. And it's an easy fix of tightening up the clamp, or shortening up the hose an inch. If your rod looks really good, not chips or rock chips on it, keep it and replace the seals. Like I've said before, on a good rod, and a good seal it shouldn't leak. My skid steer rams leaked (a lot) when I got it (used). After I rebuild the cylinders years ago, they haven't leaked a drop. And those rams are a lot longer, contain way more fluid, and the seals are at the bottom (of a vertically mounted cylinder) ...so there's a lot more oil pressure on them.

A buddy of mine just completed a borgeson conversion. He was looking for power steering. His steering isn't any 'tighter' now, but it was an install from hell. Took a lot of work to complete (but he had headers too). The saginaw style p/s borgeson box is quite a bit larger. He wishes he'd have just put on a ram and saved a lot of money and time. Not saying it's not worthwhile, but with the manual/assist setup you get the tightness of a manual steering box and the ease of the assist. Unless your steering box is really loose (worn) you'd have to go with a rack-n-pinion system to improve it. And even if your steering box IS worn ...it's usually the lower bushing and the upper bearings that wear the most (part of the kit). It's an easy rebuild (or $350 to have rebuilt by a guy who knows his stuff). But with not a whole lot of money, you could rebuild your own steering box, if you have decent mechanical skills .

Steering is like other parts of a C3, they do wear down after many years, and with some attention they can work great for another 20.

 

Awesome thank you all. I’m gonna source the leaks today. Where did y’all get ur rebuild kits from?

 

Zip Corvette