Power Steering Valve Adjustment
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 59
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From: Fayetteville TN
Power Steering Valve Adjustment
Over this past weekend my son and I rebuilt the ps pump, valve and cylinder and replaced all hoses. After the rebuild it is harder to steer to the left than the right. We balanced the valve after install, so I think it is just a quarter turn or so off from center. If turning the adjusting nut clockwise extends the cylinder and turns the wheels to the left, which direction do I need to turn the adjusting nut to get back to center?
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 601
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From: Nottingham
Your best method is to do this with the power cyl unbolted from the bracket on the chassis. Without the "weight" of the steering gear on the ram, it's possible to make finer adjustments. With the engine running, slowly turn the nut until the ram starts to move in or out. At that point, start turning back the other way, counting the amount of turns, until the ram changes direction again. Then, wind the nut back exactly half the amount of turns you counted just now. The ram should be stationary and the the system should then be balanced. If you search the archives at corvettefaq.com, there are many papers by Jim Shea over there, that outline the procedure.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
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From: Macon, GA
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 59
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From: Fayetteville TN
We adjusted the valve as per the guidance on corvettefaq and I thought that I had it centered. I'm just trying to tweak the adjustment now without having to put it back up on jack stands. If it turns harder to the left, and turning the adjusting nut on the valve clockwise extends the cylinder, which way do I turn the adjusting nut to get back to center?
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 601
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From: Nottingham
Ah, see what you mean now, sorry!
Well, i can't vouch for that method, (that is "tweaking it" while on its wheels) because I've not done it, and some might say you should get it back up the axle stands to do it again "by the book", but there's no reason why you shouldn't try it your way!
My logic on this is as follows:
It's turning harder to the left, which means there is more resistance to movement when the cylinder's *extending*. That to me would suggest that the valve is set up so the cylinder is on the verge of *retracting*, and that you therefore need to give the nut a slight *clockwise* turn, (given what you say about the clockwise turn acting to push the cylinder out - you've still got this fresh in your head from the service manual, I wouldn't have remembered it myself!)
That's based purely on my "logic" of how the system works, I've seen no actual documents on which direction of the screw affects which turn stroke....
After all, if you give it a quarter turn one way and it gets worse, give it a half turn the other and it should be bang on...
Well, i can't vouch for that method, (that is "tweaking it" while on its wheels) because I've not done it, and some might say you should get it back up the axle stands to do it again "by the book", but there's no reason why you shouldn't try it your way!
My logic on this is as follows:
It's turning harder to the left, which means there is more resistance to movement when the cylinder's *extending*. That to me would suggest that the valve is set up so the cylinder is on the verge of *retracting*, and that you therefore need to give the nut a slight *clockwise* turn, (given what you say about the clockwise turn acting to push the cylinder out - you've still got this fresh in your head from the service manual, I wouldn't have remembered it myself!)
That's based purely on my "logic" of how the system works, I've seen no actual documents on which direction of the screw affects which turn stroke....
After all, if you give it a quarter turn one way and it gets worse, give it a half turn the other and it should be bang on...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Originally Posted by theoUK
After all, if you give it a quarter turn one way and it gets worse, give it a half turn the other and it should be bang on...
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
Originally Posted by Apache61
After the rebuild it is harder to steer to the left than the right.
It sounds like something inside the control valve is not operating properly, causing there to be less resistance turning in one direction than the other.
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