Power steering valve fitting ?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Trumbull CT
Power steering valve fitting ?
While changing the power steering hoses on my 77 to repair a leak I ran into a problem. The tapped hole in the valve for the retract hose does not have a cone in the bottom that will match the flare of the hose. When I put the hose on and tighten it all the way the hose just spun freely. I checked the other tapped holes and they all have to cone in the bottom that you would expect and the hoses go on correctly. The bottom of this hole is not exactly flat either it has a slight counter sink to it. Is there a washer or spacer that has the cone in it that should go in this hole first. It would make sense since the valve body is cast to use a hard insert to meet the flare but nobdy seems to know what I am talking about. Anybody have any ideas?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 112
From: Saginaw Michigan
All of the ports in the valve, assist cylinder, and the pump should have brass 45 degree flare seats in them. I guess that I don't understand how just replacing your hoses, that suddenly the seat in one of the valve ports comes up missing. The hose that was in that port previously should have been leaking a tremendous amount of fluid if the seat was missing.
That being said, I am not sure where you can get replacement seats.
You might try one the Vette suppliers that offers rebuilt control valves (Zip Products, Vette Brakes & Products, Inc, etc). I would contact their tech section. That supplier might be able to sell you a seat out of courtesy. They should be installing new seats in any rebuilt valve that they sell.
Jim
That being said, I am not sure where you can get replacement seats.
You might try one the Vette suppliers that offers rebuilt control valves (Zip Products, Vette Brakes & Products, Inc, etc). I would contact their tech section. That supplier might be able to sell you a seat out of courtesy. They should be installing new seats in any rebuilt valve that they sell.
Jim
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Trumbull CT
Thanks because I think I'm screwed. I talked to one of my tool makers and he believes it is an insert that they pressed in when they machined the casting. It would be too difficult to try to turn the housing on a lathe or even burn the shape into the bottom of the tapped hole. Iv'e got a funny feeling I am going to have to buy a whole new housing or try to get one of the inserts out of the other holes and turn a new one. If it wasn't for this hang up I would have been done with the whole project in about an hour. Since I'm stuck I cleaned the pump and bracket up and geve them a new paint job.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Trumbull CT
Thanks for the verification on my thoughts about the seats. The bushing was frozen on the valve housing and I had to take it off to get the bushing to turn. When I looked at the flare it had compression marks on the very end only and not on the center of the bell. I'm pretty sure these hoses are original so I guess the original assemblers just got lucky. Thanks for the leads on possible replacements too.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,084
Likes: 1
From: Aussie expat in Saudi Arabia
Originally Posted by Jim Shea
All of the ports in the valve, assist cylinder, and the pump should have brass 45 degree flare seats in them...
Jim
Jim
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 112
From: Saginaw Michigan
The inserts in the control valve are similar to the posted picture but they are even more straight forward (no seals). This cutaway of the valve shows the general shape of one of the inserts that is located in one of the ports that feeds the assist cylinder.
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...lveCutaway.doc
Jim
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...lveCutaway.doc
Jim
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,084
Likes: 1
From: Aussie expat in Saudi Arabia
Wilcox have a Power Steering Control Valve Rebuilding Kit. It doesn't show a picture but I'm sure if you PM'd Wilcox, he'd soon tell you if the seat was part of the kit...
http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...oducts_id=1014
http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...oducts_id=1014
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Trumbull CT
I'm in touch with a power steering pump manufacturer in CA and they seemed to know exactly what I was talking about. I re-installed the power steering pump and ran the lines that I could last night but now I am stuck with one tire off and the car on jack stands. I cleaned everything up and got a good look into the port and I am definately missing the seat. I just hope to God they don't have to be pressed in or anything else more complicated than a soft punch and a hammer.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Trumbull CT
Talk about a long way home but I think I am finally there. I found out that there were a few different size seats made for this housing depending on who made it. I tried getting one of the seats out but that wasn't going to happen without screwing it up so I measured the hole dimensions and was going to make one when a freind of mine at work told me he had an old distributor valve out of a Chevy truck as old as my vete and I could have it. I had to cut the seats out but their O.D. was .005" bigger then the hole they were supposed to go in. That was way too much for a .250" hole fit so I took them down .003" and pressed the best looking one in with the old flare bushing. So far so good. Tonight I will put it all back together with the new hoses and fire it up to check for leaks. I figure this little trick is pretty low on the Bubba scale but then again I was leaking so much fluid watch it was the seal on my power steering pump and not the hoses at all.