Power Steering Ram
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Halifax NS
Power Steering Ram
What does the power steering ram do?? I have never seen such a thing on any other car. Now the problem is that mine is leaking and I was wondering how hard it is to buy one of those rebuild kits and rebuild it myself. Getting a remanufactured unit is $90.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 7
From: LaPine Oregon
Leaking PS ram.............
The PS ram is simply the assisting arm that moves the tie rods. It gets its power from the hydraulic PS pump. The most frequent cause of leaking rams is that as the PS pump wears and the metal particles flows thru the hydraulics with the rest of the fluid and to the seals of the ram and cuts up the seals . Leak!!
So flush the entire PS system i.e. the pump, ALL the hoses , power control valve until you see no more metal. Or your new ram will suffer the same fate as the old one , guaranteed. I'm trying to remember if we used to fabricate a filter for the pressure side of the pump? It's been some years and many cars ago.
Just buy rebuilt pump and forget the hassel.
So flush the entire PS system i.e. the pump, ALL the hoses , power control valve until you see no more metal. Or your new ram will suffer the same fate as the old one , guaranteed. I'm trying to remember if we used to fabricate a filter for the pressure side of the pump? It's been some years and many cars ago.
Just buy rebuilt pump and forget the hassel.
Last edited by dieseldave56; Sep 16, 2007 at 02:24 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 112
From: Saginaw Michigan
Most likely your assist cylinder is leaking because dirt, road grime, splash from the roadway, etc caused the lip seal on the rod to wear. The part that you can see is the rod scraper. It is either metal or rubber urethane type. The rebuild kit will include the scraper and the seal behind it. The older assist cylinders had a 5 piece seal/scraper unit. Newer cylinders had 3 piece seal/scrapers. Both packages fit into any of the assist cylinder cavities.
BTW, there is a teflon seal on the piston that is inside the assist cylinder. It cannot be serviced. The assist cylinder is of welded construction and cannot be taken apart for service.
You might consider downloading some assist cylinder rebuild information located at www.corvettefaq.com
Click on Jim Shea's Steering Articles
Click on Corvette Steering Papers
Download the papers on the Assist Cylinder
It won't hurt to flush the system and replace the fluid with genuine GM power steering fluid. This fluid is available through all GM dealerships.
Don't even think about trying to cobble a filter in the high pressure side of the system. Some passenger cars have had filters in the low pressure (return) side of the system.
All GM pumps since the 70s have had a magnet inside the pump reservoir that captures fine silt like metal particles that are flushed through the system. That magnet seems to work quite well.
Jim
BTW, there is a teflon seal on the piston that is inside the assist cylinder. It cannot be serviced. The assist cylinder is of welded construction and cannot be taken apart for service.
You might consider downloading some assist cylinder rebuild information located at www.corvettefaq.com
Click on Jim Shea's Steering Articles
Click on Corvette Steering Papers
Download the papers on the Assist Cylinder
It won't hurt to flush the system and replace the fluid with genuine GM power steering fluid. This fluid is available through all GM dealerships.
Don't even think about trying to cobble a filter in the high pressure side of the system. Some passenger cars have had filters in the low pressure (return) side of the system.
All GM pumps since the 70s have had a magnet inside the pump reservoir that captures fine silt like metal particles that are flushed through the system. That magnet seems to work quite well.
Jim
Last edited by Jim Shea; Sep 16, 2007 at 09:48 AM.
