Okay heres the deal. Our power assist valve is leaking .Try Lucas fix in a bottle LOL anyway. When I first try to turn the wheel it is like no power steering at all and once the car gets rolling it is to easy to steer causing the car to be all over the road and when I slow down to make a side street turn it gets hard as a rock need 2 hands to turn it. Almost feels like I'm driving a old school car with the king pins when it's all over the road. I drove my boys 69 and it handed much night and day

My question is rebuild the one thats there or replace it with something like a steeriod I hear every1 talk about ? What is the least expensive in the long run as far as quality and durability ? Will I have better wheel control with one over the other ? Where to buy parts & how much should it cost me. Please some feed back from some of you who have installed new or rebuilt your

 

This one is easy. You should be able to buy everything you need at your local parts stores. Most sell A-1 Cardone remanufactured replacement parts. And there a quality company. Personally, suggestions about off brand none original replacement parts may cause more problems for some individuals over others by not being able to fabricate from none OEM parts.......

 

I was faced with similar decision a couple of years ago - considered steeroids, jeep ps box and rebuilding stock. Went lower cost rebuild stock way, local autoparts cardone steering ram, and think got replacement hoses and new control valve from one of the corvette vendors. Works fine and for ~1/4 cost of steeroids or less.

From the sound of it, you should also consider if your ps pump is putting out enough flow / pressure.

 

Okay I'm not really a steering guy so how would I check the pressure from the PS pump

 

Try Fix a Flat.

 

really I have a jug of slime in the garage think that will work

 

For starters, put front end up on jackstands, run engine in neutral (would be exciting in a forward or reverse gear though), should be able to ensure cv is correctly adjusted (if not it will swing to one side or the other - potentially very quckly / dangerously). You can also easily look for leaks, etc. to ensure it is your cv itself vice hoses/connections (just the other day saw that my PS return hose is leaking a bit at the rubber to metal swage type connection - time for a new return hose for me!). If you can look into the PS resovoir cap w/flashlight while running (and don't get anything caught up in the belts / fan), you should see the fluid in motion, being circulated-meaning pump is functioning (not a pressure test but ensure functionality).

This is an unloaded test, but good starting point IMO. From your first post it almost sounds like you don't have any power assist (steering really hard at low speeds but better at speed). Double check all of the items involved (rag joint, upper and lower a-arm bushings, idler arms, ensure steering wheel movement relates to gearbox input, and output, shaft movements).

 

Okay I should have said from the start that when the car was on the lift I saw fluid on the power steering shaft wether it's leaking from the shaft or the valve above it I didn't notice. Could the shaft leaking be causing the prob I described?

I cant even see in the reso when its not running LOL it hard enough to get the cap and stick out. I can throw it on the lift and check it . I dont have to worry about D or R its a stick. And like I said I'm not steering guy so I'll have to look up what those parts are. I can tell you all the bushings are good as I replaced them & nothing is binding cause everything it lubed to death.

 

I'd recommend cleaning the area up rags or paper towels, ensuring the ps resovoir has fluid in it, and trying to find where the leak is (put on lift, use mirror on stick to check everything out from pump, hoses to/from valve, valve itself, hoses to/from ram, and ram itself - if no leaks seen while engine not running, fire it up and look again - have a helper turn the wheel some if necessary - should be able to find leak source). Basically if you trace the hoses from the ps resovoir (with fill cap) it will take you to the control valve, and from there to the ram. Not too much work and could save you from replacing wrong part(s).

I think a bad ram could cause the symptoms you describe, but so could a bad control valve - or badly leaking hose/fittings or a pump that isn't pumping (I suspect cv or ram).

Your comment about the car being all over the road when moving - I'd also check your steering gearbox - easy to do - have someone move steering wheel, watch shaft going into the box (rag joint between box and steering wheel shaft) and the steering output shaft movement. The steering boxes also have tendency to have the lube dry out (other posts on this - search on steering gearbox lube).

Re best steering - a rack and pinion (like steeroids) technically best, but parts cost > $1000, install a bit more complex than replacing stock parts, and not sure of fitment issues with a big block. Stock ps properly working is acceptable IMO and replacement parts relatively inexpensive and readily available.

 

i am having the same problem right now.
PS goes in and out.

i tried that lucas stuff so hopefully it keeps it going for a while. someone suggsted that it might be a stuck pressure valve in the pump and the lucas would help unstick it.

i checked all the normal parts places and a reman pump, ram, and control valve will run about 350 or so

 

Sounds like the pump to me. A customer of mine had the same problem. His "friend" at NAPA sold him a rebuilt pump, he still had the problem. Next, he bought rebuilt slave cylinder & control valve, (not NAPA this time) problem still there. Then he tried new hoses, no change. Finally, sold him a Lonestar rebuilt pump and the problem went away.

Rebuilt pumps $125.00 to 150.00, rebuilt slave cylinder and control valve about 75.00 each, new hose set 59.00. Rebuilt parts will usually require exchange or a core charge.

I doubt the steering box is the culprit. You appear to have a pressure problem, unlike other GM cars, the box in the Vette is seperate from the hydrallic system.

It could be pump, slave cylinder, control valve, hoses or a combination of any of them, but I'd look at the pump first.

 

Okay guys just got homegoing to go out gunk everything down hit it with the air compressor so it is 99% clean and free of any oils. then I'm goin g to find the leak I keep you up dated I really appreciate the help . This **** has been freaking me out cause my wife drives the car and I dont want that phone call that the car got squirrie on her and -I'm not even going to say it I might jinx myself

 

Okay went outside filled the reso to the rim so I could see the fluid movement better> No movement .Was it to full to see it move?

Cleaned off all the grime and fluid off everything lifted the car started it let it run for 15 minutes turned the wheel back and forth a few times couldnt find a leak. However I did find the 2 lines that come from the back of the reso had problems. 1st line closest to the block was bubba'ed looks like the the hose gave way and previous owner slipped a hose over the metal end and hose clapped them. 2nd hose farthest from the block has a crack in it were passes under the fame to connect to the PS control valve.

What should I do ? Obviously I'm going to replace those 2 lines from the back of reso/pump to the PSCV. What do I do about the fluid not moving in the reso or was it just to full to see movement ?

 

I'm no ps expert, but if you are not seeing fluid movement with engine running - sure sounds like the pump as gbvette62 suspects...Sounds like a couple of new lines and good pump might fix it for ya.

 

You will not necessarily see fluid motion when you look into the reservoir. The fluid near the fill neck is generally calm. The reservoir is designed to allow some of the fluid to slow down and let air bubbles rise to the surface.

Jim

 

Okay What I can say for sure is when the car is running and I grab the line which is mounted on the back of the pump closest to the block which has a hose clap attaching it to a metal line. I can feel fluid pumping like how you can feel hydralic fluild run through a like on a bobcat. Line feels charged and it almost feels like the pump is running .It also has a slight vibration in the line like a humming.

Jim I know your a steering guru so do you think I should just disconnect the line fit it with a pressure gauge somehow and start the car ,Or is there a true way to test it I just hate to waste the $$ to replace it and the problem still persist.

PS I saw no air bubbles at the mouth of the reso while car running and I used synthetic power streering fluild not tranny fluid if it makes a difference