Power Steering took a dump
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
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From: Washington DC
Power Steering took a dump
I fired up my vette this morning after it sat for a few days and the power assist in the steering is totally gone. It seems to be still drivable (just a pain to park). Is there anything I can do to tell what the problem is? I image the PS Pump died, can I tap it with a hammer or something or does that only work on starters? 
Will I hurt anything driving it without the power assist for a while?
Will I hurt anything driving it without the power assist for a while?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
From: Washington DC
Still don't see it, maybe builder moved it? Photos attached...
Driver's side of bay
Under the plug wires there was some sort of fluid, on the morot close to where the transmission and engine hook up, not sure if any of the PS hoses run past here?
An unconnected hose
Driver's side of bay
Under the plug wires there was some sort of fluid, on the morot close to where the transmission and engine hook up, not sure if any of the PS hoses run past here?
An unconnected hose
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
From: Washington DC
I got a leak somewhere, didn't know the reservoir was ON the pump, used to the external tank. Put a half bottle of PS fluid in it, drove it in a circle, the steering responded normally, and left a little circular trail. Thanks for the help!
Yup it was under the alternator, with like 1cm of clearance before it hit the arm the alternator was on, so I had to get one of the long funnels to put some fluid in it.
Yup it was under the alternator, with like 1cm of clearance before it hit the arm the alternator was on, so I had to get one of the long funnels to put some fluid in it.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
The next step is to get underneath the car and find out exactly where the leak is coming from. Could be the hoses from the pump to the control valve, the control valve, the hoses from the control valve to the steering ram, or the steering ram. Once you know where the leak is you can then plan the repair.
Post some pics if you need help.
Rick B.
Post some pics if you need help.
Rick B.
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Andrew
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From: Crossville TN
Except for the difficulty of removing the P/S stuff and cleaning it up, the re-sealing of it is pretty easy. The only thing to do on the assist cylinder is to replace the outer seal and dust/dirt scraper on the ram-end and/or replace the ball-stud and seal. The inside is sealed...and since it seems to work, there is nothing to repair.
The P/S pump also seems to be working from your description. If it is not noisy, but just leaks, there is a re-seal kit that you can buy for a few bucks that has O-rings and seals for the outside connections and the pump body. Easy job.
The control valve can be rebuilt for about $30 [rebuild kit], or you can just clean it up and keep using it 'as-is'. The most likely sources of leakage are the hoses and you should buy a full set of those, regardless of what else you decide to do.
The P/S pump also seems to be working from your description. If it is not noisy, but just leaks, there is a re-seal kit that you can buy for a few bucks that has O-rings and seals for the outside connections and the pump body. Easy job.
The control valve can be rebuilt for about $30 [rebuild kit], or you can just clean it up and keep using it 'as-is'. The most likely sources of leakage are the hoses and you should buy a full set of those, regardless of what else you decide to do.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
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From: Washington DC
Problem ended being a rather large leak in one of the hoses, replaced them all, and since the alternator decided to take a dump at the same time, ended up just replacing the pump to be safe while the belt were off and it was in the air. There is a slight tug on the wheel that my mechanic thinks is a valve that is blocked, but it's not so bad that it's not drivable. Will get it fixed in the winter (I say that every year).