'71 jerky power steering
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Joined: Sep 2009
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'71 jerky power steering
I recently had my motor rebuilt. The car had been in storage for many years and I'm getting it back on the road but have some issues to work out. The car used to drive straight as an arrow but now jerks left and right requiring large inputs to correct and I'm all over the road. I feel that this is power related but am lost. Balancing valve? Power cylinder? Control valve? Looking for help...thanks to all.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
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From: Crossville TN
Sounds to me like the control valve ball-stud/spring and shuttle valve are sticking. Put the front wheels up in the air and turn the wheel back and forth...a lot...to exercise the valve. You don't have to go lock-to-lock; just a good turn to the right, then a good turn to the left and so on. The shuttle valve that sends pressure to the assist cylinder has a spring between it and the ballstud. That system needs to be operating freely for the steering to be smooth. If it got a bit rusty over the period of storage, that could cause the jerky operation. Also, make sure that the P/S fluid is not low, because a pump that has air in the system can cause jerky operation also. If you know that the control valve is original to the car and if it has a grease fitting by the ballstud, you can shoot some grease into it, as well [I understand that some of the newer rebuilt units have the grease fitting...but it doesn't really have a passage to the ball pocket].
