Power steering weaker after rebuild
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 805
Likes: 5
From: Naperville Illinois
Power steering weaker after rebuild
I've recently completed a front end rebuild including rebuilding my steering box, control valve, and replacing the slave cylinder (shaft was scored) and hoses. The steering effort is much greater now; there is power assist, but it's less than before.
There are no leaks. I doubt the problem is the pump because I didn't mess with it, however I have verified that the pump valve is not stuck. I've followed Jim Shea's procedure for balancing and bleeding the system.
Has anyone else experienced this? What is the likely culprit -- box, valve, cylinder, hoses? Or is it just that everything is new and tight?
Thanks for any insight
Chris
There are no leaks. I doubt the problem is the pump because I didn't mess with it, however I have verified that the pump valve is not stuck. I've followed Jim Shea's procedure for balancing and bleeding the system.
Has anyone else experienced this? What is the likely culprit -- box, valve, cylinder, hoses? Or is it just that everything is new and tight?
Thanks for any insight
Chris
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,455
Likes: 977
From: RI, Now Franklin/Nashville TN
I can tell you this much that I had my power steering box rebuilt in October 2010 by Gary Ramadei (used to be on this forum as GTR1999) and he custom rebuilt and blueprinted my OEM box for not much money and the box was perfect when it was reinstalled-same steering effort, VERY direct now with zero play. I did not change any of the other OEM steering components. So if the steering box rebuild was done correctly, the high steering effort should not be the steering box.
Last edited by jb78L-82; Sep 9, 2011 at 11:30 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I highly suspect that there is a problem with the rebuild of the control valve. If the pump was not modified (except for seals), then hydraulic pressure is still available. The only other components to impact system performance are the control valve and whether the hoses are installed correctly [or not]. If you are certain that the hoses are right, the only item left is the control valve. [The apply cylinder does not impact pressure or force generation, as long as the pressure is channeled to the internal piston. Since you state that it IS working, then the cylinder is an unlikely area of concern.]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
check jim shea's papers to confirm this, but the vette ps set up is designed to feel "heavy". i think jim refers to a valve body that requires more pressure. if you rebuilt the pump and/or the control valve with new parts, you now may have the correct parts, whereas before you may have had parts for a "normal" chevy. i'd like to hear from some of the real experts out there-which does not include me!
