Borgeson conversion, trouble bleeding
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 415
Likes: 10
From: Richmond Va
congrats. Nothing like a new piece not working like you thought it should. Sometimes a new set of eyes or ideas is worth its weight in gold.
Just a sidebar. I know many say not to do it, but I run a u joint I got from Speedway. I did not like the rag joint either. Many say it is a better option due to body/frame flex. I just liked the needle bearings and look of the u joint myself. No issues thus far. Only pain, is getting steering wheel to align straight when the wheels are straight. Took me 3 times of taking the entire box off to get things right.
Just a sidebar. I know many say not to do it, but I run a u joint I got from Speedway. I did not like the rag joint either. Many say it is a better option due to body/frame flex. I just liked the needle bearings and look of the u joint myself. No issues thus far. Only pain, is getting steering wheel to align straight when the wheels are straight. Took me 3 times of taking the entire box off to get things right.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,294
Likes: 1,579
From: Western NY
Today, however, there are specific fluids for P/S systems, but I wouldn't use a syn fluid as the "one size fits all" deal. While I most certainly believe in the benefits of syn fluids, my 05 GMC likes it, my '01 Corvette likes it, but my '96 Z-28 doesn't.....the Z-28's pump squeals when I put syn fluid in it. I had to flush the syn fluid out, and put the "regular" fluid back in.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Fairfield California
Yea If I had it to do over I would at least try the U joint, it would have been easy to install when I had the engine bay empty. But I had not anticipated the header clearance issue and stuck with the rag joint. Now that everything is back in the engine bay I really don't feel like wrestling with everything in that cramped space to install a U joint and align it properly. Gave it the old hammer of thor treatment today and now I have plenty of space.
Unfortunately now my new pretty ceramic headers have a big dent in them. But I built this thing to be driven and enjoyed, not to show off and never drive. Now I just have to sort out the EFI....
Unfortunately now my new pretty ceramic headers have a big dent in them. But I built this thing to be driven and enjoyed, not to show off and never drive. Now I just have to sort out the EFI....
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
I'm old enough to remember when ATF was the universal P/S fluid....
Today, however, there are specific fluids for P/S systems, but I wouldn't use a syn fluid as the "one size fits all" deal. While I most certainly believe in the benefits of syn fluids, my 05 GMC likes it, my '01 Corvette likes it, but my '96 Z-28 doesn't.....the Z-28's pump squeals when I put syn fluid in it. I had to flush the syn fluid out, and put the "regular" fluid back in.
Today, however, there are specific fluids for P/S systems, but I wouldn't use a syn fluid as the "one size fits all" deal. While I most certainly believe in the benefits of syn fluids, my 05 GMC likes it, my '01 Corvette likes it, but my '96 Z-28 doesn't.....the Z-28's pump squeals when I put syn fluid in it. I had to flush the syn fluid out, and put the "regular" fluid back in.
I've got over 300,000 miles on Saginaw "p" pumps with no issues.
Texaco has a really good one (they might supply GM) and revered as good as the Pentosin fluids (used by most of the global OEMs).
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
How's it going?
Yea If I had it to do over I would at least try the U joint, it would have been easy to install when I had the engine bay empty. But I had not anticipated the header clearance issue and stuck with the rag joint. Now that everything is back in the engine bay I really don't feel like wrestling with everything in that cramped space to install a U joint and align it properly. Gave it the old hammer of thor treatment today and now I have plenty of space. Unfortunately now my new pretty ceramic headers have a big dent in them. But I built this thing to be driven and enjoyed, not to show off and never drive. Now I just have to sort out the EFI....
Unfortunately now my new pretty ceramic headers have a big dent in them. But I built this thing to be driven and enjoyed, not to show off and never drive. Now I just have to sort out the EFI....Is everything all right now? Is the car steering well? Any problems with squealing or aerated fluid?
Regards from Down Under.
aussiejohn
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
Likes: 17
From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Just finished my borgeson install last night and wheels are back on the ground. Glad I read this thread as a reminder to check for air bubbles and to bleed the system. Can't wait to get the car running with the new steering and front suspension.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 112
From: Saginaw Michigan
Changing or installing an integral power steering gear (like a Saginaw or the Borgeson) is the most difficult component to get all of the air out of the system. (Because the gear is the furthest component from the pump reservoir where the fluid is being added.)
Even car assembly plants that had "evacuate and fill" systems (drawing a very high vacuum on the system and then filling with an exact quantity of fluid) had difficulty with trapped air inside the steering gear. For this reason, Saginaw shipped the steering gear already prefilled with power steering fluid. Therefore the car assembly plant did not have to try and extract trapped air from the furthest reaches of the power steering system as part of their fill procedure.
Jim
Even car assembly plants that had "evacuate and fill" systems (drawing a very high vacuum on the system and then filling with an exact quantity of fluid) had difficulty with trapped air inside the steering gear. For this reason, Saginaw shipped the steering gear already prefilled with power steering fluid. Therefore the car assembly plant did not have to try and extract trapped air from the furthest reaches of the power steering system as part of their fill procedure.
Jim
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