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Old May 23, 2002 | 04:22 PM
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Default P/S Problems

Hello ALL!
My tag is a bit off. Some of you may have remembered that my 80 was totaled by another car late last year. Well, I'm happy to say I'm back in the saddle with an 81 now and trying to rebuild the power steering. The pump works fine. My only problems were the control valve and power cylinder were leaking. New seals and hoses and they are back on the car now. My problem now is difficulty turning to the right. I have bled the system, adjusted the valve with the cylinder detachted from the frame. With the car running I can move the cylinder rod in and out by hand. Turning left is fine. The car drives straight. What am I missing? :confused:
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Old May 23, 2002 | 04:30 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

'From the land of sky blue water'

Don't remember the rest of the commercial but always wanted to drink Olympia beer as a kid. I guess they do market to kids whether they mean to or not.

Sorry can't help you but seeing Olympia made me thank of the commercial. Or was that Hamm's? Now I am :confused: !
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Old May 23, 2002 | 04:45 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

Jack the car up, both wheels off the ground, and pop the dust cover off the end of the controll valve...near the input arm from the box...has the 2 hoses on it...there is a nut inside that needs adjusted.....bet on it....and so start the engine, and I bet the wheel turns one way or another by itself...it's the ram forcing it due to an imbalance in the valve....so you turn the nut to neutralize that balance to the hydraulic cylinder....
the actual correct way is to drop the cylinder off the driver's frame rail fitting....looks like a shock absorber there.....and then set the nut for neutral balance....but being careful and lazy, I do it with it attached and go by feel...so much turns one way, through the other way, the back up till it in center....

GENE
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Old May 23, 2002 | 04:49 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (Fevre)

Hey Fevre,

I'm suprised that someone remembers Oly. I think their slogan was "It's The Water" You were close though. But the water flows through town so who knows what is in it by the time it gets to the brewery. It's a Miller Brewery now but they still make Oly.
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Old May 23, 2002 | 04:58 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

That line is from a commercial but I can't remember the rest of it or even any of what was on the screen. I do remember Hamm's had a dancing bear of some sort but not sure if that line goes with the dancing bear commercial. Like I need that useless info in my head! :lol:
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Old May 23, 2002 | 05:01 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (mrvette)

mrvette,

Sorry to say but I did that. The directions I had were to leave the cylinder rod disconnected from the frame and adjust the control valve stopping when the rod moves in, mark the nut, turn the adjusting nut the other way until it moves out, mark the nut. Locate center (neutral). At this point I should be able to pull/push on the rod by hand which I am able to do. With the engine running and wheels supsended they do not move left or right (unless I turn the steering wheel) so I would guess have neutral. But when I drive the car it's difficult to turn right. The car doesn't pull.
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Old May 23, 2002 | 05:06 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

Ok I'll try the problem instead of funny stuff.

Was your wheel ever centered? The wheel may have been removed at some point and put back a tooth or two off or it may have been the rag joint was replaced and put back a tooth or two off.

From the land of.... Damn now that song is in my head! :crazy:
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Old May 23, 2002 | 05:13 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

8T, ok, did you check the turn signal cancell switch that it cancells the signal in the same number of degrees to the right and the left fron center square up position on the wheel??? in other words, is the column aligned correctly to the box, and after that.....further down the line...
are the wheels aligned straight ahead then the wheel/column is pointing straight ahead???
did you check you did not loose an alignment shim??? they notorious for falling out I allways glue them in place with black RTV so when the bolts come loose, the shims don't disappear.....

GENE
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Old May 23, 2002 | 05:13 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (Fevre)

Actually the car handled great before I attempted this. The only reason I wanted to rebuild the components was to get rid of the leaks which I accomplished but now I have this problem.

Could it have been Pabst Blue Ribbon? I'm not sure because we drink micro beers (with my pinky in the air) :lol:
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Old May 23, 2002 | 05:16 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

PBR me ASAP! :lol:

Might have been the Schlitz!

Or the Red White and Blue, they would have made a killing, no pun intended, off 9/11 if they where still around.
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Old May 23, 2002 | 05:23 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (mrvette)

Alignment seems to be good. The car doesn't wonder when I let go of the wheel. Steering wheel is center with the wheels straight. When driving the steering wheel returns to center after completing a turn. It's like I have power left turns and manual right turns. I haven't checked the directional cancel yet. I might add that the control valve gets pretty warm. Not scorching but enough that I notice it right away when I touch it.
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Old May 23, 2002 | 06:07 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (Fevre)

'From the land of sky blue water'Don't remember the rest of the commercial but always wanted to drink Olympia beer as a kid. !
Fevre: "From the land of sky blue water...water... from the land of pines... lofty balsm's...HAMMS THE BEER REFRESHING....HAMMS."
Sorry dude... I grew up watching that hamms bear get into trouble during the Chicago Cub games!!
Eddie
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Old May 23, 2002 | 06:14 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (Silvr77)

Did you read all the post on this in this thread? I knew it was either Hamm's or Olympia.

:yesnod: BABY!

Damn I want a beer and I'm out!
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Old May 24, 2002 | 01:07 AM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (Fevre)

Any suggestions??? I'm still stumped. I'm not sure how the control valve works so if someone would educate me maybe I can figure out what it is doing wrong and go from there.
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Old May 24, 2002 | 11:39 AM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

I would still try and rebalance the valve. A lot of people have described the exact same problem that you are having. They corrected it by balancing the valve. I would try disconnecting the cylinder from the frame and rebalancing the valve one more time.

One more thing! Count the number of turns of your steering wheel when you turn lock to lock. Now go to full lock in one direction and return exactly 1/2 the number of turns that you counted. Is your steering wheel straight? Do you go straight ahead? If not, your steering system and your gear have not been centered.


[Modified by Jim Shea, 10:43 AM 5/24/2002]
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Old May 24, 2002 | 02:39 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (Jim Shea)

I agree with Jim on this. Bet the valve isn't balanced. Unhook the rod, then start the engine, if the rod moves one way or the other, it's not properly balanced!
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Old May 24, 2002 | 08:19 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (john's '81 mouse)

Thanks guys. I really appreciate all of the GREAT advice.

I'm thinking the valve is somehow involved. I've rechecked the adjustment. I have even tried over compensating by adjusting the valve to turn right slightly and I'm still having troubles turning right. I haven't done the "lock to lock" I'll give that a shot. Is there a procedure I can do to test the pump?

Would someone explain to me how the valve works?
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Old May 24, 2002 | 11:54 PM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

Your pump just supplies oil flow and pressure. It does not know if you are turning right or left. Since your problem is only in one direction, you problem can't be the pump.
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Old May 25, 2002 | 01:39 AM
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Default Re: P/S Problems (8TSHARK)

Verify all the lines are correctly installed, I don't know if its possible to cross them, but it's worth a try. Might want to re check the work on the valve rebuild, maybe you missed something. lou
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