Power Steering Pump Trouble Shooting Guide
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,772
Likes: 196
From: Asheville NC
Power Steering Pump Trouble Shooting Guide
Could any knowledgeable forum members recommend any troubling shooting guides for the power steering on my 65 L79?
It was a manual steering car and I purchased a rebuilt pump and steeriods rack and installed it myself.
I notice the steering is stiff when the car is cold but smooth when at operating temp and above 1500 rpm. I also notice the steering is stiff at idle when coasting down a hill but is easier to move if I blip the the throttle.
It acts like the pump doesn't have proper flow or it's a week pump; most noticeable at low engine rpm. I am leaning towards a new pump
Any suggestions on what pump I need and where to purchase it?
Regards,
Philip
It was a manual steering car and I purchased a rebuilt pump and steeriods rack and installed it myself.
I notice the steering is stiff when the car is cold but smooth when at operating temp and above 1500 rpm. I also notice the steering is stiff at idle when coasting down a hill but is easier to move if I blip the the throttle.
It acts like the pump doesn't have proper flow or it's a week pump; most noticeable at low engine rpm. I am leaning towards a new pump
Any suggestions on what pump I need and where to purchase it?
Regards,
Philip
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
You may indeed require a pump with more flow. However, I would like you to determine the vintage of your steeroids rack and pinion steering gear first.
When General Motors cars started to convert to rack and pinion steering (back in 1980) the first design gears had one piece, all aluminum housings. Later it was discovered that the valve part of the aluminum housing (up near the gear input shaft) would wear and cars would exhibit "morning sickness" (i.e. lack of power assist when the car was started in the morning.) After the car was warmed up, power assist would return and the car would steer fine.
Around 1987 (+ or - a year or so) the valve part of the rack and pinion housing was changed to cast iron on all GM cars. You should be able to detemine if your Steeroids gear has a cast iron valve housing with a magnet or a file. If it is aluminum, I would guess that might be the cause of your "morning sickness" complaint.
I would hope that Steeroids is very familiar with the two different vintages of GM rack and pinions (i.e. all aluminum versus aluminum with cast iron valve housings).
There is a possibility that a remanufactured all aluminum housing could have had a steel sleeve inserted into the valve end to prevent wear. I would expect that Steeroids would have addressed the problem.
Jim
When General Motors cars started to convert to rack and pinion steering (back in 1980) the first design gears had one piece, all aluminum housings. Later it was discovered that the valve part of the aluminum housing (up near the gear input shaft) would wear and cars would exhibit "morning sickness" (i.e. lack of power assist when the car was started in the morning.) After the car was warmed up, power assist would return and the car would steer fine.
Around 1987 (+ or - a year or so) the valve part of the rack and pinion housing was changed to cast iron on all GM cars. You should be able to detemine if your Steeroids gear has a cast iron valve housing with a magnet or a file. If it is aluminum, I would guess that might be the cause of your "morning sickness" complaint.
I would hope that Steeroids is very familiar with the two different vintages of GM rack and pinions (i.e. all aluminum versus aluminum with cast iron valve housings).
There is a possibility that a remanufactured all aluminum housing could have had a steel sleeve inserted into the valve end to prevent wear. I would expect that Steeroids would have addressed the problem.
Jim
