TheGreek!

There is a bunch of slop in the steering on my '69, it's coming from where the pitman arm connects at the power steering control valve. Is there any way to adjust the slop out of the control valve? All of the rest of the steering components are tight except where the pitman arm connects at the valve. I've never worked with one of these before (this is my first corvette), I don't don't anything about the power steering control valve. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

gerry72

If the engine wasn't running when you made this observation, then what you're seeing is very likely normal. The slop is taken out of the valve once it comes under hydraulic pressure. There is a very slight slop with the system pressurized since it's the movement of the ball stud in the valve socket that affects spool valve movement directing which side of the ram sees pressure. Instead of observing the ball stud, note the movement in the tires to steering wheel inputs. Tiny wheel movement back and forth should show as tiny motion at the tires. I know "tiny" and "very slight slop" are not precision terms so it can leave you wondering, but most of the occurrences of slop in the steering are going to be in the tie rods or the box itself.

Haggisbash

Don't forget to check the "rag joint" - the flexible coupling between the steering shaft and the steering box.

TheGreek!

Thanks for the info. The slop at the control valve does indeed go away when the engine is running. It turns out that the slop in my steering is in the steering box. I adjusted the box by loosening up the nut on top of it and turning in the screw but it didn't remove all the slop in the box, I'm going to have to replace it with a rebuilt box. The rest of the steering system is good including the rag connector where the steering column connects to the box. There goes another couple hundred bucks, lol...

7T1vette

You need the engine running to see how much "slop" there is in the control valve. There is a spring set in the control valve that dampens the movement. With engine OFF, there is noticeable movement in the system. With engine ON the hydraulic pressure takes up all that slack; but it needs to be that way for the power steering system to function properly.

Make sure the "slop" is not elsewhere in the system (rag joint, steering joints, steering box, etc.).