Power steering control valve leaking (74 Corvette)
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3
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From: SC
Power steering control valve leaking (74 Corvette)
I purchased a rebuilt power steering control valve from Lonestar Caliper a little over 2 years ago. Since then I have had to send it back to them to be rebuilt 2 times and now it is leaking again. Lonestar has always rebuilt it with no cost to me except for my shipping it to them. Has anyone else had this happen and what have you done to fix this issue?
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
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From: Cool Northern Michigan
Like most C3 owners, I can not justify the cost of one of those units. I could buy 400 quarts of PS fluid for what those costs. I will add some fluid every week. For a while.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
I purchased a rebuilt power steering control valve from Lonestar Caliper a little over 2 years ago. Since then I have had to send it back to them to be rebuilt 2 times and now it is leaking again. Lonestar has always rebuilt it with no cost to me except for my shipping it to them. Has anyone else had this happen and what have you done to fix this issue?
In the past...they were flawless and worked for along time without leaking. I mentioned it to them...and told them I can not do a job over and over again and have to EAT that time.
I have STOPPED buying the rebuilt units from Lone Star and I buy the new ones from them and so far they do not leak or cause me to have to deal with them.
ALSO..I have installed these new control valves from another vendor and I can say that you better be careful. Reason being I have been doing these for decades and I KNOW how the GM ones work. And in the new control valves from this vendor....when I went to 'balance' the control valve. The normal 20 minutes on the clock movement of the nut to get the rod to extend and retract was cut down to about ONE minute. So adjusting it is an EXTREMELY PRECISE and I had not wiggle room like the GM ones give.
Lone Stars new ones DO give the amount of movement on the nut so you do not have to be so precise.
DUB
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 421
From: BC
I bought 2 rebuilt Lonestar units from two different vendors here and both leaked within a month. I bought a new Lonestar unit and it has been great for over a year. Plus, the price of a new unit is the same as a rebuilt with the core charge and there is no core or core charge required on the new one.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,176
Likes: 3,992
From: Connecticut, USA
YES...it has happened to me on more than one occasion recently. I think I had three or four that were crappy. Some leaked right away.
In the past...they were flawless and worked for along time without leaking. I mentioned it to them...and told them I can not do a job over and over again and have to EAT that time.
I have STOPPED buying the rebuilt units from Lone Star and I buy the new ones from them and so far they do not leak or cause me to have to deal with them.
ALSO..I have installed these new control valves from another vendor and I can say that you better be careful. Reason being I have been doing these for decades and I KNOW how the GM ones work. And in the new control valves from this vendor....when I went to 'balance' the control valve. The normal 20 minutes on the clock movement of the nut to get the rod to extend and retract was cut down to about ONE minute. So adjusting it is an EXTREMELY PRECISE and I had not wiggle room like the GM ones give.
Lone Stars new ones DO give the amount of movement on the nut so you do not have to be so precise.
DUB
In the past...they were flawless and worked for along time without leaking. I mentioned it to them...and told them I can not do a job over and over again and have to EAT that time.
I have STOPPED buying the rebuilt units from Lone Star and I buy the new ones from them and so far they do not leak or cause me to have to deal with them.
ALSO..I have installed these new control valves from another vendor and I can say that you better be careful. Reason being I have been doing these for decades and I KNOW how the GM ones work. And in the new control valves from this vendor....when I went to 'balance' the control valve. The normal 20 minutes on the clock movement of the nut to get the rod to extend and retract was cut down to about ONE minute. So adjusting it is an EXTREMELY PRECISE and I had not wiggle room like the GM ones give.
Lone Stars new ones DO give the amount of movement on the nut so you do not have to be so precise.
DUB
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Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 216
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From: Tanunda South Australia
You are only focusing on a leaking control valve ,The Borgeson unit as I said will transform the handling of your car
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
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From: Cool Northern Michigan
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Rebuild it yourself... If you take your time, buy the correct kit... anyone can do it as long as the internal parts are in good shape.
One issue that we've seen in cores returned... The condition of the parts.
We received cores that had so many defects in the stud and cups that it wasn't funny. While the stud looked good above the boot, below it was a disaster.
Build it yourself.. here is how to do it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
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When you retire the car to your man cave someday, jamb it back on.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,164
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From: Pawleys Island, SC
This thread is depressing. I just replaced mine with a rebuilt I got directly from Lonestar. Was hoping it'd be a good long time before I had to replace it again.
Are you sure it's the valve that's leaking and it's not leaking from the fittings? That's the battle I fought for a while. Finally got them sealed up using copper gaskets.
Are you sure it's the valve that's leaking and it's not leaking from the fittings? That's the battle I fought for a while. Finally got them sealed up using copper gaskets.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
This thread is depressing. I just replaced mine with a rebuilt I got directly from Lonestar. Was hoping it'd be a good long time before I had to replace it again.
Are you sure it's the valve that's leaking and it's not leaking from the fittings? That's the battle I fought for a while. Finally got them sealed up using copper gaskets.
Are you sure it's the valve that's leaking and it's not leaking from the fittings? That's the battle I fought for a while. Finally got them sealed up using copper gaskets.
I can say that I do agree with WIllcox on rebuilding them. I used to...just like i used to rebuild brake calipers...but I do not do either any longer due to the amount of time at my labor rate makes it cost ineffective. Keeping in mind I was installing rebuilt units that worked flawlessly for a long time. But now I just put new ones on.
Now if it is a dated part and the owner wants to save it and wants me to rebuild it...then they are made aware of the costs...so there are NO surprises when I hand them the invoice.
And for what this is worth....I stopped buying the pwoer steering hose kits that are offered that are made in the USA. They never seem to be correct about 99% of the time. Mainly and the extend and retract hoses are all jacked up and are WRONG lengths and the bend radius in the steel lines...when comparing them to origianls that fit perfectly....so I buy them from Gates and so far they are correct and I do not have to modify the hoses and lines to get them to look remotely good when completed.
DUB
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
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From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
Interesting read.
i got real lucky.
Never a leak.
I did have a turning problem where
Turning right was over assisted and left
Was hard.
After many shop visits with no answer and my
Adjusting the the valve it still wanted to go right
Bought a rebuild kit and no problem since.
Never did really know why.
i got real lucky.
Never a leak.
I did have a turning problem where
Turning right was over assisted and left
Was hard.
After many shop visits with no answer and my
Adjusting the the valve it still wanted to go right
Bought a rebuild kit and no problem since.
Never did really know why.