NOS Power Steering Control Valve
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 222
Likes: 11
From: Johnston, Rhode Island
NOS Power Steering Control Valve
Hello,
My power steering control valve is leaking pretty badly. I have heard numerous horror stories about rebuilt and new valves leaking. I have the opportunity to buy a 32 year old NOS GM valve. Some of the paint is worn off and the rubber boot around the bolt stud looks to have some cracking. Would the old OEM valve be better than a current new or rebuilt unit?
My power steering control valve is leaking pretty badly. I have heard numerous horror stories about rebuilt and new valves leaking. I have the opportunity to buy a 32 year old NOS GM valve. Some of the paint is worn off and the rubber boot around the bolt stud looks to have some cracking. Would the old OEM valve be better than a current new or rebuilt unit?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,226
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Unless you need your car to be 100% gold standard correct, I would go with a new replacement unit. I doubt that 99.9% of the people would know.
I don't like changing parts twice. I always go new if possible.
You might also research rebuilding your original unit yourself. I believe Wilcox has a good video and the parts are fairly cheap.
I don't like changing parts twice. I always go new if possible.
You might also research rebuilding your original unit yourself. I believe Wilcox has a good video and the parts are fairly cheap.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,443
Likes: 65
From: Wauconda IL
If the price is reasonable, I’d get the NOS valve and then get a rebuilt kit to replace the rubber bits.
Starting off with an NOS valve is way better than rolling the dice on some 40 year old rebuilt (how many times?) piece from a vendor.
Just my .02
Elm
Starting off with an NOS valve is way better than rolling the dice on some 40 year old rebuilt (how many times?) piece from a vendor.
Just my .02
Elm
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
For about $25, you can buy a rebuild kit to rebuild your present control valve. You already know that is working...it just has leaks. Most likely, the leaks are from the hoses/connections; but it could be due to internal seal wear/failure.
In any event, it works now. So, if you carefully take it apart (not brain surgery, I assure you) and keep the correct order and orientation of all the parts, you can simply swap out the 'wear' type parts and put it back together. There are repair papers available on how to do this work...if you have the basic skill set to do it.
"New" rebuilds are assembled by untrained and unskilled help (in most cases), so stay away from "rebuilt" assemblies. NOS control valve has very old rubber stuff inside; I would not take a chance on it working.
If you can't do this work on your (good) valve, farm the rebuild out to someone you know who CAN do it. If you clean it all up ahead of time and provide the rebuild kit, that job will only take a couple of hours...MAX. If the person has past experience doing it, should take about 30 minutes.
In any event, it works now. So, if you carefully take it apart (not brain surgery, I assure you) and keep the correct order and orientation of all the parts, you can simply swap out the 'wear' type parts and put it back together. There are repair papers available on how to do this work...if you have the basic skill set to do it.
"New" rebuilds are assembled by untrained and unskilled help (in most cases), so stay away from "rebuilt" assemblies. NOS control valve has very old rubber stuff inside; I would not take a chance on it working.
If you can't do this work on your (good) valve, farm the rebuild out to someone you know who CAN do it. If you clean it all up ahead of time and provide the rebuild kit, that job will only take a couple of hours...MAX. If the person has past experience doing it, should take about 30 minutes.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Apr 27, 2018 at 01:10 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 222
Likes: 11
From: Johnston, Rhode Island
Thank you for the replies. The NOS valve was $250 and I thought I could just swap it out. I never even thought the NOS valve would have to be rebuilt because of its age. Funny thing was everything is painted black even the plastic fitting hose covers. I wasn't sure that was how GM New valves were made.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
To say that a person who rebuilds hundreds if not thousands of PS parts is "untrained or unskilled" is rude. If there were some applicants for the job and one person rebuilds those PS control valves once every tens yrs and someone who does two an hour, guess who gets the job?
$250 is too much for that unit. You can do it yourself with satisfying results. (For a few yrs anyway).
$250 is too much for that unit. You can do it yourself with satisfying results. (For a few yrs anyway).
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 222
Likes: 11
From: Johnston, Rhode Island
To say that a person who rebuilds hundreds if not thousands of PS parts is "untrained or unskilled" is rude. If there were some applicants for the job and one person rebuilds those PS control valves once every tens yrs and someone who does two an hour, guess who gets the job?
$250 is too much for that unit. You can do it yourself with satisfying results. (For a few yrs anyway).
$250 is too much for that unit. You can do it yourself with satisfying results. (For a few yrs anyway).
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Just because someone works on these things for a long time (not sure that's the case), doesn't mean they do that work well. These rebuilders demand FAST work; they don't test them; and the 'customer' is their "test bed". In addition, the warranty seems to be: "If is doesn't work or you don't like it, bring it back and we'll give you another one just like it."
The quality level of these rebuilds is very questionable...just from the many incidents reported on this Forum--some having multiple defective "new" rebuilt control valves.
I stand by the comments made in my previous post.
The quality level of these rebuilds is very questionable...just from the many incidents reported on this Forum--some having multiple defective "new" rebuilt control valves.
I stand by the comments made in my previous post.
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Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
Just because someone works on these things for a long time (not sure that's the case), doesn't mean they do that work well. These rebuilders demand FAST work; they don't test them; and the 'customer' is their "test bed". In addition, the warranty seems to be: "If is doesn't work or you don't like it, bring it back and we'll give you another one just like it."
The quality level of these rebuilds is very questionable...just from the many incidents reported on this Forum--some having multiple defective "new" rebuilt control valves.
I stand by the comments made in my previous post.
The quality level of these rebuilds is very questionable...just from the many incidents reported on this Forum--some having multiple defective "new" rebuilt control valves.
I stand by the comments made in my previous post.
don't get me going on caliper rebuild sets, power steering seals rebuild sets, hydraulic jack rebuild seal sets that leak from day one.
so my best advice is to use tried and true rebuild kits. but don't ask me where to find them. that's a crap shoot too..
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 676
Likes: 36
From: Usa
Hello,
My power steering control valve is leaking pretty badly. I have heard numerous horror stories about rebuilt and new valves leaking. I have the opportunity to buy a 32 year old NOS GM valve. Some of the paint is worn off and the rubber boot around the bolt stud looks to have some cracking. Would the old OEM valve be better than a current new or rebuilt unit?
My power steering control valve is leaking pretty badly. I have heard numerous horror stories about rebuilt and new valves leaking. I have the opportunity to buy a 32 year old NOS GM valve. Some of the paint is worn off and the rubber boot around the bolt stud looks to have some cracking. Would the old OEM valve be better than a current new or rebuilt unit?
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
From the posts on this Forum re. that issue, folks seem to agree with that. There are only a few sources for rebuilt assemblies; but they might contract to several vendors from whom we buy. I have no real data on this, other than the many reports of early failures of purchased assemblies. (And I don't know if anyone is really manufacturing NEW control valves from scratch, anymore.)
As long as its a component which I feel comfortable taking apart and rebuilding myself, and the kits for rebuild are available, that's what I'll be doing. I don't want to take the risk of having to "do rework" on a faulty product after I've assembled it to the car!
But, some folks have done this two or three times, because nothing they've bought works like it should. The really critical aspects of rebuilding this control valve are:
1. cleaning the parts really well
2. not damaging anything as you take it apart
3. keeping the individual parts in the correct order and orientation for reassembly
4. being careful to not damage anything during reassembly
5. keeping the outside clean so that debris cannot affect the rebuilt assembly.
Those are things that I can do BETTER that any worker at a rebuilder....because it's MINE and I want it to work!
As long as its a component which I feel comfortable taking apart and rebuilding myself, and the kits for rebuild are available, that's what I'll be doing. I don't want to take the risk of having to "do rework" on a faulty product after I've assembled it to the car!
But, some folks have done this two or three times, because nothing they've bought works like it should. The really critical aspects of rebuilding this control valve are:1. cleaning the parts really well
2. not damaging anything as you take it apart
3. keeping the individual parts in the correct order and orientation for reassembly
4. being careful to not damage anything during reassembly
5. keeping the outside clean so that debris cannot affect the rebuilt assembly.
Those are things that I can do BETTER that any worker at a rebuilder....because it's MINE and I want it to work!
Last edited by 7T1vette; Apr 29, 2018 at 12:02 AM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Most of the mistakes on the new and rebuilt valves is the seal on the main piston gets cut during installation... We had some company in China soliciting us to buy their new valve and so we agreed to test one... guess what... when they assembled the new valve they cut the piston seal and this thing had more leaks than the Titanic. We removed it from the car, took it apart and found the piston seal had a slight cut in it. We installed a new seal and the thing worked like a champ... but I still won't buy them from this company... Trying to tell a customer how to fix something that is supposed to be new is not my cup of tea.
Buy the rebuild kit, take your time and follow the video anyone can rebuild their own valve. It's really that simple....
Willcox
Power Steering Cylinder Rebuid video
Buy the rebuild kit, take your time and follow the video anyone can rebuild their own valve. It's really that simple....
Willcox
Power Steering Cylinder Rebuid video
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 291
Likes: 15
From: Virginia Beach VA
I just wanted to add a bit of blasphemy to this thread... I too recently had a “new” PSCV drip ever so slightly from the dust cap post install. I’ll get around to rebuilding it properly one day, but a bit of Permatex Ultra Grey on/around the lip of the dust cap before it was tapped home was all it took to stop my minor leak for the past 5 months and counting... I used Permatex thread sealant on all the threaded fittings as well. So far so good.