power steering relay rod
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 571
Likes: 101
From: Texas
power steering relay rod
Guys help me out on this, trying to narrow it down to problem. Okay I replaced the power steering pump with one from Top Flight, replaced control valve with one from AutoZ, left the original relay rod on it. With the car off the ground and 21 onces of pw fluid in pump I started turning steering wheel left to right for about 15 turns. I put it back to the ground and gave up on working on it for the week. A week later I pick it up again and try to turn steering wheel left to right with car off another 15 times to get air out of lines, this time it doesn't let me turn all the way to the right. Could the relay rod be messed up? I know it can't be the pump or the control valve since they are new and car has not been turned on. What do you all think?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,755
Likes: 1,643
From: Fairfax Virginia
If there is no binding of any kind then the prime suspect would be AIR. On my 1968 C3 it took way more than 15 turns back and forth on the ground so I jacked the car's nose up and did the 15 turns back and forth with the wheels off the ground and that helped a little more. I had the engine running while I had it in the air. Then with a little driving the steering system was back to normal.
Another possibility is that the steering box or other components were not centered as it was re-assembled.
I finally got tired of messing with the system and replaced it with a Steeroids Rack and Pinion which really makes the steering work very nicely. I am still toying with removing all the hydraulic pump and other parts of the power steering and installing a Electric Power Steering like the newer cars have. I like the power feature but having all those parts seems a bit excessive. With a Big block one is always looking for ways to reduce the weight on the front tires anyway.
Another possibility is that the steering box or other components were not centered as it was re-assembled.
I finally got tired of messing with the system and replaced it with a Steeroids Rack and Pinion which really makes the steering work very nicely. I am still toying with removing all the hydraulic pump and other parts of the power steering and installing a Electric Power Steering like the newer cars have. I like the power feature but having all those parts seems a bit excessive. With a Big block one is always looking for ways to reduce the weight on the front tires anyway.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 571
Likes: 101
From: Texas
If there is no binding of any kind then the prime suspect would be AIR. On my 1968 C3 it took way more than 15 turns back and forth on the ground so I jacked the car's nose up and did the 15 turns back and forth with the wheels off the ground and that helped a little more. I had the engine running while I had it in the air. Then with a little driving the steering system was back to normal.
Another possibility is that the steering box or other components were not centered as it was re-assembled.
I finally got tired of messing with the system and replaced it with a Steeroids Rack and Pinion which really makes the steering work very nicely. I am still toying with removing all the hydraulic pump and other parts of the power steering and installing a Electric Power Steering like the newer cars have. I like the power feature but having all those parts seems a bit excessive. With a Big block one is always looking for ways to reduce the weight on the front tires anyway.
Another possibility is that the steering box or other components were not centered as it was re-assembled.
I finally got tired of messing with the system and replaced it with a Steeroids Rack and Pinion which really makes the steering work very nicely. I am still toying with removing all the hydraulic pump and other parts of the power steering and installing a Electric Power Steering like the newer cars have. I like the power feature but having all those parts seems a bit excessive. With a Big block one is always looking for ways to reduce the weight on the front tires anyway.
