Hi

I have just purchased a 1976 C3 Could anyone tell me is it normal while the engine is on tick over that the steering turns to full lock on one side ?
New to these cars and just want to check before pulling the power steering apart

 

Nope, not normal, but I know it can happen with the factory system. Can't recall the cause, ram not adjusted properly or something? A search should dig up the info.

 

That's great Thank you

 

The steering control valve needs to be centered.

Do you have a shop manual? The procedure is in there.

 

Congratulations on purchase!

you could try to adjust valve as mentioned.
put front tires in air and adjust, and or remove ram to find neutral..be careful though..i would try in that order and see what that does.

some reference here to rebuild what you have.. and links on howto… remanufactured are potentially sketchy .
how about some pics of your ride? Also of valve and ram piston for damage/ leaking.
suggest getting service manual and assembly manual.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...uestion-3.html

 

Hi

I have now acquired a workshop manual and will go through all that has been suggested

many thanks to all

 

 

ttt

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum Dave Harbinson!

You have come to the right place for knowledge of Corvettes. The vast number of people are here to help people like you with a "New to you" Corvette" with issues you might run into. Just reading the posts has taught me so much about my Corvettes so I check in often.

You mention that you have acquired a "Workshop Manual" to help you with your Corvette. This is a great thing to have on hand. My one suggestion is that you buy the GM Factory Service Manual for the 1976 Year Corvettes. It is commonly referred to as a FSM by the folks on this site. The other aftermarket manuals and not always as reliable as the GM manuals are. So when spending your hard earned money you want the best and most accurate manual. There are companies like ZIP Products who offer the wiring diagram on a 11" by 17" laminated sheet and that is frequently a handy item. I also have a vacuum diagram on my wall as I have a 1968 C3 and there are a ton of hoses on that car. There are plenty of books and documents out there that can and will help you with your Corvette. For the FSM you might see if ROCKAUTO has it on a DVD like they do for the other years, I looked and they have several useful books on DVD for less than $20 including the AIM and the FSM all on DVD. In print the factory manuals can be ordered from Helm Publishing but they are expensive. I have two hard copies and they were roughly $100 each years ago. One for the garage and one for inside the house.

Corvettes are very addictive. My wife and I bought our first in 1991 and our second (a 1988 Coupe) in ~1997. They are great cars and very safe and reliable when maintained properly. I would hesitate to go for any "speed runs" until after you ensure that the safety equipment is working correctly. When I bought my C3 it had no parking brakes as the shoes were not set up properly. I have a four speed which helps slow you down but I really like a good e-brake. The seat belts in your Corvette are ~47 years old and probably well worn. As the seat belt webbed material gets older it looses it's strength. In private aircraft they require that the entire seat belt assembly replaced every 10 -15 years due to their loosing their strength and need to be replaced. I like to go fast like most of us and I invested a lot of money on my engine. It is important that the stopping systems be kept up to the job. There are a few companies that overhaul the seat belts for a price but consider it if your belts are the originals.

Before fixing or modifying your Corvette I would suggest getting a small notebook that you can write down anything that needs attention in. Take a while and get to know your Corvette before building a Le Mans Challenger. After a few months I had quite a list so I started buying the parts and preparing to fix the issues I had with my C3. If there is a Corvette Club nearby they are very useful as they know which mechanics are trustworthy and which you need to avoid. The National Corvette Restoration Society is a great organization but they focus on making the cars like they were when delivered at the dealership. They have some wonderful documents as well as experts on the various years and their specifics. The NCRS is nation wide and an awesome resource for we Corvette owners.

Whenever I buy a used car I start at one end and change every fluid, belt and hoses. It is nice to start off knowing that it has been done. Who knows how old the coolant mixture is? Flushing brakes is also important for reliable brakes, find a easy for you way to do it as it has to be done every 5 years or so. If not the steel brake lines will corrode, they might look fine on the outside but they can blow out from the inside.

We are very fortunate to have so many suppliers for replacement parts. I use ZIP Products because they get me the parts in one day and are fairly local. There are several quality companies out there and agin the folks here can help when you have a tough one.

I hope that you have many happy and safe miles driving your "new to you" 1976 Corvette! And once again welcome to the forum as this is the place I go when I need help as well. Filling out the profile might help reduce people from asking about your Corvette. The more we know the easier it is to help you out there!
Best Regards,
Chris

 

Adjustment instructions start at 6:23

 

First cycle your steering full left and full right 15 times each side, if there is air in the system that will cycle it out. Then do the centering procedure

 

I just overhauled my power steering. I used the ram to circulate the air out of the system. Just hand pushed the piston in and out slowly a bunch of times until the air stopped making noise. Put the rod back in the bushings/ bracket and fired it up. Time to balance valve took maybe 1-2 minutes max. Done.

 

Need some trouble-shooting help with my 76':
1. I finally, after months on jack-stands, finished the front suspension, tie-rods, and new PSCV and damper. I just got it back from the alignment shop and it drives straight!!
2. When I turn it, there is about 2-3 inches of turn of the steering wheel before the wheels move. Then it seems to oversteer beyond what I put in to the steering wheel.
3. The steering or "power-steering" seems a bit tight.

Any recommendations on what I need to do? I used the C&S video above and basically followed the wwii chart above. BUT, getting the rod in a position to put it back in the bracket was really hard. I was adjusting the nut until the rod moved toward the bracket.

 

For future reference you usually want to start new threads instead of hijacking old ones.

Anyway, in your case the most likely culprits of your steering play are:

- rag joint
- steering gear box
- PSCV

Its probably from the gear box or rag joint but I also have had issues with crappy PSCVs new from the box.

To diag, put your eyes on the rag joint and gear box and have someone move the wheel back and forth. Should see where the play is coming from.

If it’s the gear box send it to GTR1999. He is the best hands down.