Power Steering, increased effort
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 941
Likes: 10
Power Steering, increased effort
Hi;
Just joined Corvette Forum. Between the early 80's and mid 90's I owned 3 Vettes;
1970 LT-1, 1973 and a 1974. I would give anything to have my LT-1 again. I recently became a Corvette owner. I purchased a nice C4, 86 Coupe.
I have been lurking for the past week, reading many of the posts in the C4 Tech forum, all 32 pages. Not a easy task since I am on a 24.4K dial up LOL! I wanted to become somewhat current on my C4, and not ask a question that has been answered. With that said, I do have a question.
I have read off line and here that the C4's use a GM C4 Valve in the Power Steering to "higher the steering effort". Based on my past C3's 1973 and 1974, with PS, the steering effort on this 86 is very high. Its difficult to palm the wheel and you will not turn the wheel lock to lock with two fingers. I have no benchmark to know if this very high steering effort is correct, or if I have a Power Steering problem. However, there is definitely power assist.
Can someone try to relate what I should expect in steering effort? Also, as a diagnostic, what if I remove the C4 Valve and run the line direct. This should immediately show up with much reduced steering effort if the system is working correctly. If that proves out, then maybe the C4 valve is bad. Is the C4 valve located on the high pressure line at the PS Pump ?
Your thoughts please
8Valve
Just joined Corvette Forum. Between the early 80's and mid 90's I owned 3 Vettes;
1970 LT-1, 1973 and a 1974. I would give anything to have my LT-1 again. I recently became a Corvette owner. I purchased a nice C4, 86 Coupe.
I have been lurking for the past week, reading many of the posts in the C4 Tech forum, all 32 pages. Not a easy task since I am on a 24.4K dial up LOL! I wanted to become somewhat current on my C4, and not ask a question that has been answered. With that said, I do have a question.
I have read off line and here that the C4's use a GM C4 Valve in the Power Steering to "higher the steering effort". Based on my past C3's 1973 and 1974, with PS, the steering effort on this 86 is very high. Its difficult to palm the wheel and you will not turn the wheel lock to lock with two fingers. I have no benchmark to know if this very high steering effort is correct, or if I have a Power Steering problem. However, there is definitely power assist.
Can someone try to relate what I should expect in steering effort? Also, as a diagnostic, what if I remove the C4 Valve and run the line direct. This should immediately show up with much reduced steering effort if the system is working correctly. If that proves out, then maybe the C4 valve is bad. Is the C4 valve located on the high pressure line at the PS Pump ?
Your thoughts please
8Valve
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
When you turn it does it seem like it has high effort then catches?
Have you looked at your power steering fluid?
I had an 88 and when I looked at the power steering fluid it had the consistency and color of chocolate pudding. Kind of like it was never changed.
Also do you have the Z51 suspension? That rack is like 2 turns lock to lock and feels a little heavier.
Have you looked at your power steering fluid?
I had an 88 and when I looked at the power steering fluid it had the consistency and color of chocolate pudding. Kind of like it was never changed.
Also do you have the Z51 suspension? That rack is like 2 turns lock to lock and feels a little heavier.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 941
Likes: 10
When you turn it does it seem like it has high effort then catches?
Have you looked at your power steering fluid?
I had an 88 and when I looked at the power steering fluid it had the consistency and color of chocolate pudding. Kind of like it was never changed.
Also do you have the Z51 suspension? That rack is like 2 turns lock to lock and feels a little heavier.
Have you looked at your power steering fluid?
I had an 88 and when I looked at the power steering fluid it had the consistency and color of chocolate pudding. Kind of like it was never changed.
Also do you have the Z51 suspension? That rack is like 2 turns lock to lock and feels a little heavier.
Thanks for the response.
Yes, it has very high resistance to get the wheels moving, the the resistance lessens. No matter what position the steering wheel is in, to make the wheels start turning, very high resistance, then it catches.
I checked the PS fluid for level only. I will change the fluid, fluid is cheap. Lots of fluid and flush till she is clear.
My car has the Z52 Handling package, so says the sticker in the
console listing the RPO's
Thank You
8Valve
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
If changing the fluid doesn't improve the steering feel you probably have "morning sickness" which means the steering rack is starting to wear out.
When I did my 88 we got a lot of steering fluid.
Used a turkey baster to empty the resevoir
With the front wheels off the ground filled with fresh fluid
start engine and turn the steering wheel multiple times lock to lock
shut it down, empty the resevoir, fill the resevoir
repeat until the fluid is almost the same color when emptying
drive a week, do a fluid exchange again
do this for a few weeks - it got to the point where the fluid was the exact same color.
You don't want to know what it took to get the brake fluid clear
When I did my 88 we got a lot of steering fluid.
Used a turkey baster to empty the resevoir
With the front wheels off the ground filled with fresh fluid
start engine and turn the steering wheel multiple times lock to lock
shut it down, empty the resevoir, fill the resevoir
repeat until the fluid is almost the same color when emptying
drive a week, do a fluid exchange again
do this for a few weeks - it got to the point where the fluid was the exact same color.
You don't want to know what it took to get the brake fluid clear
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 941
Likes: 10
If changing the fluid doesn't improve the steering feel you probably have "morning sickness" which means the steering rack is starting to wear out.
When I did my 88 we got a lot of steering fluid.
Used a turkey baster to empty the resevoir
With the front wheels off the ground filled with fresh fluid
start engine and turn the steering wheel multiple times lock to lock
shut it down, empty the resevoir, fill the resevoir
repeat until the fluid is almost the same color when emptying
drive a week, do a fluid exchange again
do this for a few weeks - it got to the point where the fluid was the exact same color.
You don't want to know what it took to get the brake fluid clear
When I did my 88 we got a lot of steering fluid.
Used a turkey baster to empty the resevoir
With the front wheels off the ground filled with fresh fluid
start engine and turn the steering wheel multiple times lock to lock
shut it down, empty the resevoir, fill the resevoir
repeat until the fluid is almost the same color when emptying
drive a week, do a fluid exchange again
do this for a few weeks - it got to the point where the fluid was the exact same color.
You don't want to know what it took to get the brake fluid clear
8Valve
