Power steering on a 59 Chev

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

Power steering on a 59 Chev

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

My 59 elcamino has power steering, a ram type set up. The original pump mounted to the back of the generator and ran directly off the generator. I changed to an alternator and planed on using a late 60s power steering pump that I mounted to the block. The new power steering pump has one high pressure line and a low pressure line, The old set up used two lines with fittings on both to attatch to the old pump. Question is with the newer pump and only one line that has a fitting are both the lines high pressure as I had planned on cutting off the end and sliding it onto the newer pump but not sure if I can do that or is there a pump with a pulley that has two screw on fittings for the lines, Thanks for any help. Steve

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

one line has to be pressure and one has to be return. simply determine which line does what. it may not matter on your car though, either line could possibly do both things but i cant know much without seeing your setup.

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

Thanks for the help . I threaded the one line onto the back of the pump,This is the larger thread hose which i assume is the high pressure hose and it is the one that will thread onto the pump, The second hose I put a barbed type thread on it and then a hose so I could slide it over the lw pressure side of the pump(didnt want to cut off the htreaded end just yet until I tired it) I jacked the car up and cranked the wheel back and forth but it keeps want ing to pull the steering wheel to the left When i fired up the car it really cranked the wheel to the left. any suggestions, lines on backwards? The pump I am using is a late 60s early 70s GM pump

hemi43 · ONTARIO

My 2 cents!!
If the wheel is pulling to one side or another, it's because the valve that controls the fluid is not adusted properly. I don't know what your setup looks like, I'm just telling you that I had the exact same issue years ago with a late 60's Chrysler power steering box. When there's no input from the steering wheel, the valve should be in it's neutral position and any fluid gets returned back to the pump reservoir. My fix was to slightly loosen the valve and then tap it back to it's neutral position because I must have hit it out of location by accident. Hard to explain by typing.

dualquadpete · BLACKSTOCK, ONT

Possible that the pressure valve on pump is too much compared to old style pump & blowing by the ram valve?? Just a thought!!!

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

there is also a pressure variance between either side of the cylinder since the rod of the cylinder changes the volume of the side its on compared to the side with no rod, perhaps why a difference in the steering

v8deuce · OAKVILLE, ONT

The two going from the pump to the valve are pressure and return, the pressure is the small one,when the valve detects movement from the pitman arm it opens a valve to provide pressure to the ram,depending on which way you are turning will dictate which hose has pressure and which is return from the valve to the ram but the two from the pump will always be the same.Switch your hoses and I think you will find the quick pull will go away.

Randy

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

I screwed the thicker line into the pump as it was the right thread. So this means I may have screwed the low pressure line in the pump and attatched the high pressure onto the clamp on spout on the power steerring pump. I guess I need a threaded adapter and switch the lines, Thanks for all the help.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

normally the larger line will be the return . possibly you have it backwards Ill se if I can scan the original setup. I know what hemi (Dan) is saying but I have never herd of that problem on a gm box.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

see if this is the same setup?

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1955truck2/55ctsm0913.htm

hemi43 · ONTARIO

slim wrote:
see if this is the same setup?
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1955truck2/55ctsm0913.htm

Excellent find !! I have never worked on the setup that is being discussed here, so this is interesting. The control valve mentioned in your link is a separate block on the older Mopar boxes, and that's why I mentioned that it may be out of adjustment. I assume this is impossible with the GM power steering.

I remember rebuilding a 69 Road Runner many years ago, including the engine,transmission and everything else including the steering box. This thread brought back memories when I first started the fresh engine, and the front wheels violently turned right and went into hard lock until the power steering belt nearly blew off. That's why I chimed up and mentioned it in my previous post. Sorry i was no help !!

Bruce Rossiter · TORONTO, ONT

I'm sure a 1959 Chevrolet El Camino steering would be different than the one shown in the truck diagram. The Power steering used on a car around that year had a cylinder connected to the Centre link and the frame with an adjustable valve that allowed you to adjust the unit for neutral steering. I'm just going from memory as its been about 40 years since I adjusted one.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

Bruce Rossiter wrote:
I'm sure a 1959 Chevrolet El Camino steering would be different than the one shown in the truck diagram. The Power steering used on a car around that year had a cylinder connected to the Centre link and the frame with an adjustable valve that allowed you to adjust the unit for neutral steering. I'm just going from memory as its been about 40 years since I adjusted one.

Like the one in the link

Had a 66 nova with a similar setup . Was dam near the end of me. Dan had a friend pulling his hair out with a mopar box doing the same thing as you said untill someone told him about loosening the bolts and tapping it till it went straight. strange cure makes you wonder how desperate the guy that figured that out was.

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

I am going to get a fitting so I can screw the smaller line into the pump and switch over the other line to the return and see what happens, i will keep you posted, thanks for all the help Steve

Bruce Rossiter · TORONTO, ONT

slim wrote:

Had a 66 nova with a similar setup . Was dam near the end of me. Dan had a friend pulling his hair out with a mopar box doing the same thing as you said untill someone told him about loosening the bolts and tapping it till it went straight. strange cure makes you wonder how desperate the guy that figured that out was.

This is the diagram that is messing me up. This appears to be an older style diagram judging from the steering linkage arrangement. The steering linkage on a 1959 Chev would use more of a conventional type with a pitman arm, idler arm centre link, and inner and outer tie rod ends and is also similar to some of the early Chevy 11 and Novas. Some small Fords also used this type of power steering systems in the early 60's. If the control valve is out of adjustment, it is an easy thing to fix but first I guess we need to see if the pressure line is connected to the correct port.

v8deuce · OAKVILLE, ONT

Hemi I've had a couple of those dodge boxes and spent the whole day trying to get it right.

Captainq if you want to get a 905 box from a early 80's regal,monte etc. These are a good replacement but the body is a little bigger next to the frame but a 1/4-1/2 spacer on each of the three bolts and your away I think you need to use your stock pitman arm.We used to use the ones out of a monza but I think they are a little hard to find now.

Randy

hemi43 · ONTARIO

v8deuce wrote:
Hemi I've had a couple of those dodge boxes and spent the whole day trying to get it right.

I remember driving around with the valve just snugged up, and I fined tuned the location of it with a small ball&peen hammer. When I found the sweet spot I tightened it down. I have rack&pinion now, LOL. smile

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

trying to find a fitting to adapt the lines so I can try them in the opposite locations but no luck, One guy said he bought a center link and pitman arm and went manual. He did it and says it steers great but im not giving up just yet.

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

What are the adapter ends you need picture would be nice. I probley have something kicking around .

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

I think I found some hoses on ebay they say for converting the original power steering to a 505 or 605 pump and the pumps I have are all early 70s or late 60s so I may order the lines tomorrow and hope, thanks for the offer if this doesnt work I will post some picks of the adapters I need, Its mainly the end to fit into the high pressure thread on the pump is too small to screw in, the other I should be able to just cut off the fitting and slide it over the low pressure line inlet

captainq · ST GEORGE, ONT

Well you were right, the lines were crossed. Got the adapter I needed, hooked it up and it was working fine but while I was cranking the wheel to get the air out of the system I blew a line. Thinking of getting the manual steering pitman arm and center link and going manual till the winter, Might do like randy said and go for a newer steering box out of an early 80s GM and get rid of the old system.