[Nicks67GTO]

So my new engine install has had some serious roadblocks. The engine runs great but i've had some accessory nightmares that have cost me months of time at this point. I'll detail my power steering debacle here....

-I pull my 455 last fall and sell it to ROHRT on here. My power steering is fine and works great as I pull in the garage and i've never had an issue....

-I bag up the pump to keep it wet over the winter

-Install the new engine with my old accessory drives and it does not work. I have 0 assist.

-I go to Oriellies and get a pump. Install and I still have 0 assist.

-I check lines and bypass my PS oil cooler....still no assist

-Order a new box since that's the only piece of the puzzle left right??.....0 assist

-Go back to Oriellies and get another new pump {which I should have done before ordering a new box}....I get SOME assist but it cuts out at very in opportune times and goes into a hydrolock where turning is almost impossible. If my wife was driving the car it would have been over. I literally thought I was going to break the steering wheel trying to turn it.

-Drink a few beers to cool down

-Call CVF racing and discuss issues.

-Find out that this isn't all too uncommon to get junk "rebuilt" pumps and they sell a nice new pump/housing that's set at the proper 1200psi

-Install and I have full assist with no issue.

The lesson here is that you have no clue what you're getting with these "rebuilt" pumps. 2 bad ones in a row has cost me a TON of time and about $60 in power steering fluid, $20 bucks in shop towels a $100 box, 30$ in fittings, $30+ bucks in gas testing and running all over the place and years off my life in heart stress.

[Greg Reid]

Glad you got it figured out but another alternative is to rebuild your original. O'Reilley's also has those kits. Ran across this article back when I did it..
http://www.corvette-restoration.com/...mp_rebuild.htm

I actually had to do it twice...Forgot to put fluid in before my camshaft break-in...:

[Squidward]

Greg, that was cool. I have thought about that since I have seen rebuilt pumps sold without the reservoir.

Nick, I went through a very similar situation. I bought new pump from Oreilly's to go on my 72 Lemans during engine rebuild. Steering box was original.

After engine break in I hooked up PS with new hoses, etc. and it worked great. Only problem was a very significant steering box leak. So I replaced steering box with Oreilly unit.

Result? No PS assist, and with a new pump that had less than a few miles of neighborhood testing, working fine on the old leaky box. I figured it must be a crappy new box. Back to the store for warranty return on box.

Result? No PS assist. Now I was mad because steering boxes aren't a cakewalk to RnR. Since my back was already sore, I decided to go with PS pump warranty replacement. It seemed like the less painful option instead of assuming a failure mode of 2 bad boxes.

Result? PS works great, no leaks. I have to guess that some piece of crap dislodged between old box and new box install and fouled up the pump.

I don't have a problem with Oreilly's. Stuff like ps pumps, alternators, starters, etc. will go bad, but I like the quick hit with the warranty return. I'm pretty good at the PS box swap now, but I would prefer to never deal with it again.

[i82much]

I had a similar problem a few years back with rebuilt NAPA calipers. The concentric sealing rings that press against the copper washer were virtually nonexistent on three different calipers. I just think the cores left in circulation are junk, at least as far as the calipers go. Not sure what could be wrong with the PS pump cores but if they have been rebuilt more than once you could imagine they are no good.

[STEELCITYFIREBIRD]

http://www.larescorp.com/

You really should run a Wix 58694 in the return line of any serviced system, especially after a component failure.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/w...SABEgJomPD_BwE

[surfsama]

Oh man, I lived through this too. The first would not assist, the second pulsated whenever it was off-center, and third leaked like a sieve...

I decided to just rebuilt my original and it work perfectly but yeah, a lot of frustration and lost time.

[HWYSTR455]

I can't count how many times I've gone through this. The 442 was the worst experience I've had in a long time, almost made me rethink the hobby.

With the new project, I went around the whole issue by going to a 600 series box and a type II pump. Done.

Wish it were easier to retrofit a type II pump to a Pontiac, and/or aftermarket serp systems all used type II pumps. Can't understand why a vendor would develop an aftermarket serp system and not include a type II pump, just baffles me.

.

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

I can't count how many times I've gone through this. The 442 was the worst experience I've had in a long time, almost made me rethink the hobby.

With the new project, I went around the whole issue by going to a 600 series box and a type II pump. Done.

Wish it were easier to retrofit a type II pump to a Pontiac, and/or aftermarket serp systems all used type II pumps. Can't understand why a vendor would develop an aftermarket serp system and not include a type II pump, just baffles me.

.

If CVF racing would retrofit a type 2 pump into their V belt systems, I think it would be a big seller too. They do put type 2 pumps on their serpentine systems

[vidguy]

Originally Posted by Nicks67GTO

-Call CVF racing and discuss issues.

So this pump accepts the flare on the Stock High Pressure line?
https://www.cvfracing.com/Black-Sagi...w-pump-key.htm

[codyyy]

Thanks for the information, I'll need to bookmark that website if/when I need to put in a new PS pump.

[RocktimusPryme]

I had a similar issue. My old probably legit 50 year old pump worked great but the tank leaked. I bought a new remaned unit from Orielys that came complete, pump and tank. It technically works fine, but it groans. The other one was dead quiet. Until all the fluid leaked out anyway.

[Nicks67GTO]

Originally Posted by vidguy

So this pump accepts the flare on the Stock High Pressure line?
https://www.cvfracing.com/Black-Sagi...w-pump-key.htm

yes

[vidguy]

Thanks
I am also in the midst of a hassle with a rebuilt pump on the 413 Paul built that I'm trying to button up in the GTO... What a time suck..
I'm talking to CVF now...

[rohrt]

Doesn't look like CVF carries the banjo style pumps.

Glad to hear you got it figured out.

[ponjohn]

Had no idea the pressure was that high.

[GOAT WHORE]

Similar story here. Buy rebuilt pump from Napa and use my old tank, no assist. PS box was rebuilt so go get another PS pump, same thing no assist or intermediate notchy feel. Ashamed to say but go get PS box rebuilt again, same results. Finally put on used 40yr old PS pump problem solved.

[HWYSTR455]

Yeah, there's psi, and flow. The range is 800-1500psi, and flow from 2 - 4gpm. Most of the 800 series boxes we're familiar with use the 1200psi valve with @3.5 gpm, to the best of my knowledge. If you have more or less flow, or psi, the feel from the steering will not be what you expect. When you buy a rebuilt pump, it's a crap shoot as to what valve you get.

Borgeson makes new pumps, but they use a newer style valve, so you can't swap the valve from your old pump to the new.

I haven't yet found psi & flow listings for cars we're familiar with (64-81) and would love to find that info.

There is also a valve in the boxes, so once you go to a different box, your requirements change anyway. And I also don't see box rebuilders listing valve info either. Same thing with parts store boxes, the valve you get is a crap shoot. (not to mention the internal stops are a crap shoot too)

The above is why when you change the pump or the box, the feel can be more or less desirable, depending on what you end up with.

Some of the power steering 'specialists' have this info, and can supply a box and pump together based on what you want, but you pay.

With Type II pumps, the valves are common, available, and you can shuffle them until you get the feel you want.

I've seen some interchange manuals list box flow numbers, but there's no external way of determining for sure what you have/get.

I haven't seen any CVF pulley setups use Type II pumps, but I haven't looked recently. The only setups I've seen for Pontiacs are from Billet Specialties and Luhn. March has some kit with Type II pumps for Pontiacs, but the belt wrap on them is terrible, and have heard complaints about the kits fitting properly, requiring shimming for pulley alignment.

And these are the reasons I went to the Billet Specialties setup, using a 600 series box.

If anyone has valve/flow info for P pumps & 800 boxes, and a source for valves, I would be very interested.

.

[Ben M.]

Any of the parts store "rebuilds" is starting to mimic the carburetor problems we started seeing 20-25 years ago when parts stores were selling completely wrong junk. After my experience with steering boxes and the rebuild crapshoot, I just took the plunge and started rebuilding my own boxes. Same with power steering pumps. The more modern new stuff sure is nice, but if you're on a budget a $25 kit and an afternoon or two of your time to fix your existing box correctly is a small price to pay. Then you'll start wondering why guys change out for a parts store crapshoot anymore.

The advice Cliff & Jon have been giving out for 20+ years on parts store carbs being junk now applies to steering boxes and power steering pumps.

[HWYSTR455]

I get that, but what if you don't know the source of the box or pump on the car you are working on? Or if you've already turned in the old one as a core? Where do you go from there? That I think is the real problem.

.

[Bruce Meyer]

Power steering pumps are very easy to rebuild. Theres nothing to them. Just have to make sure the vanes go in the same way they came out. One side is rounded and one side of the vane is squared off.