Hi All, So I recently finished (or so I thought) replacing/rebuilding parts to the power steering system on my Mav. This consisted of rebuilding the Power Steering Control Valve (Bendix), replacing the power steering cylinder, and replacing all the lines. Seemed pretty straight forward for being the first time I've taken apart a system like this. The problem I'm having now is that the car steers to the right with no problems; just like it did before. However, when turning it to the left, it's difficult. Feels like I'm steering to the left on manual power with the car not moving, type difficult. So I thought maybe its an air pocket. I put the front end up on stands and worked the steering right to left several times. No dice. Then I started loosening a couple of the lines between the control valve to the cylinder to try bleeding. The attached picture shows what I'm working with. * The Blue Arrow (At the cylinder) - got about 1/4 of the way unscrewed and it started spittin fluid like a rabid politician. * The Yellow Arrow - That's it almost unscrewed and wiggly loose, but no fluid It's supposed to spew fluid out like the other hose, right? If so, who's fault is it? The control valve's or the cylinder? Something else? And for added viewing pleasure, I recorded the system in motion while my dad turned the wheel. Maybe you guys can see something, (maybe something else) that my eyes can't see and what I'm lacking mechanically (lack of mechanic skills). The hose does rub up some against the boot of the cylinder, which caused the boot to come off, but I don't think that's enough of a rub to make the system hard to turn? The first couple seconds are rough as I position myself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2famMYoxqo Much appreciated!
How many turns do you have lock to lock? How many turns do you have from straight forward to left, and how many from straight forward to right? Also...maybe it is because your car was on jack stands, but your tire was hitting the frame of the car as well as the end of the control valve.
The car started out in the garage with little room on each side so it wasn't on jack stands when it first got started. As a clarifying note, the difficulty starts at straight forward then turn to the left. * With the car on the ground, it had about 5 lock to lock turns. At about the 3rd lock to lock, the turning started to get stiff. So it was loose and happy when the system was empty (before it sucked in the fluid) and then stiffened up. * As for straight forward to left - now, there is probably about 25 or more turns. To the right, probably about 20. I did take the car out around the neighborhood when it was first completed. I see it now where you mentioned the tire was hitting. I think it was because it was on the jack stands. I didn't see any rub indications after I took the car out and drove it around. I've had this same setup for about 6yrs now, but something may have shifted when I put the steering back together. But I'll watch for it next time. Did you adjust the valve ? * If this is referring to the end-cap, I checked this after the first drive attempt and it was a little loose (to me). It was at probably .1-.2inch lbs. I checked the numbers in the book and listed to have it at about .8-.9in lbs and I took it to that. It still has the difficulty turning. I haven't adjusted it any more yet; like doing a 1/4 turn one way or the other.
Oh, another note: when the car was either on the ground or on stands, the steering wheel liked to adjust itself to the right (steer right), like after you take a left turn and start to straighten out and how the wheels would correct themselves to go forward. Even when the wheel was at almost forward, I'd let go of the steering wheel and it would work itself to the right. It won't go to lock, but it would cross the half-way (center) point and continue maybe about a half-turn and stop. If I bump the wheel to see if it would go even further, it would accept the push and move just a tad bit further.
I am curious if you had the steering gear box centered before you put the steering back together. That is why I was asking how many turns to the left and how many to the right. Start with the car going straight. How many turns to the left before it stops? Again starting from straight forward, how many to the right before it stops? These numbers should be the same.
The control valve is what regulates the flow of the fluid, I'd be double checking it. Here's the hose routing, just in case:
Ah, got it. I'll try counting it when the car is out again. Would it matter, as for the steering gear box, if the column was 'locked' before the work started so the wheel wouldn't move around? I made sure when putting the control valve back on that the little hole on the center link lined up with the groove on the control valve and threaded it back to the spot before it came off - about 5-6 threads till the bar.
Thanks for the pic. I double/triple checked the hoses to make sure they matched and they do, as your pic shows. So with the control valve regulating the flow, it's curious that the first line I started unscrewing (blue arrow) squirted fluid everywhere , but if the 2nd line (yellow arrow) on the control valve wasn't functioning properly, wouldn't the cylinder still fill with fluid and start to leak as I unscrewed that line due to the pressure? I may just take the unscrewing (no pun) of that line a bit further to almost disconnect, maybe even totally disconnected, to see what happens if there's a blockage somewhere. I figure that if it's feeding fluid from one line there should be some sort of leak on the other. Those new lines between the control valve and cylinder are a PIA to work with and have talked to a hydraulic shop to match the old lines so I may just replace them as I troubleshoot this.
Yup I had that sheet printed out a couple months ago and now it's all grease covered on the bench next to the Mav. That's what I used for reference. Thanks for maintaining that catalog of information!
Stex97, I recently rebuilt a PS control valve and a ram for an upcoming upgrade to power steering. My stuff is sitting in a box waiting to be installed. From what I observed in how the ram functioned, it is a metal rod with a seal/ram on the end of the rod. When fluid is pushed in one side it forces the fluid out the other. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong) Since you got fluid on one side and none on the other, this would make sense that you are not getting assist on one side. To me, this signals either an improperly assembled control valve or a sticking valve inside it. I think you need to tear it apart again. I have no explanation for your lock to lock turns. Are you using a manual or PS box? My manual box is 5.5 turns lock to lock and a PS box should be 4. Whether the PS system works or not, it cannot change the ratio of the box. Check your rag joint.
