'65 CDV PS replacement - unequal steering effort

[bctexas]

Hi Larry.  The shop manual describes tests for steering shaft thrust bearing preload, worm and ball preload and pitman shaft end play to be done in that order.  Measurements are done at the steering wheel rim.  Thrust bearing test is done with the steering near one of the stops, and the measurement is done over a movement of less than an inch.  I assume that is supposed to isolate the resistance measured to just the steering shaft preload.  Worm and ball preload is done 1/2 turn off center and the spec is 2-8 ounces more than the steering shaft preload.  Lastly, pitman shaft end play is checked with the wheel centered.  All my measurements were within the specs.

When I returned the box to them because the boost was different to the left and right (with appropriately light effort in both directions, just different), they told me that they replaced a defective "control valve".  The only thing that makes any sense to me is that the replacement control valve has smaller passages, or a heavier torque shaft than the correct valve, and it is not admitting the correct volume of oil to drive the rack-piston.  Does this make sense?  I've never had one of these apart so I am going on what I can see in the shop manual....

[Chopper1942]

I don't want to sound to negative about installing "rebuilts", but in my 65 years of being in the business, I have not had good success with rebuilts. The only rebuilt parts we install today, unless not available, are OE rebuilts. Every now and then we have issues with them. If the component is badly damaged and the damaged parts are not available or new parts are very expensive, I would rather buy a good used component and the overhaul/rebuild that unit or take the parts needed and install in the original component.

That is the reason I talked about resealing your original unit.  You stated the original gear leaked and otherwise worked fine. If the gear was resealed and properly adjusted, it would have worked better than when you removed it.

Let's say you had a massive pump failure that put metal throughout the P/S system, I would get a good used pump, remove the pump internals I need, reseal the pump, and then install it. I would then flush the P/S system and gear, remove the gear, and clean and reseal the gear. This is what I would recommend to a customer.

I worked for a company that rebuilt and sold rebuilt engines.  Unless it is a custom rebuild, a rebuilt engine had components from many engines. What a rebuilder does is tear down multiple units, all the like pieces are sorted together and cleaned.  Then the component (like your steering gear) is assemble from various parts that fit that model of gear. Sometimes they are not exactly to the specs of the original gear.

Your car drove fine except for minor play in the wheel and the gear leaked fluid. Therefore, after installing the rebuilt gear the only things that should or would be different is no slack in the steering and no fluid leak.

Since the steering balance left to right was fine with the OE gear, and now it isn't, it's a gear issue, not something in the chassis.

I sure hope you finally get a gear that works correctly and you can get back to enjoying driving your car.

[bctexas]

HI Larry - I get the message.  But I have read good reviews on Lares in these pages.  And with other projects waiting, the most expedient and quick fix for the '65 seemed the wholesale replacement of the power steering.  One afternoon and done, no muss no fuss, and on to transmission, flywheel and clutch replacement on one of my other cars.  Hasn't worked out that way but hey them's the breaks.  Working on a machining project for a buddy's Model A so staying busy enough for a retired guy.

Happy Motoring!

[bctexas]

An update to the saga.  I drove the car a few times and there was no change.  Driving the '65 and the '70 back to back, I found that the steering effort in the '65 is noticeably higher than in the '70.  So I called Lares again, and they agreed that the control valve they installed the last go-round has to be the wrong one for my car.  They have no other cores available.  So, they agreed to rebuild my original box, re-using my control valve (which works fine).  They will bill me for the rebuild, then issue a refund when I ship the original rebuilt box back to them.  That way I don't send both boxes and have a 5100lb paperweight tying up my lift for two weeks.  At which time hopefully this story will have a happy ending!

Happy Motoring!

[Chopper1942]

Sounds like you may finally get the issue resolved! Let us know the outcome.