Power Steering Pump Problems

[69RTSE]

I have a 1966 Dodge Charger with Power Steering.  The power steering was working fine, but the valve body on the steering box (top side) was leaking badly.  I removed the valve body and replaced the 7 or so O-rings.  When I put it back together it no longer works correctly.  The pump/steering box howls, the power steering doesn't assist and the wheel pulls hard to the left.  I apparently put the valve body back together incorrectly or didn't get it aligned or set-up correctly.  Any ideas?

[garner7555]

Make sure you get the air out of the system.   Also make sure you didn't get any hoses reversed.  It sometimes takes a little while of add fluid, crank it and turn wheel, shut it off and let it sit a while, then repeat process until you get the air worked out of it.

[white]

He is correct, you need to let the air get out of the system, either by purging it out or by moving the steering wheel fully left and right till it gets out on its own.

[Charger4404spd]

The procedure for adjusting it is in the FSM. When adjusting, make very minor adjustments, takes very little movement to get it in the center position.

[69RTSE]

Thanks for the information.  I gave it time to get any air out of the system.  One other observation, is its seems like its has some type of blockage, because some fluid is coming out of the power steering pump.  Both hoses are set up correctly and there are no hose kinks.  The valve was very straight forward to rebuild and I ensured that the spool valve was re-installed correctly.  I aligned the lever hole in the valve spool with the lever opening in the valve body (as per FSM).  Its still growling, leaking fluid from the pump and pulling hard to the left. 

[ws23rt]

If you have already tried moving the valve body up or down and their is no change. (total movement available is not much about 0.100" or 1/10 inch).
At one end of movement the steering will be hard one way. Centering adjustment gives center steering.

If no change you need to take the valve body off and apart again.

The evidence is --you went to fix a leak and now you don't have function.

One thing I would look at closely is the stock diameter (as opposed to id and od of the ring) of the o rings you added/replaced. The three where the valve body mounts (for example) need to be just right.

The other thing of course is that the piston and spool valve move freely at assembly.  

[69RTSE]

Thank you for that reply.

[John_Kunkel]

You need to elevate the front wheels clear of the ground when adjusting the valve per the FSM.

[ws23rt]

Thank you for that reply.

You are welcome. (from us/the site).
If you would please let us know "the rest of the story"  

Threads like this tend to help many and their is good value to others if we know the resolution of the question. (or not).

[69RTSE]

Thanks for the information/advice again.  So here's the rest of the story.  I went and loosened the steering box valve body and then tightened it just enough where it was secure, but not too tight that I could tap the valve body back and forth to adjust.  The FSM has specifics about this procedure.  I centered the valve body in the middle and it was already not pulling.  I drove the car and was able to adjust the valve body, where-by there was no pulling.  If the wheels are pulling left, you need to tap the front of the valve body towards the back of the car and if the wheels are pulling right then you tap the back of the valve body towards the front of the car.  As a previous poster stated, the adjustment margin is very slight.  I used a small ball peen hammer with minimal force.  This allowed my to access the small space and also not tap too much.  Its took about 5 adjustments, in-between driving to get it perfect.  In regards to the growling.  It was air in the system and it slowly went away.  By the time I was done with the last adjustment, it was gone.  BTW, the original leak in the valve body is gone by replacing the O-rings.

[garner7555]

Glad to hear that it all worked out and no other parts needed to be replaced.   

[ws23rt]

 

[ACUDANUT]

Also, Believe it ot not, you can still get a remanufactured gear box and pump from O'reilly's ect. cheap.