What's going on here - Please help

[shivelresk]

Following changing the control valve for the power steering, I am now experiencing an odd occurance with my steering. When I turn the wheel all the way to the full left lock, a couple inches before the stop the wheel turns over the rest of the way somewhat more quickly. It then takes far more effort to turn it back to the right those few inches before returning to a regular steer. Now when it does this it actually sounds as if it puts a drag on the engine. I've seen no pinched hoses or anything out of normal. I believe that my father had tried removing the large nut on the underside of the car that attatches the pitman arm to the steering box, thinking that was the way to get the control valve off. I had gone to pick up appropriate tools so I wasn't there when this was done, although I had told him that was not the way it came off. Anyway has anyone heard of or experienced anything like this? Could it be possible that something in the steering box was damaged or knocked out of alignment during the process of trying to remove the pitman arm for it? I've heard of a lash adjusting or something, but don't know what that is.

Please any help or ideas would be great. I'm just afraid that it would be very hard to control the car against this effect should I have to turn it that sharply, and going any faster than 5 miles/hour or so, you know just wouldn't want anything to happen to myself, people around me, and lastly the car. Thanks

 

[cruisin-davey-g]

Following changing the control valve for the power steering, I am now experiencing an odd occurance with my steering. When I turn the wheel all the way to the full left lock, a couple inches before the stop the wheel turns over the rest of the way somewhat more quickly. It then takes far more effort to turn it back to the right those few inches before returning to a regular steer. Now when it does this it actually sounds as if it puts a drag on the engine. I've seen no pinched hoses or anything out of normal. I believe that my father had tried removing the large nut on the underside of the car that attatches the pitman arm to the steering box, thinking that was the way to get the control valve off. I had gone to pick up appropriate tools so I wasn't there when this was done, although I had told him that was not the way it came off. Anyway has anyone heard of or experienced anything like this? Could it be possible that something in the steering box was damaged or knocked out of alignment during the process of trying to remove the pitman arm for it? I've heard of a lash adjusting or something, but don't know what that is.

Please any help or ideas would be great. I'm just afraid that it would be very hard to control the car against this effect should I have to turn it that sharply, and going any faster than 5 miles/hour or so, you know just wouldn't want anything to happen to myself, people around me, and lastly the car. Thanks

Possibly the valve is not properly centered? I know that there is a centering adjustment on the valve. Possibly the problem?

 

[shivelresk]

the valve itself was fairly prebalanced by the people who rebuilt it, according to the local corvette supplier I purchased it through. And the wheels seemed balanced after putting it on. However the though did occur to me so I went through the balancing process anyway, and it actually did reduce the problem a bit. I took it today and had the tires rotated and 4 wheel alignment done as well, but still there. Now when I put the valve on I concentrated on putting the new one on the same number of turns as it took to take the old one off. I was focused on it and don't think I missed a turn, but if for some reason, would that have any affect on it. The only way I can really describe the situation is to say that it feels as if I'm turning the wheels and it catches a rut in the ground and just kind of falls into it.

 

[cruisin-davey-g]

the valve itself was fairly prebalanced by the people who rebuilt it, according to the local corvette supplier I purchased it through. And the wheels seemed balanced after putting it on. However the though did occur to me so I went through the balancing process anyway, and it actually did reduce the problem a bit. I took it today and had the tires rotated and 4 wheel alignment done as well, but still there. Now when I put the valve on I concentrated on putting the new one on the same number of turns as it took to take the old one off. I was focused on it and don't think I missed a turn, but if for some reason, would that have any affect on it. The only way I can really describe the situation is to say that it feels as if I'm turning the wheels and it catches a rut in the ground and just kind of falls into it.

Well, this is an interesting problem Only other thing that I can think of is that the valve needs to be bled somehow. Maybe air in the system????????:confused Without really seeing for myself what it's doing, it's hard to say. You say that you balanced the valve & that didn't do the "trick"; can't really think of anything else offhand.:confused

Dave

 

[shivelresk]

When I installed the valve, of course it said to flush the entire system. When in an effort to remove as much of the old fluid as possible, after removing the valve I turned the wheels and steering linkage back and forth by hand to push fluid out from the lines running to the hydraulic arm, and I guess out of the arm as well. I went through the bleeding process several times as well to make sure all the air was gone after reconnecting everything. After the first initial times of running the car afterward the level has remained constant. Is it possible that air could be trapped in the hydraulic arm? Also just curious what is the "lash adjusting?"

 

[cruisin-davey-g]

When I installed the valve, of course it said to flush the entire system. When in an effort to remove as much of the old fluid as possible, after removing the valve I turned the wheels and steering linkage back and forth by hand to push fluid out from the lines running to the hydraulic arm, and I guess out of the arm as well. I went through the bleeding process several times as well to make sure all the air was gone after reconnecting everything. After the first initial times of running the car afterward the level has remained constant. Is it possible that air could be trapped in the hydraulic arm? Also just curious what is the "lash adjusting?"

"Lash Adjustment" is in the steering box.

 

[cruisin-davey-g]

"Shivelresk": You mentioned that your dad did something to the pitman arm??? Did he remove it, or just remove the nut? Also, what is the position of you steering wheel when the car is going straight?

Dave

 

[shivelresk]

No he only tried to remove the nut (in order to remove the arm). But we didn't have the proper sized wrench or ratcheting bit. He was using one of those adjustable wrenchs, like a plumber's wrench. It was on too tight though. And the reason I questioned that was because I think he was using a rubber mallot and hitting the shaft of the wrench to try and break the nut loose. But he thought that the pitman arm was connected to the chasis of the car, he didn't realize it was connected to the steering box. The steering now actually feels a little tighter, not hard, but just not as much ease in turn as it has had. I think that might be from me tightening the pitman arm nut back to make sure that my father hadn't loosened it. Anyway the steering wheel is straight and centered. Had it aligned yesterday.

 

[JohnZ]

Only two things contribute to the symptom you describe - not having all the air out of the system, or a control valve that isn't properly balanced (per the Shop Manual procedure). Having driven the car, by now there shouldn't be any air in the system, so I'd suggest going through the control valve re-balance procedure again. If the symptom persists, I'd return the control valve.