power steering issue

[kasearch@ix.netcom.com]

I have a fully restored P/S pump AND a restored rack and pinion on my 69 GT500.  The pump is full and I have cycled it to remove air. What I don't have is a working power steering system.  A little help, please.

[shelbydoug]

SOMETIMES on a "new" system, you need to have the car up on jacks and manually move the system left to right by pushing the tires.

I don't know why it does this? Maybe air bound? Try it. The worst that can happen is it doesn't help.

Also, you want to use 100% Lucas oil in the system instead of power steering fluid. This will quite the Ford pump from it's normal squealing tendencies.

[Lincoln tech]

You have rack and pinion steering in 69 GT500 ? Did you bench test the pump , is it pumping ? With the system working properly you should have assist even with some air in it .

[Bob Gaines]

I have a fully restored P/S pump AND a restored rack and pinion on my 69 GT500.  The pump is full and I have cycled it to remove air. What I don't have is a working power steering system.  A little help, please.

I think you mean restored control valve and ram. 69/70 Shelby's do not not have rack and pinion.

[FL SAAC]

I believe the gentleman meant to say restored Power Steering Cylinder system.

When we rebuilt our system we replaced every hose in the system ALL power and return hoses.

The power cylinder, the power valve and pump.

Caution when installing the new hoses, I can mention that we incorrectly installed or a better word to use "inverted" the power valve hoses. Causing the power steering to go a bit wild and out of control.

Good luck on your adventure  !

[JWH]

Check that your fan belt has good tension on it. One possibility is the fan belt is not spinning the pump pulley. If you have adjusted the pump to tighten the fan belt as far as possible, try a slightly smaller diameter fan belt.

[Special Ed]

The 2 short hoses can be easy switched around and they look the same except lenght and 1 ends in 14 the other 17 but from factory 1 has yellow color code so it gets installed correctly also there is adjustment nut and spring when u remove 2 screws on spool cap.

[Coralsnake]

I am not sure about using oil? The type F trans fluid is designed to expand when hot. That is what Ford recommends.

[tesgt350]

If you were Tracking your Shelby, doing a lot of Road Courses, which would you prefer, the " Factory Stock Power Steering Cylinder system" or a "Rack-N-Pinion System"?

[Royce Peterson]

In a stock system the power steering pump has a pressure regulating valve that is designed to open when the pump reaches operating pressure. Sometimes when the pumps are rebuilt the valve sticks open resulting in flow but no pressure. The way this is fixed is normally by properly rebuilding the pump.

Using anything other than Type F fluid will result in air bubbles, moaning, and destruction of the pump. 

[shelbydoug]

In a stock system the power steering pump has a pressure regulating valve that is designed to open when the pump reaches operating pressure. Sometimes when the pumps are rebuilt the valve sticks open resulting in flow but no pressure. The way this is fixed is normally by properly rebuilding the pump.

Using anything other than Type F fluid will result in air bubbles, moaning, and destruction of the pump.

Using Lucas in the Ford system has been in use for close to 20 years now. It fixes a lot of issues normally not fixable previously such as quieting down the "moaning" and squealing that the Ford system often exhibits.

It IS NOT going to destroy your system. Far from it. Keep up with the times please. 

[gt350shelb]

 been running lucas in mine for 10 years  no issues much improved  / no leaks

[Bob Gaines]

+1 on Lucas.

[Lincoln tech]

Sounds like his system is not working at all , so no matter what kind of fluid you put in it it's still not going to work.

[shelbydoug]

Internally in the pump, there is a spur gear that I have had split on me.

I don't know how common that is but many rebuilders won't even look at that. They will just put new seals and o ring on the pump.

If there is no pressure coming from the pump, it likely is that.