Trouble shooting power steering

[Scrapper_MV]

My P/S gets hot and loses a lot of performance, the steering wheel gets heavy like the P/S is barely there. I have a PSC pump & reservoir, stock box and hydroboost brakes with an oil cooler in front of the radiator trying to keep it cool. I called PSC and they said it sounds like a restriction somewhere causing the pump to heat up. How do I troubleshoot the P/S system for restrictions??

TIA!

 

[garberz]

Do you have any 90’s in the pressure side plumbing?

Mark

 

[nvrstuk]

So are you saying that when the oil is cool that you can turn the wheel with your pinkie when it's in a tight spot and not moving? Fir clarification then your only problem is when the oil is hot?

 

[Scrapper_MV]

Yes, the steering is easy for the first 20 minutes of driving, then gets heavy when everything is at full operating temp. I had a new high pressure hose professionally made when I added the hydro boost, it has a 90' bend in the metal end. But the steering had this problem before the hydro boost. I think it's a bad pump, but PSC doesn't of course.

 

[bmc69]

You might have to go to the trouble of making up a "t" with a pressure gauge to insert in the supply line from the pump.

I've had to do that a couple times over the years to track down or isolate PS issues.

 

[Scrapper_MV]

So I would put this T with a gauge in each of the high pressure hoses to find the problem? What's an acceptable amount of pressure?

 

[BUCKWILD]

high volume pumps dont like hydro boost with out the booster being ported. had the same problem years ago with a superduty booster sent it out to a place that i cant recall the name of but thy open up the booster for better flow

 

[nvrstuk]

www.vancopbs.com/category_s/66.htm


These guys do the hydroboost porting...I've talked with them several times and couldn't commit to the appr 500 smackers they wanted to do the work.

I run a PSC pump and get 1300psi.

A "T" in the line will not cause this...check out industrial equipment or farm equipment as they will have fittings that according to PSC would restrict the flow so much that it wouldn't work.

 

[DirtDonk]

Since it did it before the addition of the brake booster, there are a couple of other things that you can verify.
Of course, I'm leaning to a bad pump too, but what about the cooler? Is it in the pressure or return side? Should be in the return of course, and typically they are, but figured I'd ask because that would certainly add restrictions.

Any additional 90's? I don't think this is too often an issue or everyone would have trouble with their hydroboost. As far as I know most of them utilize 90 degree fittings in their plumbing and don't suffer this fate.

Even the custom made hose can have a restriction. This happens a lot in fact, with both hydraulic (steering and brakes), and fuel, and A/C hoses.
So new or not, custom made by a reputable shop or not, this can still be an issue.

Debris that is working it's way around the system can do it as well.
A filter might help determine if this is the case, and/or clean it up anyway even if it is not the problem.

And last for the moment, the quality of the fluid can have an effect. This is not as common, but maybe yours is somehow deteriorating when hot?

Paul

 

[old 71]

I've done a little research into this, and finally talking to Jim over at Hydratech
the PCS pump puts out too many GPM at 4.0 to 4.5 ,,, Hydra boost only likes a max of 2.6 GPM. to fix this is a simple fix, change the out put by changing the flow valve,,,https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Mustang-II-Power-Steering-Flow-Valve-for-GM-Pump-2-GPM,5852.html,,, this will flow at 2.0 GPM and you will need to drill out the center to 9/64 and that will give you a 2.6 GPM ,,,if drilling by hand use an 1/8 drill bet and the run out will put you where you need to be.

PSI is not the problem GPM is the culprit, too many GPM will turn the fluid over in the lines and aerate the fluid luckily the filter in your remote reservoir has been working hard to get the air out , otherwise the pump would have been cavitating long ago...