Powersteering

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wheelsport

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I recently replaced the original power steering gear in my "65 Barracuda, with a rebuild unit from Rockauto. The spool valve on the replacement unit is integral with the gear housing. The outlet diameter on the replacement unit is half that of the original gear. The original power steering pump was in good condition, with no leaks, so I gave it a good flushing as well as the lines before filling the system. After bleeding the system, I went for a short drive. I noticed that the steering wasn't the normal quick and easy and felt more like a manual steering. Could this be because of the restricted outlet diameter?
 
Unlikely since only the early power steering pumps (TRW) and gears used that large return hose. I swapped to the later Federal (Chrysler) pump, which looks almost identical but has different brackets. That is because I changed to the later aluminum water pump which required different p.s. brackets (don't copy that). I had to change the valve body to match the hose fittings. The H.P. fitting also varies, if I recall from an inverted flare in your pump (and gear) to an O-ring fitting (on both?). Even later cars used a Saginaw (GM) pump with still different fittings (recall) and mounting brackets. To add to the drama, having rebuilt the TRW pump myself, I tried to later install it on my 1965 Chrysler which uses a TRW pump but found the output shaft is a different size so couldn't use its pulley which is different than my Dart. Oh the humanity. I've got it all documented somewhere for myself, but if someone else ever inherits my cars (I die, wifey hates them), they will scream if they try just ordering "correct" hoses from rockauto. Anyway, to answer your issue, I've never seen a steering gear which didn't have a valve body (spool valve) which can be swapped, and often the return hose fitting can be swapped (recall 2 attaching bolts w/ O-ring seal) and I recall the H.P. fitting screws in. Indeed, you loosen the 2 screws on the valve body and tap it fwd or aft to position the spool so it doesn't self-steer with steering centered (front wheels in air, engine idling).
 
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I have no idea the origin of the gear Rockauto sold me. The mount holes were slightly off so I had to enlarge one of them to facilitate all three mounting bolts. The new gear came with a pitman arm. I figured I could use the original arm but it wouldn't fit the splining on the new gear. My car now steers stiffer like the newer later model cars similar to my '10 Sebring.
 
I have no idea the origin of the gear Rockauto sold me. The mount holes were slightly off so I had to enlarge one of them to facilitate all three mounting bolts. The new gear came with a pitman arm. I figured I could use the original arm but it wouldn't fit the splining on the new gear. My car now steers stiffer like the newer later model cars similar to my '10 Sebring.S
Sounds like the wrong steering gear for an early A. Until ~1973, A-body steering gearboxes had a smaller output shaft to the Pitman arm than the B, C, E bodies. After that, they used the same gearbox. I'm not sure how the later Pitman arm bolted up since they also changed steering components ~1967. On mine, the balljoint studs on the Pitman arm and inner and outer idler arms point up, whereas they pointed down in 1967+ cars. The later cars also have a ~1" longer crosslink since the engine bay is wider. If yours is a V-8, you need the crosslink which drops down more than in slant-six cars (hard to tell in photos, maybe 1/2" more). Some 1966 slant cars apparently got the same V-8 crosslink, perhaps because the factory was using up stock before the change.

Your hard steering might be from something binding. Jack the front wheels up and see if you can turn the steering shaft by hand in the engine bay, with engine off. I can in my Mopars with power steering. Google images since my description above is from memory (always questionable).
 
My original pitman arm spline was slightly smaller than the spline on the new gear arm. That's obviously why the new gear came with a pitman arm. All my steering nuckles point up. The steering on this car has been quite easy in the past, so I don't believe there is a linkage problem. Could I have a later B-body gear? Do the later B-body gears steer harder than the early A-body cars?
 
I don't think a good gearbox should have much friction. Without hydraulic pressure, the steering wheel feels heavier than in a manual steering car, but most of that is due to the higher gear ratio. Rick Ehrenberg wrote an article in Mopar Action magazine about changing the pressure regulator (spring-loaded relief valve) in a Saginaw pump. He was lowering pressure so the steering had more feel (harder). I don't recall if similar is allowed easily in a TRW pump. Might be able to add a shim behind the spring, or swap in a stronger spring to raise pressure.
 
If you have more road feel than an original box (which steers with one finger), sounds like you won the steering gear lottery. Folks pay a lot of money to get that from Steer & Gear or Firm Feel.
 
I could have paid $500 from Red-Head instead of $103. Here are a couple pics for what the're worth.

000_0828.JPG


000_0830.JPG
 
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