Power Steering not working on idle
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 520
Likes: 28
From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Power Steering not working on idle
Today I took out the car for my first longish test drive after two and a half years In the making (have my build thread)
I was driving the car when suddenly I smellled like rubber from engine bay (windows down). Steering became rock hard.
Stopped and couldn't see anything unusual. Belt was turning fine. Pas pump had oil in it.
Drove back home and noticed that steering was hard on idle. Revving slightly the engine made it work normally. Was a pain to get the car back in the garage.
I suspected stuck valve so I removed the high pressure line and the large nut just to find out there is no spring and valve. Checked service manual and couldn't decode the diagram properly as it shows the valve like it is on the inside. I forgot how it was a year ago when I replaced the o rings.
So I removed the pump from the car and removed the reservoir but there is no sign of the valve ( picture attached).
Can someone tell me how these pumps work without a valve? Don't think it is on the inside where the vanes are.
I was driving the car when suddenly I smellled like rubber from engine bay (windows down). Steering became rock hard.
Stopped and couldn't see anything unusual. Belt was turning fine. Pas pump had oil in it.
Drove back home and noticed that steering was hard on idle. Revving slightly the engine made it work normally. Was a pain to get the car back in the garage.
I suspected stuck valve so I removed the high pressure line and the large nut just to find out there is no spring and valve. Checked service manual and couldn't decode the diagram properly as it shows the valve like it is on the inside. I forgot how it was a year ago when I replaced the o rings.
So I removed the pump from the car and removed the reservoir but there is no sign of the valve ( picture attached).
Can someone tell me how these pumps work without a valve? Don't think it is on the inside where the vanes are.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 520
Likes: 28
From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Power Steering not working on idle
Update. Just to be sure I also opened the plate exposing the vanes. No trace of a flow valve. How was it working without a flow.valve? Can I buy these separately? (flow valve and spring)
If I were to get a new pump, would the ones with a key on the shaft instead of press fit work on my car?
If I were to get a new pump, would the ones with a key on the shaft instead of press fit work on my car?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 520
Likes: 28
From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Power Steering not working on idle
Anyone? Does someone have a spare spring and valve assembly I can buy? Can't seem to find anywhere.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 520
Likes: 28
From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Power Steering not working on idle
Wanted to give you an update...
Managed to source a flow control valve and spring from a used pump. Tried to drop in the valve just to notice it was sitting to high to compress the spring and screw the fitting.
Looked closer for the 100 th time and bingo..... I actually had a stuck valve. I could swear by the looks of it that there was no valve but the proportion of the valve body misled me to believe so.
Anyway ended up tapping the pump to get the stuck valve out. Will clean/Polish it and reinstall some time this week but all should be good.
Managed to source a flow control valve and spring from a used pump. Tried to drop in the valve just to notice it was sitting to high to compress the spring and screw the fitting.
Looked closer for the 100 th time and bingo..... I actually had a stuck valve. I could swear by the looks of it that there was no valve but the proportion of the valve body misled me to believe so.
Anyway ended up tapping the pump to get the stuck valve out. Will clean/Polish it and reinstall some time this week but all should be good.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 520
Likes: 28
From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Power Steering not working on idle
I found out why the flow valve got stuck as I saw some small particles on the bottom of the orifice where the valve sits. I had grit blasted the reservoir and apparently i didnt clean it enough. I sprayed some carb cleaner in the metal folds around the lip where the pump o-ring seals and grit started coming out.
2 cans of carb cleaner down the line and I am still finding grit. I even took it for soda blast and cant manage to reach a point where no grit comes out.
I decided that I will go for a new reservoir. Dont want to risk ruining the pump or box.
I cannot find a reservoir with the same return pipe orientation and I saw a post here where someone had problems using the normal pump reservoirs with the return line pointing downwards.
Can someone point me to the right direction? Might decide to go chrome if available. I am also willing to get an inline filter that I saw mentioned also in other posts but the links are all broken.
Mine is the one in the attached.
2 cans of carb cleaner down the line and I am still finding grit. I even took it for soda blast and cant manage to reach a point where no grit comes out.
I decided that I will go for a new reservoir. Dont want to risk ruining the pump or box.
I cannot find a reservoir with the same return pipe orientation and I saw a post here where someone had problems using the normal pump reservoirs with the return line pointing downwards.
Can someone point me to the right direction? Might decide to go chrome if available. I am also willing to get an inline filter that I saw mentioned also in other posts but the links are all broken.
Mine is the one in the attached.
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