Ram Assist Power Steering Rebuild w/Pics

[1967C20]

First, a little background info. I'm doing a front suspension rebuild on my '67 which came from the factory with the ram assisted power steering unit. The whole setup works well but leaks like crazy. As anyone who has one of these units knows, you won't find them listed in most truck catalogs or parts houses. I guess most people get tired of the leaks and lack of parts and switch over to an integral system. Me, I like the uniqueness of the system (most people have never seen one before), it isn't broken, and plus my budget is kind of tight, so I decided "rebuild" and set about finding info and parts. The pictures below show the parts of the system and how they are installed on the truck.

The ram.


The control valve.


The center link and how it attaches to the control valve.


Now, here's the weird part. Someone told me (I think it was my mechanic) that Corvette's (thru 1982) have the same ram assist steering setup as my truck. I did a little searching in the online Corvette catalog's and found that the rams and control valves looked identical to what was on my truck. Something else I found were rebuild kits. I settled on Ecklers Corvette http://www.ecklers.com/ (their rebuild kits seemed to be the most complete) and ordered one for the ram and one for the control valve.

First up, the control valve:
Here is what came in the rebuild kit. The flat washer and the large o-ring were not used in my application. The directions and diagram that came in the kit were helpful but not always needed. I mean, this ain't rocket surgery.


Remove the dust cap on the end of the control valve to expose the lock nut.


Unbolt the two halves of the control valve and the guts will slide out like so...

[1967C20]

The valve spool will slide out of the opposite end.


This shows how everything is oriented in the valve body.


This shows the seals from the kit and where they go.

[1967C20]

Next, I turned my attention to the ball stud housing.
First remove the sleeve key.


Using a big screwdriver remove this round nut



Out next will be a spring and half of the ball socket. This will allow you to remove the ball stud from the housing.


The ball sleeve comes out next.


Now here is something else that was strange. Behind the ball sleeve in the grease pocket were 4 flat washers that were ground flat on one side. These did not look factory and were not on the diagram that came with the kit so I assume somebody put these in there why? I don't know but I left them out on reassembly because it appeared that they impeded the flow of grease to the ball stud.

[1967C20]

A thorough cleaning and a little black paint...


Now it's time to put it all back together. Basically it all goes back together in reverse order. I lubed the o-rings with power steering fluid before sliding the parts back in the valve body. The ball stud assembly goes back together using lots of grease.



There was no gasket between the two halves of the body so I used a very thin coat of RTV on both sides



Bolt the two halves back together. It will be much tighter than when you took it apart. I will touch up the bolts with paint later.


Bolt on the lock nut (4-5 turns according to the directions) then attach the dust cap.

[1967C20]

Next comes the dust sheild for the ball stud. Notice the differnce between the original and the replacement from the kit.




DOne!


Next is the ram cylinder.

[1967C20]

First let me say that the ram cylinder is technically not rebuildable because you can't open the unit. The only service you can do is replace the seals and rebuild the ball stud. If yours is damaged in any way it will need to replaced.
This is what came in the kit:


First are the cylinder rod seals. A snap ring holds everything in place, then a copper washer.


Then a fiber washer.


Then a rubber seal that proved very difficult to remove. It is a flat metal washer that is encased in rubber and sits down in a seat. It took a good 20 minutes of careful digging with various tools to finally get it out.


Here is everything removed in the order it came off.

[1967C20]

Next I worked on the ball stud. A snap ring holds everything in place. The left side of the photo is what came out of ball stud socket and the order that they came out. The right side shows the cylinder rod seals and their replacements.


Some black paint...


Then the new cylinder rod seals followed by the snap ring.


The ball stud socket has an 0-ring that did not come in the kit. However, remember the unused o-ring in the control valve kit? I tried it and it was a perfect fit.


The ball stud goes in next followed by lots of grease then the ball seat.


Then the spring.....


The the cap and the snap ring.


Finished!


I hope this has been helpful. It seems that the Corvette parts may be the answer if you want to keep your ram steering. I do not know if the Corvette valves and cylinders are a direct bolt-in for the truck parts or not. If I had to guess, I would say yes, but without a part in hand to try, I couldn't be sure. The rebuild kits definitely fit but I will not know how they perform until I get everything back on the truck in few weeks. One thing for sure, everything is tighter and the slop is gone from the control valve. Another thing to consider is be sure to take care of your original hoses. The Corvette hoses from the valve to the cylinder look like they might fit but I don't know of anyone making the hoses that go from the pump to the control valve.
This was an easy rebuild that anyone could do with right tools. If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer.

[herb101]

Awesome write-up with great documentation!

It may be blasphemous, but I seem to recall that an old Ford Maverick (1976 with a 250 straight six and auto) I had used the same system too. May be a Sagnaw part that was sold to all of the auto manufacturers.

Herb

[1967C20]

Thanks, Herb. I really enjoyed putting the write-up together. There is not much info out there on these systems, even on this site, so I thought there was a need. If it helps somebody, then mission accomplished. You are right about Ford having a similar setup. I know the early Ford Mustangs had ram assist but the control valves are the wrong shape and size. Not sure about the cylinders.

[cypress TX 72]

Ive never seen that in all my years - I first thought it was an Impalla type rack system - but its not - its just an assist, Right? - I mean you still have a gear box and pump ------correct?
Cypress

[1967C20]

Yep, that's right Cypress. The steering box is the same as what you would find on a truck with manual steering. The ram just adds an assist. The pump is a typical power steering pump. This is a picture of the pump and steering gear before I removed them from the truck. The hoses run from the pump to the control valve, then from the control valve to ram cylinder (left side of picture). I have other photos if anyone is interested.

[msgross]

Very nice write-up. Those systems are few and far between which means they sell quickly and bring decent money.

[cypress TX 72]

I learn something every day !!
I see your truck still has the factory rivits in the upper ball joint, hard to believe they made it that long...
That is Rivit i see isin't?
Cypress

[Bob B.]

Very nice restoration! When I decided to add power steering to my '67, I choose to install the 'correct' '67 ram type. I got lucky and found all the parts, including the very rare V-6 pump bracket. I also found that the control valve assembly is in fact the same used on Impalas and Corvettes, and I was able to purchase a new one from one of the classic Impala parts suppliers (Ecklers). I also found that the ram is the same type used on certain years of Impalas. There are 2 styles, and the only difference is were the ports are for the hydraulic lines. The hoses from the pump to the valve were not a problem, but I had to search around for a set of NOS hoses that go from the valve to the ram. Remember that there are places that can rebuild power steering hoses as long as the fittings are not screwed up.

[Bob B.]

Here's another picture:

[1967C20]

Cypress, those are bolts. The greasy crust makes them look like rivets in the photo. One good thing about greasy crust is the underside of my truck is practically rust free.

Bob B., you have an awesome looking truck! I don't think mine will ever look that good. I found some scary stuff in the front end so I am replacing everything, cleaning and painting as I go. Thanks for the info on the Impala's. I had no idea they had the ram power steering. Can you tell me what hoses (model year and/or part #) you ordered for the pump to the control valve? Mine are in good shape but it would nice to know where to find replacements one day.

[Bob B.]

The pump to valve pressure hose was an Omega #4051, which fits '67 and '68 Chevy/GMC pickups. The return line is just generic power steering return hose. Thanks for the compliment about my truck!

[nplocoman]

Wow Bob, You could serve steak off that suspension! That had to take a lot of work!

[68 Stepside]

I copied this post over into the Suspension and FAQ sections of the board. Great write up, great pictures. I had a 67 Panel truck with this system, and chose just to salvage the pump and brackets (292 I6) when I junked it, because I hadn't learned of the Corvette similarities.

Kudos on a nice post.

[NICK3757]

Nice work man. Big difference from start to finish.
Bob b. Nice truck. Do you have any more pics?

[1967C20]

Bob B., thanks for the hose info. You are right about the valve to ram hoses; they are very different from the Corvette and Impala parts. Mine are in great shape after being encased in oil and grease for decades. I've included a photo and a link so folks can see the difference. If anyone knows of a source for the correct truck hoses, please share. It's good to know the valves and cylinders from the Impalas and the 'Vettes will work on our trucks.

Truck hoses from control valve to cylinder


Photo and link to Impala hoses from control valve to cylinder (Corvette hoses look identical):

http://www.lategreatchevy.com/produc...dept%5Fid=1832

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by nplocoman

Wow Bob, You could serve steak off that suspension! That had to take a lot of work!

Thanks! It is a very slow (been on it better than 3 years) frame-off of a clean to begin with truck. It spent it's whole life in the San Fernando Valley north of L.A., so outside of a little surface rust the body was really sound. When you strech it out as long as I have, it doesn't seem like that much work! I'll post more pictures as I progress.