power steering headaches?!?!

[Nate003]

so i've been working on my 68 power steering for awhile. but now that i have it all put back togather it's going crazy. I'm pretty sure all the air is out of the lines. What happened after I first put it back togather was that the steering wheel turns itself all the way to the left with no assist. if you turn it all the way back to the right as soon as you let go of the wheel it will turn itself all the way to the left. I took the cap off to check the fluid and it was all bubbles and foamed up. I turned it off and let it sit and then filled it up and didn't probally bleed all the air out off it but after I started it again after turning the wheels all the way to the left again and it sitting there running for a minute the pressure line burst. After replacing the pressure line and researching how to get the air out it is still trying to turn itself all the way to the left. Do i have a bad pump? or is there something else? I have the power steering that's pictured, the older version that was on the 67 as well.

[sjarrett71]

Not trying to insult your intelligence but when you were turning stop to stop-left to right was the front end jacked up and off the ground and the power steering cap off?

[Boog]

Those slave cylinder type ps systems had their quirks. Your symptoms are very similar to mine as I had with the same type ps on a 57 Chevy car. The control valve down on the steering linkage is not centered. In the plugged end of the valve there is an adjustment nut. Turning it right or left will help center that valve. It has to arrive at a neutral position to stop it from turning on it's own. Weakened spring and seals inside may be the problem. At the time I was working on mine there were no rebuild parts available for it so I got it as close as I could. It leaked also. Unless you are doing a "correct" restoration I would suggest you go for the integrated power steering sector.

[Nate003]

thanks boog, actually it's a brand new control valve so the centering is most likely the problem. do you know if i adjust that with the truck running or with it off?

oh and yeah i had the wheels jacked off ground and cap off. no offense taken.

[mr48chev]

It's a bit of a hit an miss operation until you have done a few and then it doesn't get any easier. I added a whole new section of cuss words to my vocabulary working on an early 60's Ford with one of those setups in it 35+ years ago.