Power steering

[cigar-]

Last item to get done before I hopefully fire up my 71 C10 this weekend.

I bought a new high pressure hose from the pump to the steering box. I also bought a new low pressure tube. When I installed both and tightened up the nuts, both tubes are loose and turn. It's as if they aren't seating inside of the fittings.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? I tightened them up as far as I could without breaking them off inside of the steering housing.

Should there be another fitting or an o-ring to take up the slack? Tomorrow I'm going to look at the flared ends of the new and compare to the old. Who knows....maybe the new ones need a different flared end.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[zicc1835]

someone with more knowledge than i will tell you that the fittings are different after 72 i believe 73 and up (not sure)may be different thats gonna be your problem u should see when u match the old with the new

Originally Posted by cigar-

Last item to get done before I hopefully fire up my 71 C10 this weekend.

I bought a new high pressure hose from the pump to the steering box. I also bought a new low pressure tube. When I installed both and tightened up the nuts, both tubes are loose and turn. It's as if they aren't seating inside of the fittings.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? I tightened them up as far as I could without breaking them off inside of the steering housing.

Should there be another fitting or an o-ring to take up the slack? Tomorrow I'm going to look at the flared ends of the new and compare to the old. Who knows....maybe the new ones need a different flared end.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[robs71k5]

It would help if you clarified which end you had problems with the end at the steering box or the end at the pump ?

[cigar-]

I'm having problems on the ends that go into the steering box that's bolted tovthecframe rail. The high pressure hose fitting on the back of the pump tightens up just fine. As you know the low pressure side on the back of the pump takes a piece of hose and clamp.

[70cst]

Ttt

[68shortfleet]

I would put money on it that you have a later(77+) gearbox that uses o-ring style line fittings. I you pull your lines off the gearbox, you should see the tapered brass fitting that looks like it would match up to the line you are installing. The o-ring style gearbox will not have this brass fitting at all.

Secondly, You mentioned finally getting to fire up your motor. If this is a new motor build or an untested/untuned/unknown motor to you, I personally like to leave the power steering belt off until I get the engines cam "broke in", or any carb tuning that needs done. The reason for this is that the power steering system will need topped off a couple of times at least as the fluid circulates through the pump, lines and gearbox. If you don't keep the pump full, it can ruin the pump. If it doesn't ruin the pump, it will certainly foam the fluid, making it harder to get all the air out of the system.
So, just leaving the belt off until you are ready to attend to just the PS system is usually less headache in the long run.

[cigar-]

All I can see that's different is the flare on the old versus the flare on the new fittings. It seems the Nut doesn't bottom out enough in relation to the depth of the opening on the steering box.

I'd bet money that the flare on the new hose isn't made the same as the old hose. I can see a difference between them. The steering box looks like original based on the LMC catalog, the Truck Parts of Orange catalog and the amount of crap on the box and frame in the truck.