Power Steering Valve Body Installation

[71383bee]

I pulled the vb off to fix a leak last weekend and tried to repair it with new o rings from the hardware store.  End result was a full on mess of the engine bay upon startup with a massive leak.  After much cussing and a break i tore it back down to discover the o ring i bought was too thick and got hung up on the centering spring likely causing the leak.  What is worse is that when torquing the valve body down i snapped one of the upper tangs on the pushrod that goes from the gear box to the valve body.  I'm guessing i didn't have it lined up properly.  Luckily i found all of the pieces and i had a spare 71 gear box with a vb still on it in storage and i pulled a pushrod out of that. 

Upon research I then educated myself upon the importance of properly installing the valve body to sufficient degree to scare me a little bit as i really don't like the idea of the car auto steering me into a pole or a ditch while out for a family cruise. 

So my question is this...I have the o rings from rock auto now and am ready to try and reinstall this.  IS there a trick to installation that can get me close as far as adjustment?  Can i install the pushrod in the valve body first and then install into the gear box?  Any ideas? 

For adjustment what i have read is to jack up the front wheels.  loosen bolts to 7#'s per ft.  start car.  lightly tap the valve body forward to the firewall to adjust left or down towards the battery for right.   tighten bolts.  turn car on/off to see if the wheel auto turns at all.  If not its set.  Does that sound right?  I've read some say hold the wheel and others say not too.  All i know is if i don't do this right i can seriously injure someone. 

Any help on this is greatly appreciated as I have a bit of trepidation doing this now. 

[Burdar]

If you would have scribed a mark on the housing before you removed the valve body, it would have made things easier.  Just try to center it as much as possible.  Make sure that when you start the engine for the first time, not to have your hands any where near the steering wheel.  If something is wrong with the valve body pushrod, the wheel will  instantly turn to lock.  If your arm is in between the spokes, it will end up broken.  There is a crazy amount of force there.

Adjust the valve body back and forth until the wheel stays straight and doesn't want to move on its own.

[1 Wild R/T]

Easy....  Bolt it up but just snug the bolts, get the front tires in the air & start the car...  When you start the car don't have your hand through the steering wheel go around it...  If you got lucky the wheel won't budge....  Chances are it will turn to full lock either right or left.... It can do that slow & lazy or it can spin fast & hard ( reason for not having your hand through the spokes of the steering wheel)  tap the valve a little up or down to get the wheel to move toward center... If you move it to far it will go full lock the other direction.... When you get close us very light taps to center the wheel.....   Tighten the bolts... Now shut the car off & watch the steering wheel as you start the car..... It shouldn't move.... If the adjustment is slightly off the wheel will "kick" toward one side then settle down....  Keep tweaking the adjustment till it's right....

[71383bee]

Thanks guys,

is there any advantage to putting the pushrod on the valve body and then inserting into the steering gear?  Or just place the valve body down onto the gear and feel to make sure it goes in.  I snapped the last one and recall it binding a little then going in easy...that was the snap! 

[HP_Cuda]

Man I remember doing this and almost busted my arm in half when it went full left upon startup.

It happened really fast too so watch it.

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks guys,

is there any advantage to putting the pushrod on the valve body and then inserting into the steering gear?  Or just place the valve body down onto the gear and feel to make sure it goes in.  I snapped the last one and recall it binding a little then going in easy...that was the snap!

I've always inserted it in the box, the control valve should drop down flush without resistance...

[RUNCHARGER]

I insert the valve into the box first as well. Ha, when I was 20 years old I held the dang wheel all the way to the Chrysler dealer so I could ask a mechanic how to set it.

[71383bee]

Success!!!

Well thanks all for the advice.  This weekend I reassembled the valve body and installed it with new o rings.  Fired it up and was blessed with a slight kick to the left on the wheel and best of all no leaks.  i adjusted it by tapping with my 1.2 ratchet and got the wheel to barely shake at start up.  With the wheels up and turning side to side several times i noticed no auto steer so i tightened her up and drove her to the store to get some more PS fluid.  after topping off it ran like a champ the whole time with no pulling or leaking. 

I believe i got this one fixed! 

[RUNCHARGER]

Good job, just another little Mopar specific job under the belt.