anyone out there converted from your manual steering to power? i did with PAP parts and ive got hot spots. i put in the pump/res/lines/rack-n-pinion, everything. ive had a shop look at it and he said i have everything hooked up right. said it was nothing too drastic so i wouldnt worry about it. BUT ITS ANNOYING! any thoughts. he said something about bleeding the air out but ive been driving it like this for a couple weeks, over to idaho too, and i check the fluid everytime i get out of the thing and its never low. AAARRRRGGH!

sticky? hot spots?

sticky? hot spots?

when you turn the wheel, it has power for about 4 to 5 inches. then you get a dead/hot/sticky spot. it also tracks on the freeway and on sharp corners it grabs in the apex. perplexing, any ideas?

I would raise it, disconnect the PS lines and turn the wheel lock-to-lock several times to get all of the burnt fluid out of the rack. Then try to feed as much fluid as possible into the rack before hooking it back up. Then start the engine and purge the system (turn lock to lock several minutes with the cap off the resivuoir). A neighbor and I did that on a '67 Chevelle and it did wonders. Are you SURE you are using the right fluid? And realize that PS varies with engine RPM, which is why I stick with manual.

I would raise it, disconnect the PS lines and turn the wheel lock-to-lock several times to get all of the burnt fluid out of the rack. Then try to feed as much fluid as possible into the rack before hooking it back up. Then start the engine and purge the system (turn lock to lock several minutes with the cap off the resivuoir). A neighbor and I did that on a '67 Chevelle and it did wonders. Are you SURE you are using the right fluid? And realize that PS varies with engine RPM, which is why I stick with manual.

ill try it. anything will help. PS fluid is PS fluid right? the bottle says PS fluid on it. im not using ATF. i know the RPM varies it, but i dont wheel the car as much as my others so i dont care. i want PS for the road. im just basing it on the fact that my buddie's '87 doesnt have any probs.

I think PS fluid is Dexron II ATF in these cars, so yes PS fluid is ATF, but check your manual to be sure. I also don't know if newer versions of ATF are compatible. My guess otherwise would be that you have a bad rack. Usually pumps work fine or scream beyond belief.

BTW - check your tie rod ends and steering universal joint for probs too

Good Luck!

I use Dexron III castrol ATF in my PS pump..I also converted from manual to PS and I had a bud turn my steering wheel back and forth back and forth while I poored the fluid in till the fluid stopped dropping as it was poored into the strainer..I had the front wheels off the ground while I did this..then when it was full I had him keep turning lock to lock untill no more air bubbles came up..

i tried the whole wheels off the ground, turn the wheels, add the fluid.... still has "dry spots". maybe the pumps bad, or the rack n' pinion. i dont know. im still baffled.

Dude, ATF+3!!!! When I was younger I tried to flush my PS with uni-PS, not good. Not run AFT+2 might even cause leaks, and yes ATF+3 is just a more advanced ATF+2 so both will work. I bought a GL not to long ago and the owner said the PS system leaked. Come to find out he thought that the color red was bad and meant that it needed to be replaced, that's when the leaks started.

i doesnt leak, at all. and i used castrol ATF dexron III to refill it. thats where im at. im thinking maybe my steering column might be loose. it really shakes like crazy back and forth if you pull on it. the car has to have tons of miles on it. i think the seller put a newer tach in it, bastard, anyway, maybe ill throw a new column in and see if that helps.

I second checking the universal joint in the engine compartment. THese can get very stiff in certain directions.

Sorry, but I thought you said:

 

"the bottle says PS fluid on it. im not using ATF"

 

It's been a long night for one of us, maybe that wasn't even you...

i used power steering the first time i hooked everything up and started it up. then after i heard everyone saying to use dexron III ATF, i filled up with dexron III. so no, you arent wrong.