PS control valve

B

Beagle 1

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Mar 25, 2008
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Orange Co. Ca
I installed a new Lonestar ps control valve a while back and I may be having some problems.
After a few hundred miles, the centering adjustment changed and the car was pulling to one side, with a coresponding delay when turning the other way. Got it recentered and it drives streight now.
But there are still 2 things that don't seem right.
The steering effort seems higher than it was with the old leaky GM unit. Could the new control valve raise the steering effort?
Also, there seems to be a sleight delay when steering from center. Kind of like a worn steering box, but mechanically, everything is pretty tite, so I don't think that's the problem.
Anyone have any experience with the Lonestar valve, or other comments?
 
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A lot of the rebuilt valves are suspect these days. The springs used in them sometimes vary.
The box should not have any play on center. You may have a couple of issues there. If it's the box then it will be there until fixed. If the valve is binding you should get a replacement. Is it leaking?
 
GTR1999 said:
A lot of the rebuilt valves are suspect these days. The springs used in them sometimes vary.
The box should not have any play on center. You may have a couple of issues there. If it's the box then it will be there until fixed. If the valve is binding you should get a replacement. Is it leaking?
Click to expand...

No, it is not leaking. I got tired of replacing the leaking rebuilt units every 2or 3 years and sprung for a totally new unit. Lonestar brand from Texas.
I believe the box is OK.
Do you think that a bad valve could increase the overall effort to turn the wheel both ways?
Anyway to check?
 
Borgeson box

Beagle,
Have you looked at the integral power steering box made by Borgeson in Connecticut? It bolts straight in and all you have to do is "compress" the steering column an inch or two and replace the crappy old control valve with a Drag Link Adapter, also from Borgeson. Remove the ram, control valve and all four attached hoses and just run two new hoses from the pump to the new steering box.

You'll get a 12.7:1 ratio, 2.7 turns lock to lock, and a variable power assist ratio from near zero when the wheels are pointing straight ahead to maximum when parking. Just like in a modern car. And you should be able to do it all with plenty of change from a grand. Try and re-co your old box, control valve and ram and buy four new hoses for that price.

At least have a good look at it. www.borgeson.com.

Regards from Down Under:friends:

aussiejohn
 
Have you gotten under the car while someone turns the steering wheel back and forth? Obviously, you need to take great precautions to insure that you don't have the car falling on yourself. So with the car on a drive-on hoist or over a pit, perform the following inspections:

With the engine off, you will see some lost motion at the connection of the pitman arm to the control valve. So for now, neglect that one area.

Can you see the pitman shaft moving side to side where it goes into the steering gear housing? That movement of the shaft and arm could result in lost steering motion and could mean that the gear needs rebuilding.

Get up from under the car and look over the left fender at the input shaft on the gear. As the steering wheel is rocked back and forth, can you see the input shaft on the gear moving in and out of the gear housing? That could also mean that the gear needs adjusting or needs a rebuild.

Can you seen any lost motion in the flexible steering shaft coupling that connects the gear input shaft to the steering column shaft?

Go back under the car and look at the tie rod pivots, idler arm, etc. Can you see any lost motion at these locations?

Start the car, have someone rock the wheel again. The movement at the pitman arm to control valve connection should be gone. You should barely detect movement of the stud in the control valve.

Hope that this helps.

Jim
 
IF you rebuild the box, get the parts from Gary, and I have the magic torque wrench required to set the preload and lash.:beer:
 
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