No power steering after adjusting steering play

I would recommend starting over (if thats possible).

When I adjusted mine, I tightened it maybe 1/8 of a turn total. I didn't "back it out" though. Did you loosen it before tightening it? It didn't take much for it to get tight. You did loosen the locking nut around the allen first, right? I put a box end wrench on the nut, and an allen in the adjusting bolt, then loosened the nut while holding the allen still. Once the lock nut was loose, I turned the allen until the resistance increased. Once it stopped, I held it firm and tightened the lock nut back.

This took all of about 15 minutes (including finding the right wrench size for the nut) start to finish.

Richard (or someone) had mentioned that you couldn't tighten it too much, but it seems to me that you accomplished this. If it did get too tight, I would imagine that the steering would feel as you describe it.

The box is binding up. The power aspect of the steering probably remains but the odd steering response - no return - is from binding. The car is unsafe to drive because the box could lock up and cause a collision.

This adjustment is to well worn gears and so must be made in very small increments of about a 1/8 turn, then drive some months and turn it again by 1/8 turn etc. A record is kept in case one needs to back off and return to a prior position. You're now unable to find the original adjustment.

The box needs to be rebuilt or replaced with a rebuilt or used one; there's no choice.

Okay, so I decided that it is better to have loose steering than a binding box and loosened it by another full half turn. This put me at a point where I am about 1/2 turn more tightened than when I started. I checked the steering for play and there seemed to be plenty of it, but still no power steering. So I decided that just to be sure I wasn't overlooking the obvious (wouldn't be the first time.) I would check the power steering fluid. I checked it and it was bone dry. So on the way to work I bought some and put it in. After purging the air, which took all of about two minutes, it worked fine. The steering is still tight enough, and there doesn't appear to be any binding, and I now have my power steering back.

The thing that I wonder about is when did I lose the fluid, and where did it go? The car had sat for almost a month between the time I had last driven it and the time that I realized I had not power steering. It may have all leaked out in that time if it had a way to get out, but I don't see any trace of it. But then again I had it parked over gravel, so I don't know if it would have left much of a trace. Is it possible that overtightening it allowed fluid to leak past a seal into other parts of the steering box, but it is still in there somewhere? I considered that maybe I hurt a seal and the fluid leaked otu while the engine was running, but that doesn't make sense because it had no powere steering almost immediately.

Upon leaving work yesterday I checked under the car and saw no puddle. I'm going to check the reservoir tonight and see how it looks. I'm puzzled where the fluid went and when and why. Hopefully I don't lose any more.

As for how I tightened it, I backed off the big nut-I use a 3/4 even though I know it is metric, but I don't have open end metric wrenches that fit it. I start out by puttin gthat wrench on, then putting the allen wrench on so I can see there orientation relative to each other before I move anything. I then loosen the big nut by about a quarter turn, and then turn the allen wrench counterclockwise to tighten and clockwise to loosen the steering. When i am done I tightn the big nut and the allen doesn't turn in relation to it, instead it turns with it.

The fluid is leaked out of the PS pump, wipe its bottom and you may find the rear seal is leaking. You're lucky the pump is still OK.

The box adjustment - one needs to hold the allen wrench to maintain the adjustment while tightening the lock nut. The lock nut just needs to be snug - about 10 ft lbs.

You are a lifesaver to those of us with ancient cars. Many thanks.

When you say hold it in place to maintain the adjustment, do you mean that I need to keep the allen from turnig at all? What I do is when I loosen the lock nut I let the allen spin with it, then I turn it while holding the lock nut in place, then when I tighten the lock nut the allen turns with it. So both move CCW by ~1/3 turn, then allen only moves CCW by maybe 1/8 turn to tighten up steering, then both move CW the original 1/3 turn to tighten the lock nut. should I instead be holding the allen in place while I loosen and tighten the lock nut?

I checked the fluid yesterday morning, and it was still at the same level. It is very odd. Although today I moved my car in the driveway. I turned the wheels without the car moving(I normally try not to do this) and the power steering was kind of choppy like the pump wasn't keeping up. How do I replace the seal on the back of the pump? Is it just a seal around the junction of one of the hoses, or what does it seal to? I remember the pulley is on the front, so that can't be the seal you speak of.

should I instead be holding the allen in place while I loosen and tighten the lock nut?

Yes, exactly.

Choppy steering may be due to the belt slipping. How tight is the belt?

Before attacking any seal it's best to know there's a leak.