Power Steering Problem with 87 C30

A new belt will not make the wheels turn any further with the engine off. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig
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Your are not following the post properly and have the wrong idea here. Go back and read it all and you will see what I mean

Reply to
TheSnoMan

The fact that the steering wheel will only turn 180 degrees from center in either direction with the engine off suggests a steering componate failure. All modern GM Hydralic/Power Steering Racks and Gear boxes are hydralic/power Over Mechanical. Which means with no input from a boost device, they will still operate, in full range, just with Much greater effort. It does not matter if the vehicle is equiped with Hydra-boost or not.

Let me simplify this for you. 180 degrees either way from 12 o'clock on the steering wheel (known as center) would be one turn lock to lock. Lock to Lock should be atleast 3 to 3&1/2 turns. That indacates a Bind, broken steering componate not related to the boost device, or a steering gear box issue.

The pump maybe toast, as well as the belt. Yet installing a new belt at this point is akin to changing a bad starter on a seized engine. Hydra-boost pumps will whine badly if the steering is frozen while the pump is trying to apply boost. Same as with any GM/Saginaw powersteering pump if you hold your wheel at lock and increase engine speed above idle. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

Not really because when power is off, the further you turn it, the harder it gets to turn it wwen vehicle is not moving. I have seen lose/bad belt cause this before because GM varible ratio power steering take a LOT of boost at low speeds.

Reply to
TheSnoMan

It has STOPPED raining. It went from 65 yesterday to 19 last night. I found a couple of pieces of 4 x 4, put the jack on top and got one front wheel off the ground and the other substantially off the ground. I sprayed about of quart of belt dressing on and, it turned from lock to lock without squealing -- eventually.

I'm wondering if a HD belt would be better or an OEM belt.

It brought to mind an old,old (1960s?)IH riding lawn mower I have. Two years ago, I replaced the belt (possibly original belt - all markings gone) with a brand X. Lasted about an hour. May have put two on. Somebody recommended an OEM belt. It was a huge job finding out what the OEM belt was and it was expensive, but it finished out the year with no problem. I expect many years more. I have no idea what the physical difference was, but the difference in terms of longevity was huge.

Reply to
A. Smith

Just get a new Dayco belt and tighten it a lot and run it for a bit and retighen it again and I cannot over stress that it needs to be pretty tight on the model truck.

Reply to
TheSnoMan

did you check .to see if your ball jiont where not frose.....had one freez up on one side....just drop the steering arm...good luck

Reply to
R G

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