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1973 mustang convertible power steering not working.

Joecam1967

Joecam1967

New Member
Hi,
rebuilding a ‘73 convertible. Swapped the 250 straight 6 for a 351W. Finally got the car moving and noticed stiff steering.
The original PS pump seized ( noticed by belt slipping), swapped it and as we installed the new pump to flush and bleed the system, noticed there is no fluid coming out of the return line. Only a intermittent drip at times.
and the fluid level in the pump is not going down. No leaks. When we turn the steering wheel ( front end raised) we hear some gurgling but no return fluid. New hoses are installed also. Any way to test-if the gearbox is bad?
 
No fluid from return line ....and no assitent to the left or right ......I think p/s pump is shot . If oil level is ok but I presume is so.
 
Brand new ? Then maybe you have an air bulb in the p/s pump.
Try to overfill the reservoir and turn the pulley by hand and see what happens.
The oil level should drop if you got an airbulb inside the p/s pump.
 
Thanks. We did the flushing and bleeding process as recommended by the installation paper work. No more than a few drops of fluid out of the return line… turned the pulley by hand, cranked the motor with the belt connected etc…
 
Well , before sending it back to JC's I would dissemble the pump and rotate it through its axes to be sure the air is out and see what happens when its mounted back with the belt in place. My 2 eurocent.
 
BTW p/s oil/fluid goes from the steering valve to the return port of the p/s pump.
 
How about this: detach the pressure line from the back of the pump, attach a clear temporary line, spin the pump by hand, if fluid pumps out, then pump is good and problem is down line. That’s what I’m thinking to try next.
 
Having a hard time blaming the pump here unless I am wrong about the '73 PS system. Isn't it just like the earlier mustangs? Uses a valve/ram set-up? If so it sure seems to me that I'd be looking at the control valve for an issue. A new pump is going to pump. Pretty basic in operation. Easy enough to test by simply spinning by hand and looking for output. If the valve is jammed up that could explain the lack of fluid movement.
 
Thanks. i did attach a clear hose to pump output and spun the pump and no fluid. I did the same with my seized pump, still spins, just not freely, the seized pump pumped fluid…..
 
I believe the 71-73 models use a borgeson style power steering . But nevertheless I believe the pump has a failure.
Was the orignal package open prior receiving it ? That could explaine some.
 
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