Procedure to adjust Saginaw power steering gear

[ManniB]

Hi,

in the shop manual I've read about the recommended procedure to adjust the Saginaw power steering gear. It involves removing the pitman arm and emptying the fluid from the gear.

Is there a way to avoid disconnecting the fluid line? I hate the idea to end up with a leaking line. On the other hand, I don't want to risk damaging the unit.

- Manfred

 

[c9zx]

Manfred, I have, many years ago, cheated the process by making very, very small adjustments to the mesh load screw without disconnecting the hoses. Then drive the car to look for a change, good or bad. What problem are you trying to solve? Does the steering seem "loose" and not responsive to small changes in the steering wheel position. Most of the other steering/suspension parts wear out long before the saginaw steering box wears a significant amount. I would check everything else before adjusting the steering box mesh load. Chuck

 

[ManniB]

Manfred, I have, many years ago, cheated the process by making very, very small adjustments to the mesh load screw without disconnecting the hoses. Then drive the car to look for a change, good or bad. What problem are you trying to solve? Does the steering seem "loose" and not responsive to small changes in the steering wheel position. Most of the other steering/suspension parts wear out long before the saginaw steering box wears a significant amount. I would check everything else before adjusting the steering box mesh load. Chuck

Chuck,

the steering seems to be a little loose and I have the feeling, the car is wandering while driving. It is like I constantly have to control the direction.

However, I'm not sure if this is the difference between modern and old steering technology. Another thing is I dont know how well the Euromaster boys (German chain) have adjusted the front end.

All the involved front end components have been replaced during the restoration, so they should be tight.

- Manfred

 

[c9zx]

Manfred, I have, many years ago, cheated the process by making very, very small adjustments to the mesh load screw without disconnecting the hoses. Then drive the car to look for a change, good or bad. What problem are you trying to solve? Does the steering seem "loose" and not responsive to small changes in the steering wheel position. Most of the other steering/suspension parts wear out long before the saginaw steering box wears a significant amount. I would check everything else before adjusting the steering box mesh load. Chuck

Chuck,

the steering seems to be a little loose and I have the feeling, the car is wandering while driving. It is like I constantly have to control the direction.

However, I'm not sure if this is the difference between modern and old steering technology. Another thing is I dont know how well the Euromaster boys (German chain) have adjusted the front end.

All the involved front end components have been replaced during the restoration, so they should be tight.

- Manfred

Manfred, The older systems do not respond to steering input as quickly as current cars. However, I don't think it is normal that you need to constantly correct the steering to keep it going straight. If the toe was set to Zero on both sides it might cause the symptoms you describe. If the caster adjustment was way off it might cause suspension/steering not to self center (return the wheel to a centered position when leaving a turn). Does it become more pronounced the faster you drive? Did the Euromaster Tech give you an alignment settings print out? If you feel the alignment is correct, you could try the "cheat" method and see if anything changes. If you do, tighten a little at a time, about 1/16 of a turn. Chuck

 

[ManniB]

Manfred, The older systems do not respond to steering input as quickly as current cars. However, I don't think it is normal that you need to constantly correct the steering to keep it going straight. If the toe was set to Zero on both sides it might cause the symptoms you describe. If the caster adjustment was way off it might cause suspension/steering not to self center (return the wheel to a centered position when leaving a turn). Does it become more pronounced the faster you drive? Did the Euromaster Tech give you an alignment settings print out? If you feel the alignment is correct, you could try the "cheat" method and see if anything changes. If you do, tighten a little at a time, about 1/16 of a turn. Chuck

Chuck,

self centering of the steering is nearly zero. However, I have attributed this to old steering technology.

Actually, I'm unsure to what kind of specs they have aligned the steering. I gave them specifications I found on the other Mustang board, but I didn't get any actual settings in return. However, they wrestled with the steering for three hours and claimed afterwards they had problems with the excentrics of the lower arms. So my suspicion is the settings may be off. This brings me to another subject which would be:

Is it possible to measure/set steering alignment at home by using common tools? I will open another thread on this topic.

- Manfred