This is the power steering control valve from my 1970 cougar and I had a bit of trouble getting the fitting to seal.
I finally got it to stop leaking but not before rounding the corners of the nut.
The nut will sink all the way to the shoulder of the nut making a flare wrench impossible to use.
At first I thought that maybe what I needed was a longer flare nut and planed to replace it later when I could find one.
The rebuild kit came and I took the control valve off and discovered that the unit on the right is missing the bottom of the flare in the hole and is different than the one on the left that has the flare stop installed. This is how it was when I got the car.
I am not the first person to work on this control valve but what I would like to know is if that piece is removable and that maybe it had fallen out at some time in the past.
I did not think that part was removable and I have rebuilt many of them in the late 80-‘s and 90’s, I have never seen one that would and I even tried to remove others in the past that were rusted and found that it is formed at the same time that the screw is made.
At least that is what I thought of these units
Also you can see that the threads inside of the unit on the right, have started to break off and I will have to use the one on the left in order to keep this from leaking again.
Are they removable and if so where can a guy get a new one? Not that it would do me any good since the threads have been stressed.
I have never seen a replacement part.
Maybe I was just lucky all these years and never lost one.
Any information on this part?
Those flares inside the ports are actually aluminum inserts and they are available. I got some from CJ Ponyparts. To get the old ones out, screw in a self tapping machine screw and pull it out with a vice grip pliers. I’m surprised you were able to get a leak free seal with an insert missing.
I thought they were brass but if you bought new ones and removed old ones, you’d be the authority! Back in the day when we used to rebuild master cylinders, they came with new inserts. They had to come out to service the residual pressure valve in the rear drum circuit. Those were always brass.
Thanks for the information. I have tried to remove them before with sheet screws and a slide hammer and all I got out of the deal was worse than what I had.
I guess I did not hold my tail in the right position to get it out.
who ever worked on it before me got it to seal as well. I drove the car 1200 miles home from where I bought it and it was the same then as it is now.
back to work I go.
thanks again.
Mick
Use a self-tapping machine screw rather than a sheet metal screw (if I understand what you wrote correctly). Using a machine screw, I find that what works best (and was probably originally an instruction from a MC rebuild kit) is two screwdrivers, one on each side of the screw head and used as pry-bars.
You can make a simple puller by putting a nut onto your machine screw followed by a washer big enough to cover the outside edge of the port. Screw the machine screw into the insert, then run the nut down against the washer and it will pull the insert up and out.
Good info for the next person that looks up a power steering control valve.
Ya, I wrote sheet screws, I have used a ton of them so far this year and it just roles off the top of the head. A self tapper would be the one to use.
Excellent solution Yorgle, I will try that on one.
