I have removed my PS Control Valve and slave cylinder on my 69 XR7. The cylinder has a cracked head and 128564 stamp and the shaft appears to be bent - I will replace this part. The Control Valve has a Bendix stamp and visually appears okay. Should I replace the valve or attempt to rebuild it with the kits available?
The engine (351W) is out of the car. The steering box needs to be rebuilt (no adjustment left) and the steering was quite sloppy with multiple fluid leaks withing the power steering system.
Any opinions on where to get a new control valve?
I had my entire PS setup rebuilt by Randy at http://www.stangerssite.com. He definitely takes a while to get it done, and communication with customers isn’t always his strong suit but my stuff came back looking and working fantastic:
mfc133,
Looks great. How much time did it take ( Im in no rush)? I checked the website out and think I may do it. Stupid question: If i pull the steering link will the wheels maintain there support position? The engine is out. I do not want the wheels to fold up under the fenders.
My stuff took about 3 months. Might want to just contact him first and see how backed up he is before sending anything.
You can pull the steering parts (center link, tie rods, idler arm, pitman arm) without worry of the suspension collapsing or anything, the tires will stay exactly where they are. The steering components don’t bear any weight from the suspension. You’ll just need to have an alignment done after you bolt the new stuff back in.
Removing all the steering linkage will not cause the wheels to fold up into the fenders. The upper and lower control arms will keep them in place that way. The problem you will have once the linkage is removed will be if you need/want to move the car. The only way to move it will be to use a floor jack under the front of the car. If you do decide to remove all the linkage I would suggest that you first place the car in a spot where it can stay until you receive the rebuilt parts to reinstall.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
You can take out the hydraulic parts and leave the linkage in place. You just won’t have any connection between the steering gearbox and the linkage.
Rebuilding the control valve is not a big deal. Just follow the instructions and take your time. Best diagram etc is in the factory shop manual. One issue I encountered was that there were burrs on the spool inside the valve which caused it to stick in the bore a bit. A little polishing of the spool surfaces and edges fixed the problem.
Thank you all for the input. Car won’t move until the steering and engine are installed.