power steering fun and games

[repton]

I've just swapped the 3 bolt power steering box on my 110 for a 4 bolt one. I've got it bolted on and plumbed in, filled up the fluid reservoir, fired it up and kept topping up the reservoir as it bleeds itself.

Now if I move the steering wheel more than a few degrees the thing starts to oscillate quite violently by about 1/4 a turn of the steering wheel. There is a load on the box, albeit only a smallish one as the front end is still on axle stands, but it is connected to the drop arm.

Any ideas? The box I've put on was given to me several years ago by someone who didn't know if it was any good or not so I won't be too upset if it turns out the box is scrap.

If the general consensus is that the box is scrap, does anyone have a known good one they'll sell me?

Ta,
Paul

[davew]

How have you connected the pipes to the new box ?

Was chatting to Patrick about some bits and pieces and mentioned it to him, he says the pipes on the 3 bolt vs the 4 bolt are easy to get crossed over and, if that does happen, you get the symptoms you describe. From what he says it sounds like the pressure pipe and the return pipe are the opposite way round on the 4 bolt box.

[repton]

How have you connected the pipes to the new box ?

High pressure pipe at the back nearest the bulkhead, low pressure return to the tank at the front nearest the radiator.

Paul

[davew]

I'll check on mine tomorrow and let you know which way around mine are

[davew]

On mine it looks like they are the other way around.

The slightly larger pipe, nearest the bulkhead is the return.

[repton]

On mine it looks like they are the other way around.

The slightly larger pipe, nearest the bulkhead is the return.

That could be it then. Of course knowing Land Rover the two will be different threads so it'll not be as simple as just swapping them over, but I'm off out now to have a look.

Thanks Dave.

Paul

[tecnick]

On a steering note, I recently had a 'steering fault', it felt as if the power steering was weak. I also had a binding transmission brake which I have now sorted out. I now find that the steering is back to normal. Would the transmission brake be working similar to the centre diff thus changing the feeling of the steering? or am I just waiting for power steering pump to fail?
Any comments?

Cheers Nick

Geoff Ball, can you ring me please 07759680665, Ta

[repton]

Of course knowing Land Rover the two will be different threads.

And sure enough they do. Great. Time to go back to Pirtek and see if they have the right bits...

In my defence, it isn't my fault that I got it wrong, honest. When I got the box, not long after I got the 110, the bloke who gave me it also gave me a pump and some pipes and such but I never got it installed because I couldn't get the bottom pulley apart to add the extra pulley for the drive belt. The box came to me with a union in the back (return) hole to suit the high pressure hose it came with and an adapter in the front (feed) hole to connect a normal hose to with a jubilee clip for the return and I had foolishly assumed that the bloke I got it off knew what he was doing which I now realise isn't the case!

Never mind, I'm sure I'll get there in the end...

[TwoSheds]

On a steering note, I recently had a 'steering fault', it felt as if the power steering was weak. I also had a binding transmission brake which I have now sorted out. I now find that the steering is back to normal. Would the transmission brake be working similar to the centre diff thus changing the feeling of the steering? or am I just waiting for power steering pump to fail?

As you all know - I'm no expert, but IMHO it would seem logical that applying a torque to one side of the centre diff would cause a certain amount of transmission wind-up with consequent heavy steering...
Roger

[repton]

Well with some unions from Pirtek and some gentle tweaking with the universal tweaking tool (you know, the one that takes 4.5" diameter discs) needed due to the feed and return ports being so close together it all seems to work!

Dave, could you please thank Patrick on my behalf next time you speak to him - It would have taken me ages to work that out I suspect.

Now to start on the rest of the stuff that needs doing on it...

Paul