Saginaw Gearbox Rebuild: No Power steering now!

[swissarmychainsaw]

So I just rebuild the Saginaw Gearbox on my 1973 K10 350/350 Suburban

Got the rebuild kit from Rockauto.com; used this for reference:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/tr...g-box-rebuild/

Replaced the steering lines too.
I filled up the gearbox with fresh oil before I installed it.
I filled up the Power steering reservoir.

I started it up, and it feels like there is NO power steering.

This leads me to think I need to purge the air out of the lines?
How is this done?

Everything that I have sees says to "drive it" but this thing is HARD to turn the wheel. It's not like the power steering is noisy, it's like there is no power steering.

Actually, no PS steering cars are maybe easier to turn!

PS -- I ran the truck, then checked the PS oil, added some, ran it again. PS fluid shows in the dipstick, so it's not empty.

Help!

[Bigstevex4]

jack the front end up and steer lock to lock with it shut off several
times.

[Just call me Sean]

Non power steering cars ARE easier to steer than power steering cars with broken power steering.

[swissarmychainsaw]

Ok, I jacked it up, engine off turned wheels lock to lock *many times.

Added some fluid. Fired it up, no change. Did it again.
Checked fluid, and it looks good (not low).
Still really stiff trying to turn it, EVEN with the wheels off the ground.

...?

[craig113]

Maybe a teflon ring or O-ring got cut or is out of the groove and binding.
Second thought is that it is torqued to tight at the adjustment of the worm gear.

[swissarmychainsaw]

So I think all the O-rings and Teflon rings are in place because I was able to spin the gear in and out by hand before I installed it in the truck.

The sector-shaft tension screw is all the way out. Which I'm assuming should place no extra drag on the gear.

I jacked it up, power off, far right to far left (count 1)
Far right to far left (count 2)
At least 20 times.
Made some hissing noises when the cap was on

Fired it up, turning right is not terrible (still no power steering), but it won't turn left at all! Even made some GACK noise. WTF.

Is it possible I have a ball in the wrong place in the worm gear?

I'm confused man! Now I know it's coming out.

I'm tempted to just turn it in for a re-manufactured unit.

bummed out!

[Bigstevex4]

Got air bleed out afraid something out sink. I haven't had one apart for decades we just buy exchanges.

[Bigstevex4]

Don't sweat it any body claiming to be a mechanic and hasn't ever taken something out and apart some times more than once is lying. Good luck take apart slowly checking everything.

[craig113]

Did you separate the two types of ball bearings into their respected groups (light and dark)?

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gener...build-how.html

[v30crewcab]

did you blip the throttle once or twice, or just start it and let it idle? sometimes the plastic vanes in the pump stick, and you gotta blip it to get it to start pumping.

[Bigstevex4]

you didnt crank down on the ajustment screw might try backing it of.f

[swissarmychainsaw]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The ball bearings on this one were all the same color. I did not measure them, but they really looked the same size to me. I spied them carefully because there were lots of references to the different size balls.

Jacked the truck off the ground, and turned the wheel lock to lock 20 times.
Right, left, Right = 1.
That seemed to get the air out of the system, but after that, it would not turn left and was clearly binding.

Unfortunately that was the end of the road for that project. Originally I was not going to rebuild the unit, but decided for only $28 from rockauto, it was worth a shot.

Because I rebuild the whole front end, I decided that if the Steering Gear Box Rebuild was not right, I would just put in a re-built unit ($$$$).

I went to Napa, ordered the part, installed it. WHAAAAT???? the power steering lines would not thread in!
Pulled the unit out, and sure enough it was not the right part.
The number on the box was correct but the fitting for the return line was different.

Now you have to know that at this point I'm excited to get my rig back on the road, it's been 2 months; it's raining, but this is the last thing to do, so I suck it up, in the rain and install the "new" gear box.

Moral of the story is "check it before you install it"!

I pulled that one out and returned it, but what a waste of time! I even put the pitman arm on it! LOL man!

If I had to to it all again, I think would only have opened the Gear Box up enough to replace the obviously leaking seal.

The new Steering Gear is quit tight. It's not *difficult* to turn the wheel, but it feels stiff. I turned the "sector-shaft adjuster" out nearly a quarter turn, and that did not seem to help.

Thanks again for all the help guys!

[swissarmychainsaw]

I should add:
The steering components (tied rods, pitman arm, etc) are the same as before, but I did replace the ball joints. I believe the tension on them is good. By that I mean the force it takes to move the Steering knuckle (when nothing is attached to it) left and right.