Power Steering Valve Body leaking

[MoJo]

Hoping someone can help with the following issue. This is my first post, so bear with me. I have a 1966 Chrysler 300 4-door with power steering. Noticed a power steering leak was coming from the valve body on top of the steering box. I researched the issue and decided to replace the o-rings. After removing the valve assembly to change the o-rings, I noticed a slotted pin sticking up from the gearbox under the valve unit. There is a spring that surrounds this pin. The problem is that I cannot get the valve assembly to re-seat on the steering box because this pin appears to be sticking up to far. I have not moved the steering wheel during this time. Is this pin suppose to compress down into the steering box or does it somehow go up into the valve assembly?

 

[Davea Lux]

Hoping someone can help with the following issue. This is my first post, so bear with me. I have a 1966 Chrysler 300 4-door with power steering. Noticed a power steering leak was coming from the valve body on top of the steering box. I researched the issue and decided to replace the o-rings. After removing the valve assembly to change the o-rings, I noticed a slotted pin sticking up from the gearbox under the valve unit. There is a spring that surrounds this pin. The problem is that I cannot get the valve assembly to re-seat on the steering box because this pin appears to be sticking up to far. I have not moved the steering wheel during this time. Is this pin suppose to compress down into the steering box or does it somehow go up into the valve assembly?

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The spring is not installed correctly. See Image from Sec 19-13 of the '66 manual. Click on mail 004, not the icon. Spring should be inside the valve body.
Download manual at www.mymopar.com free. You will find it in the Tools/Reference section.
Dave

 

[Davea Lux]

As a follow up, when you get it back together, be very careful not to have your arm thru the steering wheel when starting the car. The PA valve will likely be out of adjustment after removal and this will cause The steering wheel to jery quickly to one side or the other. This can break your arm. Procedure to adjust the valve is in the FSM.

Dave

 

[CBODY67]

You might have been very careful to not disturb anything when you removed the valve body, which is great, but almost any time that valve body is removed, "something" moves and the re-adjustment process is necessary. A very "tap and try" situation, until you get it where the steering wheel does not self-turn side to side. Be sure to use real Power Steering fluid in the system, not ATF, from my experiences.

Please keep us posted on how it worked for you.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Mopars on Steeroids

 

[MoJo]

Thanks for the input, definetly useful information. I was able to determine the problem and wanted to update this thread in case anyone else has this issue. The first picture below shows the valve assembly when I went to install it. As this was my first time, I wasn't aware that the valve within the assembly could move and rotate. Apparently, there is a recessed area on the cylindrical valve that accepts the end of the rod which is shown in the 2nd and 3rd pictures. The valve had rotated after I removed it while changing the o-rings, thus preventing the valve assembly from fully seating on the steering box.

As for the spring, I'm not sure what Davea Lux means by "Not installed correctly". The spring is tapered with a wide end and narrow end. When I pulled the valve assembly off, the wide end was up towards the valve assembly. This unit was driving and working with the spring in that orientation. Should the wide end go down into the steering box? I posted a picture from a youtube video below that appears to show the spring with the narrow end down. In addition, I posted a link to a youtube video about the Chrysler steering systems. If you look at the video time index 10:36 you can make out the spring orientation.

Here is the youtube video:

Also, thanks for the link for the "Mopar on Steriods", tons of good info in there.

 

[fury fan]

Every adjustment of that valve location on the gearbox is a dart-throw. If it's off, you have a car with a constant steering pull.
I've tried that adjustment twice in my life, but never again.
When I get a leak there I replace the whole steering box. New box will be tighter anyway (at least the ones I bought were).

 

[John Kirby]

Every adjustment of that valve location on the gearbox is a dart-throw. If it's off, you have a car with a constant steering pull.
I've tried that adjustment twice in my life, but never again.
When I get a leak there I replace the whole steering box. New box will be tighter anyway (at least the ones I bought were).

Before disassembly take a scribe and mark the location of the valve body on the gearbox. That way when reassembling the valve will be very close to where it needs to be. Use carb cleaner or something similar to remove all the crud first. Cleanliness is very important here.