I need to get a power steering pump for my 38 Chevy. It has a SBC with a Mustang II power rack. The PO put a pump on it but never hooked it up and it is bad. Have no clue what it is off. Any suggestions?
GM p/s pumps do not work well (or at all??) with Ford R&P. Various outlets sell a pump that WILL work...or you can try to fit up a stock Ford pump from an R&P car.
The problem with GM pumps is the pressure is higher than needed. Some times the steering seems overly sensitive and twichy. Lots of people sell a small valve that lowers the pressure and they work OK. Hose kits are also redily available.
http://www.borgeson.com/xcart/catalog/P_S_Pump_Painted_Black_Mustang_Pressure-p-1410.html Already revalved for a mustang II rack and ready to go. I was under the impression that the high pressure wasn't so much a problem as was the volume. Stock GM is 3 gallons per minute and the mustang rack only needs 2 gallons per minute.
If a later model mustang rack will bolt in they are supposed to not be as sensative as the early racks were. I have a fatman setup in my old truck and I called fatman last week and they said I could run what ever pump I wanted to. I am at that point in on my project also. Hope this helps
This was sent to me from a guy in wisconsin. I can't swear to the origin or the accuracy because I'm not at that stage yet. Here is a copy and paste from the e-mail. "Customer has a problem with the Mustang II rack blowing out seals. He is running a GM pump and a Mustang II IFS power steering rack unit. The GM pump puts out too much pressure for the Mustang rack. GM power steering pumps operate between 1000 and 1200 psi. Mustang II power racks were designed to operate between 700 and 800 psi and differing GPM flow rates. This difference in pressure requirements can and does cause a couple problems. First is a very "touchy" feel to the steering at highway speeds. You have to pretty much be on top of the car at all times. The second problem is blowing out seals in the Mustang rack. When he contacted the company that made his Mustang II kit, one of the guys there told him to just "cut" the pressure spring in the back of the pump. This is NOT the right way to lower the pressure of a GM pump. If you cut the spring it's like shooting in the dark. You never know what pressure you'll wind up with because a little taken off the spring can make a lot of difference in the pressure output of the pump. If you cut too much you could wind up with such low pressure it would be like driving with a manual rack. So, how do you correctly solve this problem? The solution to all this is of course to lower the pressure of the GM pump and there are basically two ways to correctly do this. One is to purchase an Adjustable Power Steering Valve from someone like Heidts . They go for about $125 with all the fittings you'll need and basically mount in the high pressure line and allow you to dial the pressure you want. This method works well but for some people it can be a bit pricey. The second solution, is to pick up a GM Power Steering Pump Flow Valve kit from Borgeson. With this kit you can easily adjust the line pressure in a GM pump to make it compatible with the Mustang II rack. The kit includes simple instructions, shims, and all the parts you'll need to do the job including a tool to hold unit in a vice while installing shims. If you are interested, take a look at page 11 of the Borgeson catalog (there's no picture but that's where its listed). The kit costs less than $30 and takes about 15 minutes to install. Best of all, it reduces the pressure the at the pump and no "add on" in line valve is required so there are less fittings to leak. So if your Mustang II power steering is making your ride feel a bit skidish on the highway or you're rack is leaking all over your driveway, you now know a couple ways to properly solve the problem.
I used the Mustang rack with a Fatman Stub on my 47 Plymouth. Ford pumps have a lower pressure than the GM pumps. The higher pressure makes them steering 'twichy". Ford used Saginaw pumps on a number of trucks that operate at the lower pressure. Bought mine at NAPA and works well. Can't be positive but think this was the part number. Cardone part # 206244 Napa part #NSP 816795
My 48 chevy has a fast ratio T-bird rack with a 85 chevy truck P/S pump on a CE crossmember and sway bar with J W garage A arms. The car did not handle well, solution: removed the pressure line from the pump, removed the fitting, removed the relief valve, removed the bolt from the valve and installed three shims (.010 each), reinstalled those parts, had the front end alignment shop install at least 3 degrees of positive caster and the car drives wonderful and will still corner like a sports car but drives the freeway with just the right feel. Good luck
I just ordered a GM power steering pume set up for a mustang II rack from Borgeson. I will let everyone know how it works.
I can vouch for the "touchy" part. My 46 was a bitch to drive at speed on the interstate and I was worn out after a long trip. I actually pulled the power rack and replaced it with a manual unit for a few years. I loved the manual feel on the highway, but it was a bear to steer at low speed. I tried the shim kit, but didn't like it. My pump is hard to get to and getting the right combination of shims was a pain. In the end I went with the Heidt's valve and that did the trick. Easy to adjust. You can dial the power up to whatever feels right to you. Mike
Option number 347 is this http://www.detroitspeed.com/productsall/090220-steering-rack.html This is relatively expensive, as is everything you can buy from them, but like all of their parts they are pretty kickass and work very well. It is valved to run on standard GM pump pressure and gallons per minute plus it gives very good feedback to the driver. I have not tried this rack as of yet but when I do I will report back. I am glad the Borgeson pump worked for you. Donny
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