Do power steering boxes NEED the pump?

Let's just say I'm using a complete front suspension from a 1982 Grand Prix in one of my cars. (And don't bother hassling me about it!)
Let's also say that I'm using an original '51 Chevy steering wheel or a '65 Chevy steering wheel, both of which are pretty big diameter.
Do I need to hook up the power steering? Will it harm the steering box in any way to not have fluid pumped through it?
I don't think I'll need the boost with a big steering wheel in a relatively light car ('51 Chevy coupe), but it'll be easy to hook up if I need to.

 

even with the big wheel it will be hard to turn at low speed, as for damage i dont think that will be a problem

 

Generally you need a close loop of line, just connect the two ports with a short hose, to get it moving smoothly.

 

I ran my daily p/u without a pump, for a full week.

It won't hurt anything, but man was it a work out.

I'd hook it up.

Rich

 

Are you going to fill the steering box with gear oil or power steering fluid?

 

Like Bruce says, loop the lines.

Honestly the time would be better spent shopping for a manual box. You won't be happy with how it works. If you are happy, consider raising standards.

good luck

 

It shouldn't harm the box......but it may depend on the box.
I drove my Charger for 8+ years without the PS pump. Lines capped. Finally swapped in a manual box. But the PS box is still tight after all those years.

 

There is just a spool valve and a piston that goes up and down in there, like the man said you can loop it but your arms are going to look like popeye in a few miles. I went and found a manual box for my Galaxie and it steers great.

 

My Jeep Cherokee currently doesn't have a pump the lines are just capped. And its sure stiff, but it can get hairy with bump steer. If ya run it, learn to be quick with your thumbs.

 

I've driven daily's with inoperable pumps on them b4. At low speeds, ya, there is more force needed, but they were never tooooo horrible. When they were fixed, I always thought that they didnt feel as nice or as "sure of itself" in the corners, even though the boxes were always real good-n-toight.

 

I've driven three cars with power steering without the pump before (a 1980 Fairmont, my '53 Chevy with MkII, and a '75 Grand Prix) and the steering effort wasn't too bad on any of them. The '75 GP was a bear at a standstill, but it was a much heavier car than a '51 Chevy and all of those cars had 14-15" steering wheels, and I'm planning to use a 17-19" wheel.
The other two were a breeze to steer even stopped but they were racks, not boxes.
There's already a hose connecting the two ports on mine so I'll give it a try when it's all together. If I don't like it I'll just add the pump and hoses. I'm trying to simplify the engine compartment a bit.
Thanks for letting me know that it probably won't do any actual harm to the box itself. That's what I wanted to know.

 

the gear reduction in power unit as opposed to a manual unit is different. Also if you just cap the lines and don't put any fluid in there the gear will prematurly fail because it needs luberication. It was said earlier you'll have a bump steer problem also. Instead taking a short cut just do the right thing either use a maual gear or hook up the power steering pump.

 

also see what type of box it is, the 605 (top cover held on by a snap ring instead of 4 bolts) does not have the recirculating balls in it, and will probably wear out really quick without power assist operating.

Also there will be some slop in the internal control valve in any power box.

I've run a power unit without a pump in my younger days, but I would try to get a proper manual box now that I better undersand how this stuff works.

 

Thank you, Squirrel. No offense to the others here but I value your two cents most.

Taff: I have an '84 Thunderbird power rack on the MkII on my '53 Chevy and the first couple times I drove the car I didn't have the power hooked up and was surprised at how easy it steered. However, WITH the pump hooked up it is a "one-finger" car - I can turn the steering wheel lock-to-lock while idling with just one finger (with a 16-inch steering wheel). Pretty nice. The steering wheel diameter makes a HUGE difference, though: I put the car together with a 15-incher, swapped in a 14, and then finally the 16 and it's amazing what a difference a little leverage makes. Bigger = easier, smaller = quicker feeling.

Which I guess just answered my own question about my current build: power steering is nice to have. But it's still nice to know I could drive it a little while without destroying the box.

Thanks to all.

 

My old daily worked fine for 3 years after i pulled off the bad pump until i ended up loosing the motor

so kinda a win/win,

i didnt have to buy a new pump my arms got bigger too,

 

Sure it will "work"...but with a usually faster ratio in a power box it will be harder.
You'll have to loop the lines to keep fluid inside the box.
As Squirrel said, theres a valve in the column connection area that activates the power part. Without pump pressure it will just have the thin "on center" torsion bar inside the valve to keep road feel between the valve stops so the steering input will be vague. It won't fail though.

Now...where does "bumpsteer" enter into all this? The box doesn't get moved out of position when the pump is disconnected...

 

Yeah, the bumpsteer comments have me puzzled as well.

 

Bumpsteer comes about because you don't have the power assist to fight feedback in the wheel.

Bumpsteer is overcome in manual systems by the slower ratio, ie a longer lever in your hands to fight against road forces.

 

Btw i never looped the lines mine were left uncorked and i had no problems

 

Actually bumpsteer is a product of suspension and steering geometry design and has nothing to do with the steering box.

 

I bet a manual S-10 box would bolt in. The GM mid-sizes from your donor use many (if not all?) of the same suspension parts as the S-10's. Easier to find than a manual box for those mid-size cars. The S-10 box fits many GM's, even back into the 60's.

 

A point of concern--

Even if you don't mind the extra workout your arms will get with a "dead" power steering box, don't forget the flex joints in the column, and later, the lower column bushing.
It will also be getting a real workout at several times the load it was designed to take.
In decent shape it should hold up for a little while, but it wasn't designed for really heavy loads except for short emergency periods.
I would put it at the top of my to-do list to lighten the load as quickly as practical by getting the power-assist working again, or switch to a non-power box which wont be nearly so hard to turn.

*************
It is true that bump steer is mostly in the design of the suspension and steering, but power steering does indeed help isolate the driver from too much "feedback" when hitting bad places. Every time we went 4-wheeling, the folks with PS were less worn out and tired than the folks who were fighting with manual steering in their Jeeps.
There were some with manual steering who got badly bruised knuckles from getting smacked with the "steering feedback" when driving through the ruts. With PS, I never had to fight and constantly wrestle with the wheel like the non-ps drivers did.

 

good point, the columns are kinda weak, mine has been unhooked for 3 years but i only hot rod it and put it up.if i were going to drive it alot i would rum a pump. if yer not driving it every day it should be ok for quite a while. cobey

 

i mean RUN a pump not RUM! i suck at typing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ever try to steer a car with power steering that isn't running?

 

It can't be worse than a 52 Buick without the optional power steering.

 

Yes. As I mentioned in my original post, I drove my '53 Chevy with MkII suspension two or three times with no power pump, my brother drove a 1980 Fairmont for 2 years without a power pump, and my friend in high school drove a 1975 Grand Prix for a year without it. I just wondered if it would harm the steering box. (Consensus is "yes").