Can anybody recommend a place in southern CA for getting some NOS hoses modified or adapters made so i can get my power steering working on the 55 fairlane? I thought I had factory power steering, that looks liek the manuals, but the power steering hoses from the parts book are not even close to fitting. I think I need to have them custom made. Thanks, -Sobastrace
Go to a hydraulic supply house. You can get SAE pattern (45 degree angle fittings instead of 37 degree AN fittings) fittings in cad iridited and sometimes nickel plated. They will either make em up for you or better yet, buy the re-usable fittings and make your own like you would an Earls or Aeroquip braided stainless line. I found that making your own was cheaper than buying the parts house stuff at a 25% or so discount. Way better hoses as well. The houses usually come in gloss black, flat black or sky blue. 3000# working pressure in most cases - if I remember right power steering pressures run up to about 1200# or so. The pic shows a cookie tin full of hydraulic fittings and a made up hose that I used for an oil pressure line. Disregard the standard brass fittings in the pic. The hose is #10 size.
Anyone know of a good hydraulic shop in either Palm Springs, or Riverside / San bernardino county??? Thanks,
Got a farm supply, oil field supply or industrial supply outfit nearby? Most towns do and hydraulic fittings can be had at these places. They can also knock out hoses with pressed on fittings if you prefer. Get the stuff, determine lengths, fittings etc. then take em back for the crimping bit.
I ran into the same problem on my '55 Mercury. The hose set I got was actually for a '55-'57 Thunderbird. The hoses between the control valve and the cylinder itself fit OK. The hoses for the pump to the control valve was where the trouble started. If I remember correctly, they needed a 90 degree bend to fit. I'll take some pictures and post them this evening. Seems like everything I needed (fittings, tube and clamps) to get the stuff to fit came from Pep Boys or NAPA. Of course the system still leaks like a sieve! But, it's not from my modified hoses. The cylinder has some corrosion on the rod and tears up the seals in a short time! I need to get the rod re-hard chromed, but that's another project down the road.
Try a NAPA Autoparts I know the one near me used to make high pressure hoses for power steering and brake line applications. I havent needed one made for several years now so Im not sure they still do it or not.
Here's my power steering pump with the Thunderbird hoses. This was done a long time ago, so my memory is a bit foggy as to exactly what was done to make the hoses fit. If I remember correctly, the one on the left needed a 90 degree bend in the tubing to make it fit up to the pump. The one on the left orginally had a male inverted flare fitting. That one was cut off and replaced with a female fitting. Hope this helps!
The Jalopy Journal
