Power steering trouble.

[78elco]

I have a 78 El Camino with a 350 and turbo 350 transmission. I replaced the power steering gearbox with the 4 bolt top 800 series box, and also replaced the pressure line/return line, and a reman power steering pump. I went through the process of bleeding the system, and got to a point where there are no more bubbles. With the car started the power steering fluid begins to smoke from the reservoir and the pump gets really hot within a minute or two. When this happened at first I thought I had gotten a bad reman ps pump, so I took it back in and replaced it with a 2nd pump. Went through the entire process again, and I'm facing the same problem. Has anyone else encountered this? With the front end off the ground I've turned it lock to lock for almost a half hour. This is my first post so hopefully I didn't butcher it too bad, and gave everyone the necessary information.

 

[fleming442]

Did you take the caps off the lines?

 

[78elco]

Did you take the caps off the lines?

Yes, and there is no blockage in the hoses

 

[78elco]

IMG_1722

• 78elco
• Nov 14, 2017

IMG_1721

• 78elco
• Nov 14, 2017

IMG_1720

• 78elco
• Nov 14, 2017

 

[78elco]

The return hose fitting gets hot at the gear box as well, but not the pressure line. Could this be a blockage somewhere?

 

[Longroof79]

I can't say I've ever heard of that problem before, nor have I ever encountered it on my own car.
Is this a used steering box? It sounds to me like the problem is within the box itself.

 

[pontiacgp]

it may be the second pump but that is where the problem is, the box doesn't heat up the fluid. When you have the v belt off does the pulley rotate easily?

 

[TURNA]

Who and how is the pulley being pressed on?

 

[78elco]

I'm suspecting a blockage within the re manufactured ps gear box. I pressed the pulley on with the correct tool, sits where it should and rotates without issue.

 

[TURNA]

Put the old box in see what happens.