Wedge TR8 Power Steering help

[PATR8]

OK, I started some engine compartment touch up and the guy who painted my car said, lets fix that bend power steering pully while we are waiting for some paint to dry. It was just slightly bend, a little squealing..... oh waht a mistake, I found what was causing the PS Leak, a cracked hose extending from the pump. The pulley is a different story. The pully looks like it was hand beat to the place where it is now.

I remember some where along the line the pump is just a basic saginaw (i beleive that is the type and spelling) but that the pulley was worth it's gold. Some help, The pump is good after the welding but any one aware of a commow swap for the pulley?

Thanks

 

[DNK]

I think mine has power steering(do All TR8's). But it steers like armstrong steering. Is it suppose to be like a manual steering car?

 

[PATR8]

No, my power steering , before I tried to fix it, worked like any modern power steering and was quite responsive. I have no idea other that the obvious that the belt is broke (I am sure even I could see that) or the pump is spinning but the guts are not working). I considered swapping the manual rack out of the 7 into my 8 just to eliminate another possible head ache but I like the PS my 8 has

 

[TR3driver]

Any idea of the part number for the pulley ? The only illustration I could find was for a TR7-8 conversion kit, so not necessarily the same as an original TR8; but it looks to be identical to the PS pulley for the Stag. And Stag pumps (with pulley) are fairly easy to find used. I've got more than I'll ever use, so I could probably be persuaded to part with one.

Stag pulley is P/N 151069.

 

[PATR8]

I looked in the Vickies (British not secrets) and could not find one. I would be willing to gladly pay a fair price or offer and TR7 peice I have in exchange. I will look for a stamped number but having had it in my hands for 2 hours today I do not recall it having one. I will give Woody a call tomorrow a.m. to confirm they are a match.

Just a reminder, the TR8 FHC is coming every closer to going to the going to the British salvage yard so anyone needing anything let me know. I just hate to see some one make a ton of money off of parts I already paid for, only this worse it the car getting junked and not having the parts around when some one needs them

 

[DNK]

I have things i might need ,I don't know what some are called (missing pieces). I'll have to send photos. Oh yea,I know something. I need the bonnet latch pieces. Is there a standard radio face plate? Mine has an 8 track (that's right,8 track)in it. No face plate.

 

[PATR8]

Bonnet latch peices... no problem... let me know what all peices you need..

 

[DNK]

Is there suppose to be a piece on top front of the B piller nder the soft top? There is a screw hole for something.

 

[PATR8]

HMMM I will crawl in the trunk tomorrow to see exactly what you might me talking about, a pic of where the missing peice is missing from might help.

 

[DNK]

I don't think I described the position very well. It is above the door latch at the top of that post. On the 6 there is a stainless steel cap.

 

[PATR8]

OK, sanity check,,,, are we talking Fixed head Wedges? I think I know what the peices you are looking for would be on a DHC...

 

[DNK]

Doah, That's right You wouldn't have that on your parts car. can you tell me what it is?. Will read tomorrow ,I'm going to bed.

 

[tdskip]

For whatever it is worth, my 8's power steering pump leaked like a sieve and I finally disconnected it. The steering is very heavy at low speed but nicely weighted once moving. It was way to light before.

I'm sure I'll rebuild the pump at some point though since not having it is kind of a pain at low speed.

 

[TR3driver]

It was way to light before.

No idea if this applies to the TR8, but FWIW : On the Stag steering rack, the amount of effort is set by a torsion rod inside the control valve on the rack. The torsion rod runs through the center of the valve, and it's ends are located to the center of the (hollow) input and output shafts by roll pins.

What I found was that the holes in the torsion rod were larger in diameter than the holes in the outer shafts. Thus, the outer holes would compress the roll pin until it did not fit snugly in the torsion rod holes when everything was assembled. The result was that for the first few degrees of movement, the torsion rod was effectively disconnected, giving full power steering (no feedback at all).

Reaming the outer holes larger (to match the holes in the torsion rod) solved the problem. The steering feel is still a little lighter than I would like (so I plan to fabricate a stiffer rod next time I have it apart), but far better than it was before.

 

[tr8todd]

The pump is just a standard GM unit. I pulled a spare one out of a 68 Pontiac or something like that. Just go to any auto parts place, and they can match it up. Since the pump is common, I am sure you can find a pulley in a wrecking yard to match. It's the hoses that are made from unobtanium. Something about the fittings not being available. I have converted to manual racks on every TR8 I have ever owned. The steering will be heavy if the belt is missing. That seems to be a common "fix" for a leaking rack. It will also feel heavy if the two steering knuckles are corroded. Jack the front end up. Take some penetrating spray and lube up the knuckles. Turn the steering wheel back and forth many many times. You will see the rust come out from between the flat surfaces of the knuckles that slide against each other. It may take several spray downs. Once it spins freely, wipe it down with a rag. Repeat the process with grease applied to the knuckles. Once the grease is worked into the knuckles, your steering will be light as a feather. In fact, it will be too light, and you will loose alot of the feed back you get from the steering wheel on cornering. That is why I like the manual racks better. That and the fact that they are lighter and make the car faster!

 

[PATR8]

Did you simply disconnect you power steering or change to the manual rack and pinion? Is there and damage that can be done by simply disconnecting the pump? and can you swap the power steering rack to a manual one with out dropping the subframe?

I really prefer the power steering since I work in town and can be a PITA to try to parrallel park with out it but if I can not fix it i wonder if I could at least drive it for a while with out destroying anything with out the pump connected...


My power steering pump leaked like pretty bad but since I pulled it off I think we found the source of the leak and hopefully fixed it. I am glad to hear the pulley is not hard to find.

 

[tdskip]

Did you simply disconnect you power steering or change to the manual rack and pinion? Is there and damage that can be done by simply disconnecting the pump? and can you swap the power steering rack to a manual one with out dropping the subframe?

I simply topped off the fluid level and then cut the belt. I checked with the TR8 mailing list an everyone confirmed that no harm would come from this.

 

[PATR8]

well that would stop the leak and squealing....

 

[tr8todd]

I put in manual racks from a TR7. The early TR7s had a quicker steering ratio than did the later ones. You could just lower the subframe and remove the power rack and bolt on the manual. You will also need the lower piece of TR7 steering shaft. The TR8 one is shorter because of the control box at the top of the rack. Removing the pump is a bit more of a problem. One of the bolts holding the bracket to the motor hits the crank pulley when you try to remove it. You have to remove the crank pulley to slide it out, which means you have to drop the radiator to get an impact gun on the crank pulley nut.

I am doing over a TR8 convertible for a buddy of mine that is badly rusted.(ex girlfriend drove it around during the winter and put it away all salty while he was in Iraq) I sent a clean TR7 body shell to the paint shop to use as a base for his car instead of the rusty original shell. He had the power rack rebuilt during the previous resto while Woody built his 4.6 liter motor. He doesn't like the way it feels,so he bought a new manual rack from Vicky Brit for $150. I'll put that in his car when I switch everything to the new shell. I am pretty sure that Woody has also switched to a manual rack. I drove around a TR8 with the power steering at Stowe, and it caught me by surprise how easy the wheel turned.

 

[PATR8]

I have an entire 1980 TR7 front end so it would be an easy swap for the winter it sounds like... I will consider that dependant on how the repairs to my Power steering went today. I have basically decided to strip every single useful part from the FHC I had and give the shell back to the TR resaler. Even the shell is 95% rust free and only has some paint bubbles on it. I hate cluttering up my garage but I would hate myself to trade it back to the place then have to pay to get a part off of it...