Well, I ran into a little bit of a problem down in JV this past weekend. First, let me describe my steering system:

Stock Big Block Ford Steering Pump hooked up to Ported Box. Lines running down to 1.5" Ram. No cooler or remote reservoir.

Halfway through the day on Friday, I'm trying to climb a wall and my motor keeps carbing out because of the steep angle. I finally launch up it the wall and after I come down at the top of the climb, my steering is almost gone!! :eek: So at an idle, no steering whatsoever. I rev the motor up a little and it starts steering. OK.

A few minutes later, I rev the motor in Neutral to 5-6 grand and all of a sudden, the steering is back.

Next day, steering goes out after another climb and never returns. What's wrong? Is the pump bad because it went dry on the climbs? Check valve stuck open? Ram looks fine......doesn't **look** bent. Fluid burnt and not good anymore?!?!?! Anyone have any recommendations before I tear it apart?

It probably grabed a big gob of air so it might just need time to blead out or all the air crapped out the pump.

sounds like air in the system. start your rig and look in the resivior. is it foaming with lots of tiny bubbles? if so it is probally the check valve.

Assuming it IS air in the system, how do I get it out and how do I prevent it in the future?

To get it out, turn the wheel back and forth several times. To prevent it from happening again, you may need a larger reservour. Mine wouldn't bleed right untill I made the reservour bigger. You have to allow for the displacement of the piston rod when using a single ended ram.

Pete

actually the displacement of the cylinder has nothing to do with it. because there is fluid on both sides of the ram. when you turn your fluid level stays the same. the reason you want a larger resivior is to increase the capicity to give the fluid a chance to cool down.

the only way i can see getting air in the system through the resivior is if the fluid level was low and you put it on a steep enuff angle that air got into the pick up line. either that or you have a fitting that is loose and leaking

cylinder displacement has nothing to do with it, however, unless you're using a double ended ram piston rod displacement is an issue, since a 1" diameter piston rod in a 8" cylinder displaces over 6 cubic inches of fluid turned one direction, but nothing when turned the other way.

Originally posted by camo
actually the displacement of the cylinder has nothing to do with it. because there is fluid on both sides of the ram. when you turn your fluid level stays the same. the reason you want a larger resivior is to increase the capicity to give the fluid a chance to cool down.

Thats why I said the piston rod displacement. Try this sometime: turn the wheel all the way to one side. Take the cap off the reservour, and slowly turn it the other way, while watching the level in the reservour. (best done with the front end on jacks, and the motor off) Assuming you have a single-ended ram hydro assist, the level will change noticably.

Pete

i have done it many times while bleeding my system. my fluid level change is 1/8" or less.

i have a large resivior and a 1.5" single ended ram.

My reservoir almost empties when turned to the left (ram extended) and is topped off when turned to the right (ram retracted). Maybe there is a difference in the way some rams accept fluid or maybe it's in the orbital control somehow????????? Any of you hydro experts got an explanation?

Easy

Originally posted by camo
the only way i can see getting air in the system through the resivior is if the fluid level was low and you put it on a steep enuff angle that air got into the pick up line. either that or you have a fitting that is loose and leaking

Funny you should say that.....the reservoir WAS low at the time. I was gonna fill it but it seemed to work well and kept the fluid from boiling over :rolleyes: Now that I am pretty sure it IS air in the lines, do you think there is any way I may have burned up the pump when it ran dry for those few seconds that I had the truck pointed at the sky ?

good chance of it. i burnt a pump running it with air in the system kinda sucked cause mine was a $250 howe pump.



possible answer to the fluid level change is that because of the larger dia of my remote resivior it does not show a very significant level cvhange.

Originally posted by Rock Toy


and kept the fluid from boiling over :rolleyes:

Cooler will help ALOT Sergei!!!

Originally posted by camo
possible answer to the fluid level change is that because of the larger dia of my remote resivior it does not show a very significant level cvhange.

You said you're also using a Ø 1.5" ram, do you know what size the piston rod is? I think mine is Ø 1 1/8" (off the top of my head), it is a cheapie 2" x 8" Chief. My reservoir is about Ø 3 1/2", and stock was about 4 1/2" tall (stock hydroboost remove reservour), but the hose goes into the side, so the effective height is less. I cut it in half and added about 5" to it. I think it may have been just barely big enough before, if I'd spent longer trying to bleed it, but there would have been no room for expansion of the fluid or error in the level when filling it. Now I just run it a few inches down.

Pete