Hello all! I was @ the season finals and on my 2nd time trail my P/S quit! I was all excited about running a 12.25 ( fastest to date ) & I noticed it steered hard. I have a ZZ502 in my 68 w/ short water pump. Steering box is out of a 9C1 cop car & I bought remote reservior kit from Ground Up. I pulled the check valve out to look @ the screen & it was fine. I am confused as it worked all summer & now it won't. Looking for input please. JOHN

Here are some thoughts to get you going with an analysis of the problem.

If you suddenly loose assist, the problem is most likely in the pump and not in the gear. Obviously, check for a loose belt, proper amount of fluid, etc.

Do you have any assist at all? If you rev the engine do you attain some assist? Is the pump noisey? Does the noise get louder if you try to steer? These tests would tell you that the problem is most likely in the pump.

Does the pulley and pump driveshaft seem to be loose? It is possible that the rotor and vanes inside the pump could have "seized" and the driveshaft broke inside the pump. The remains of the shaft would be sticking out of the front of the pump with the pulley. The shaft and pulley would remain somewhat in the correct position because the drive belt would be holding it in place.

You will need a new pump and you will need to flush the system to remove debris from the seizure.