I have converted the car to power steering. During the cleaning, painting and assembly processs, most of the fluid from the pump and box had been drained. Both parts are reinstalled and I attempted to "prelube" the system using a drill motor and the power steering belt. After putting the fluid in the pump reservoir and spinning it as I said, the system would not pump up. I was probably turning the pump about 150-200 RPM. Is there a rpm threshold for the pump to reach before it will start to pump? do I need to prefill the steering box? Is there an air lock? Any help would be most appreciated. PS. I can't run the motor yet, the ignition and wiring isn't assembled yet.

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70 Malibu Convertible
350ci/330hp/410 ft-lbs. th350/3.08 posi

The system gravity primes. Simply fill it and drive it. Once you start the engine all of the air trapped in the system will be expelled and you can top it up if necessary. Attempting to preprime it is unecessary.

It may howl a bit as the air is expelled but that is normal and will go away in short order. The good news is that the pump is being lubricated as the air goes away so no harm is done. Just be sure that you have proper level when you are finished with the whole operation.

There is a singular advantage to having the resevoir of fluid on top of the operating mechanism. It guarantees that everything gets lubricated.

The only way I know is with the motor running. You will have to wait untill then.

Fill the reservoir to the full mark, with the wheel off the ground, turn the steering lock to lock till the noise goes away and the air is bled from the system. Check the level and continue this untill all air is gone.

ditto on elcamino... http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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ACES #3355
ChevyTalk Silver Member
Metroplex Muscle Car Club

1972 Chevelle SS (clone),black/black
350ci

After you fill the pump reservoir to the full cold mark on the stick, the first thing to do (before starting your engine) is to turn the steering corner to corner a half dozen times. (Obviously, its best to do this with the front tires off the ground.) You should see large bubbles burp their way into the reservoir and the oil level should drop. Do this a few more times.

Now, when you start the engine, you have most of the air already expelled and the pump won't have too much to whip into a froth.

Now with the engine running, turn from lock to lock (only briefly hitting the stops). If the pump makes a growling sound that means there is still air in the system. You might note that the power steering oil is somewhat milky. That is entrapped air that has been whipped by the pump.

Sometimes you have to drive about 10 miles to get the rest of the air out. Sometimes it is good to let the air settle out over night.

OK, several ideas here so I looked in a service manaul for 1970.

Bleeding system

1. Fill oil to proper lever and let oil remain undisturbed for 2 minutes.
2. Start engine and run only for 2 seconds,
3. Add oil if necessary
4. Repear above procedure untill oil level remains constant after running engine.
5. Raise front of vehicle so the wheel are off ground.
6. Increase engine speed to around 1500 rpm.
7. Turn wheels (off ground) right and left, lightly contacting wheel stops.
8. Add Oil if needed
9. Lower car to ground and turn wheels right and left ong ground.
10. Checck oil lever and add as needed
11. If oil is extremely foamy, allow vehicle to stand a few minutes and repear above procedure.
a. Check belt tightness, check for bent or losse pulley. (Pulley should not wobble with engine running)
b. Check to make sure hoses are not touching any part of the car, especially sheet metal.
c. Check oil level, and if needed, following steps 1-10. This step and setp 'D' are extremely important as low oil level and/or air in the oil are the most frequent causes of objectional pump noise.
d. Check the presence of air in the oil. If air is present, attempt to bleed system as described in steps 1 through 10. If is becomes obvious that the pump will not bleed after a few trials, proceed as outlined under Hydrualic Systems Checks.

Refer to service manual for more information, you do have one, don't you?

I followed all the instructions in the manual and my system wouldn't prime. After several phone calls it was suggested that I loosen the high pressure hose while the engine was running to help release some of the air in the system. It turned out to be a little messy but it worked.

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ACES member #04788
Maryland Chevelle Club member #075
Have you ever noticed that those instruments designed to detect intelligent life in the universe are all pointed AWAY from Earth???

I recently sold an IROC-Z steering box to a first-generation Camaro owner, and he is experiencing the same problem. He states that there is no hydraulic pressure, and there is a pressure leak from the stub shaft seal, where the rag joint connects to.

Any help is suggested; my e-mail server has been flooded since this morning.

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I gotta admit I don't understand 70_conv's problem. In nearly 40 years of being a mechanic I have never had a car fail to properly prime its own power steering system. It couldn't be simpler. The fluid is above the steering box. If all else failed a short drive ALWAYS primed the system and a short wait afterwords ALWAYS allowed residual air to rise to the surface of the resevoir and bleed out.


Something was amiss here. It shouldn't be necessary to loosen hoses to get this system to work. Oh well! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

I agree with Charbilly, the system should be self priming because the reservoir is above the pump. I have had a few systems with so much air in them that the system felt like manual steering for a while (you were basically compressing air bubbles rather than pushing the assist piston.) But even then, a short drive is almost always enough to get most of the air out.

For your information. The assembly plants would fill the system by first drawing a complete vacuum by sucking all the air out through the fill neck on the reservoir. Then they would shoot a measured amount of fluid into the system. This way, most of the systems would start with little or no air in the system.

At the GM Proving Grounds, the mechanics would fill the system with oil and then place a special vacuum pump on the reservoir fill neck and draw a vacuum on the system for about 10 minutes. You could see the air bubbles slowly making their way out of the system.

The reason you stroke the system corner to corner before starting the engine is to try and get most of the air out before it turns to foam when the engine starts and the entrapped air travels through the vane pump.