P/S with No Belt

OK, I have my 74 CJ5 up for sale to make room for some other Jeep projects. It has PS that I did. All steering was replaced and is now tight. The problem is the guy who wants to buy it is afraid it is too quick & responsive for his wife. So I have taken the belt for the pump off and drained the pump. Would this be same as manual or is there still added resistance with this gear box. It feels awful hard to turn but can't remember what it was like before.

Thanks

 

In my experience, a non op pump results in much harder turning than manual steering.

 

As with any car, it will take some getting used to. I would tell the guy to bring his wife, and have her test it out with a functioning PS system.
I betcha she will surprise him.

 

X2!

 

Rethinking:

I currently run a 4 3/4" pulley on the pump. I noticed most setups have at least a 5 3/4" to 6 1/2" outside diameter pulley. If I switch to say 6 1/2" diameter pulley I would slow the system down. Right? Would it make a lot of difference?

Also, has anyone messed with the shims in the piston on the pump to increase/decrease pressure.

 

Pump pressure won't make any difference in quickness or responsiveness, though it might effect effort. There's a difference between effort (lightness) and quickness. If the steering is too quick, I can think of two cures: a steering gear with more turns lock-to-lock, or a shorter pitman arm. I doubt that the pitman arm solution is workable, so that leaves gear replacement.

Which gear did you use? Typically you are advised to use a gear from a big passenger car, or a CJ gear. Boxes from sporty cars will have a faster (fewer turns) ratio. Also, more modern gears are variable ratio, being slower at the center for a more stable feel on the highway.

Or find another buyer... tell your potential buyer how to fix it. I'd suspect this is a bargaining tactic.

 

Yeah, I would like to put more control on the center say for on the road - 45-65mph so it is not so darting when you start to turn. The box was a 82 CJ box. When I took it out yesterday, and man was it beautiful - 70 something and sunny, without the belt on it was way more stable at higher speeds. If I fit a pothole or bump it had significantly less dart. Mostly from trying to correct or oversteer after it jerked.

What would be a good donor varible speed gear box. I think I read the early 80's blazer 2wd. Would like stay sagainaw for ease.


Not trying to sell the Jeep very hard. If the right person comes along with the cash, I'll sell it. Otherwise it stays. Don't have the room at the house, wife doen't like the kids in it and I have a Wagoneer to start on. So, I am not a motivated seller.

 

Another consideration is caster. If you lifted and didn't install caster shims, I suspect that's why the steering is touchy. More caster makes the steering come back to center more strongly.

The S-10/Blazer 4x4 box is good; slow ratio, variable, plentiful, fairly new. Only 3 bolts though.

 

S-10 box works good that is what I am running on my 79 CJ-5. It is very tight and drives great.The down side is you have to make lines to work because the s-10 has o-ring type fittings and the CJ lines have a flare style fitting,the next problem is the steering shaft is different so you have to attach the donor shaft to your old jeep one which is not that hard it just takes some fabrication,and the pitman arm is clocked different so you will have to adjust your steering shaft to center the steering wheel.After saying all of that I still love the way it drives now(could be because I drove an s-10 for almost the last 10 years as my dd)Hope this helps your decision!

 

You can affect the pressure by adding or removing the shims in the back, adding one shim will make the system drop about 100-120psi. The factory saginaw pumps run between 900-1150psi.
As said Caster will affect its road feel dramatically. If it wonders in the road you definitely have a caster problem if your box is tight. A cj box will have 4.25-4.5 turns lock to lock. Thats about as slow of box as made. Do you have longer than stock shackles? If so thats more the problem than the lift as far as the caster is concerned. Factory caster should be somewhere between 3°-5°.

 

Caster is dead on and I have the " Mcruff caster shims". All is new as far as steering. 4.25 click to click on box. It doesn't wander, just super light to turn. I'm use to it, but others have said it's "exciting" to drive.

I'm researching the shims on the pump.

 

The late cj boxes are o ring fitting not flared. I know for a fact the 82 boxes are this style. The 78 are flared. I don't know when it changed exactly.

John

 

John you are right,

My gear box is oring, the pump is flare. Had custom hose made for that reason.

 

Drop the assist pressure and have the high point adjusted on the box. This helps the vehicle track straight down the road without you having to " steer " it down the road in a straight line. It is the nut and slotted shaft on top of your box. Have that adjusted, and it will travel down a straight road nice and civil like.

 

I had this problem once before and my steering was tight, but too responsive. My solution was to put a power steering filter on the return hose and empty out the resovior and only the resovior and then fill it with Lucas Power Steering fluid. Stuff is as thick as honey and will mix with the existing fluid in the gear box and what is in your lines. This should give you some real comfort in your steering. It made mine less responsive and gave me the confidence I need in driving down the road fast at times. Try that and I think you'll be pleased.

 

Thanks for the responses, I will try these Wednesday. The Green Jeep "Bertha" has found a new home in Charleston, SC. I will be taking in down on Thursday to it's new owner. I have told him about this great forum and that there are many people in and around the Charleston area with early CJ's.

I will now be shifting mt focus on to my Wagoneer. So off to ifsja.org for info and help. I still have a M38 in the mountains of NC that needs to find it's way to Lexington. I will soon post up any leftover CJ parts for cheap.