Power Steering Overflows Only When Turning Right

[LoCascio_Inc]

I installed a rebuilt power steering pump and Redhead steering box, filled the reservoir, jacked up the front end, and started slowing turning the wheel
from lock to lock.

I realized that when even slowly turning to the right the reservoir fills up and leaks out past the cap. The faster you turn the wheel, the faster it fills up. If you stop turning, the level slowly sinks back to normal. Fluid is not bubbly or foaming. Just rising.

The exact opposite happens when turning to the left. Reservoir empties and then slowly fills back up to normal when you stop.

Engine was not running for any of this since cooling is not fully plumbed yet.

Any ideas on what would cause this?

 

[mtl111]

I would verify the power steering lines are not swapped, can't remember if thats even possible if the line fittings are different sizes. I attached a GM Power Steering Bleeding Procedure for you to check out.

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[skylark]

You have a circle track steering pump.


















Just kidding. I know, I know, no help....

 

[Schurkey]

Fairly certain you're not going to be able to bleed the PS system without the pump spinning.

 

[mtl111]

I don't think the PDF i attached will open so I took a screenshot of it.

You must be registered for see images attach

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[DerekTheGreat]

Jeez, what a procedure: "Lock to lock at least twenty times."

I flushed my system last year and noticed spinning the pulley by hand did nothing so I used a vacuum pump to pull fluid through the system from the return line. I did that as my wife turned the wheel lock to lock and until about a quart and a half were burned up, as that's what it took for the fluid to not look dirty any more. I switched from whatever was in it (something tan looking) to Dexron II or maybe III. Pretty certain it was II. Anyway, I didn't have any noise after that and no issues with overflow.

 

[El Tigre]

My service manual warns against using trans fluid in Saginaw pumps.
P/S fluid is relatively cheap , and widely available. Why not use it?

 

[454cid]

My service manual warns against using trans fluid in Saginaw pumps.
P/S fluid is relatively cheap , and widely available. Why not use it?

Around here it's in small bottles, usually a quart being the "BIG" bottle and it often says that it's for topping off not for complete refills, and has extra additives on it for seals. Many people use atf and it seems to work fine.

 

[El Tigre]

Not referring to P/S stop-leak products like Lucas,etc...
Brake fluid may work too. Why not use the right fluid? P/S pumps are metal to metal contact internally,and friction additives accelerate wear. Same is true for the steering gear....

 

[LoCascio_Inc]

I’ve always used regular power steering fluid but the steering box I got from Redhead was definitely filled with some kind of red fluid because now all the fluid in my pump reservoir is pinkish.

Though none of this has anything to do with the original question...