If your early Ford, Mercury, full-size Chevrolet, Nova, or Corvette has a leaky or dysfunctional power-steering system, or if you want to eliminate the parasitic P/S pump from your engine permanently or just for weekend races, you can do it without trashing the OEM parts. The solution is to introduce a manual-steering "mode" by simply replacing the hydraulic control valve.
Our project was to eliminate a leaky power-steering system from a '69 Mustang, so we called Rare Parts, the hard-to-find and obsolete suspension-parts experts. Rare Parts directed us to the closest dealers that carry this item (PN RP27483, list price: $183.68). Originally, the company developed its power-steering Control Valve Eliminator (CVE) for Corvette owners who wanted to race on weekends without having to replace the entire power-steering system. These fanatics wanted the positive feel that manual steering delivers and the extra horsepower it frees up. Now, this conversion is available for Chevrolet '55-'64, Nova/Chevy II '62-'67, Corvette '63-'75, Mustang/Cougar/Falcon '67-'70, Torino/Fairlane '67-'71, Maverick '70-'75, Comet '67-'75, and Granada/Monarch '75-'76.
There are several reasons to convert your vehicle from the older power-cylinder/control-valve power-steering system-leaking components and the high cost of replacing them are at the top of the list. For some daily drivers, power steering may not be important at all. The lack of it is a boon to weekend warriors who want to retain their power steering but have the option of temporarily disconnecting it for speed trials. In the case of our Mustang, the CVE allows removal of the control valve, the power cylinder, the hoses (from under the car), and the belt from the P/S pump. Installation is easy and generally takes less than an hour. Follow along as we do a number on our old Ford. The procedure is typical, although the GM installation differs slightly.
The Rare Parts kit includes the control-valve eliminator, roll pin, clamp, cotter pin, zerk fitting, and decent instructions.
1. If you are working in your garage or driveway, raise the front of the car 24 inches off the ground for proper access. Install jackstands and chock the rear wheels before you crawl underneath.
2. Disconnect the hydraulic lines from the power cylinder and control valve, and use a drain pan to catch the runoff-a lot of the fluid from the pump reservoir will also come out. When the flow stops, remove the hydraulic power-steering-hose lines. Before continuing, check the fluid at the pump, remove the V-belt, and turn the pump by hand until it is completely drained.
Hanging hoses are a nuisance with older power-steering systems.
3. Remove the power cylinder by disconnecting it from the mounting point on the frame and the connection to the centerlink. Hit the centerlink with a hammer while you apply pressure to separate the components-one solid blow is usually enough. Do not use a pickle fork to pry it loose or pound on the tapered stud in the centerlink.
4. To remove the control valve, loosen the collar clamp at the centerlink, and thread it all the way off. Once it is removed, install the CVE. Turn the CVE in until it bottoms on the centerlink. Then back it out no more than one full turn to align the slot of the groove in the CVE with the roll-pin hole in the centerlink.
The link between the pitman arm and the power-steering control valve must be disconnected before the control valve is removed.
5. Drive in the roll pin, and tighten the CVE clamp onto the centerlink.
6. Slip the pitman arm onto the CVE stud; grease the seal first, and then grease the castle nut. Tighten the castle nut, and install the cotter pin included in the kit. Install the zerk fitting, and grease the assembly.
7. Remove the pump belt and/or the entire pump assembly if you are going to use the "manual mode" for a while. If you are planning for a special event, or if the other components are being repaired, you may wish to leave it on the engine. Note: Some models may require a different drivebelt to power other accessories driven by the crankshaft pulley, such as the generator/alternator, the water pump, the air conditioner, and so on.
8. Check the steering wheel to make sure it is centered when the wheels are pointed straight ahead. If it is, you have completed the job. If not, you can adjust it with the tie-rod ends. If this is required, turn each tie-rod end the same number of times but in opposite directions. If, or when, you reinstall the power-steering system, simply reverse these instructions.
Upon completion, you'll find about 12 additional ponies under the throttle, and noisy belts and leaky hoses will be a thing of the past. Though extra effort is needed to park in a tight space, the initial response from manual steering, as well as increased road feel and horsepower, makes the conversion worth the time and effort for many rodders.
