Thunderbird Power Steering, I'm stumped

I have a 1960 T-Bird with power steering. About a month and a half ago the power steering control valve started leaking, so I removed it and installed a freshly rebuilt one. It began to leak again after about 5 miles of driving. I thought it may have been a leaking hose so I replaced all 4 hoses going to it.It was still leaking, So I figured it was a defective rebuid so I proceeded to remove it again and sent it to a local t-bird restoration house, they sent me a completely different rebuilt control valve, I put it on about 2 weeks ago, drove the car around the block a few times and then parked it in the garage w/ no issues, fast forward to yesterday, I turned the wheels with the car off while bleeding the brakes and low and behold the new power steering valve started leaking again from the same exact area as the prior 2, around the ball stud that attaches to the steering arm......Needless to say I'm not only stumped, Im out of ideas. Any thoughts?

 

I feel your pain, I have gone through this with old vettes and mustangs. What you are going through is not that uncommon. The problem with rebuilding those valves is finding a good core. Most of the cores that get rebuilt are right on the edge of being oversize after they get honed so it takes next to nothing to make them leak. Do some research to see if anyone is sleeving the old valves to bring them to spec. That is probably the only way to assure that you will have one that will hold up for any length of time. Other wise you will end up replacing valve after valve until you are lucky enough to get one that was built from a really good core.

 

I never thought of that, thanks for the advise....

 

I've have nothing but bad things to say about ford's power steering from the 60's. My mustang is needing one of the hoses replaced for the third time. I'm so sick of dealing with it i've been driving it manual for the last 3 months.

 

I think it's a design flaw with these things, just make sure to have the engine running when you steer it, or expect it to leak.

If it does not leak when you drive the car, then you have it about as good as it gets.

 

Probably not a great suggestion, but my Ranchero power steering leaks somewhat badly.... I filled it up with brake fluid to swell the seals to help stop the leak... So far it has worked.