I took the old girl for the first drive after winter hibernation today. I had noticed that the power steering was not always helping when I drove her out of the garage some days ago. It is loosing some PAS fluid from the rack, and I did therefore check level and was happy to see it being low. Problem solved, or that was at least what I thought until driving...

The lack of (or lower level of) steering assistance seems to be connected to steering wheel position. That’s probably bad news as it must mean it is related to rack rather than pump ?

Am I on right track in my thinking ? Or could it be ball joints ?

Can the rack be rebuild ? Vintage 1977 probably means that finding a used replacement rack is going to be difficult...

 

Rack rebuilders all over the UK, not expensive. Also loads of second hand good ones at the breakers. So you do not have to change the pipes, you need the Adwest, not the much later ZF rack.

 

Is it a very specific spot or a broad range? A specific spot of resistance is more like the u joint in the steering column

 

I didn’t notice if that could be the case, but it’s a very interesting suggestion. Is these joints likely to fail ?
I did notice that the steering was tight around straight ahead and very light when returning to center from right hand turns. That made me think it could not be PAS fluid surge.

And thanks to Greg as well: I have already contacted someone who refurbishes PAS racks in UK. As mine is LHD I will probably not find a used rack in UK, and sourcing from US means will be subject to import tax...

BR Leo