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Old 06-03-2012, 09:39 AM   #1
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No Power Steering / Sitting For 6 Years

Howdee Folks,

I got a 92 30ft Fourwinds class A , 454 Chevy chassis .

This rig very clean, it only has 30k original miles but it has been sitting for about 6 years.

It fired right up after new batteries , gas etc..... it will need new tires ( side wall cracks ) and small amounts of elbow grease R & R

Upon 1st start up I had no power steering, I could only turn less than half way in each direction, I checked the remote reservoir and it was full.

I jacked up the front end to take the weight off the front steering and started it up again and now with the rig up in the air the front steering would turn effortlessly full right to full left.

I have it at a large 18 acre commercial property and so I came back 3 days later and drove it round the large parking lot and it was real nice, ( after I bled the brakes ) , so I drove it around for 10 mins stop -start, turn hard left, turn hard right, backing up etc..... no problems what so ever.

When turing while driving it there is no odd sounds that I have heard in vehicles with dry or bad power steering units, and so it is quiet.

Well, I come back a week later, start the rig up and the power steering is back to being hard as a rock, back to being unable to turn even half way even at a super high idle rpm.

Any ideas ? What say you ?

Thanks
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Old 06-03-2012, 09:47 AM   #2
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Welcome to irv2.
Congrats on your purchase.
Have you added new grease to steering ball joints and steering box front end suspension Zerk fittings maybe dry or non existent.
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Old 06-03-2012, 10:11 AM   #3
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Do you have power brakes all the time? I ask as the power steering and brakes are powered by the same power unit.
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Old 06-03-2012, 04:36 PM   #4
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Sounds like a nice rig Steve. Crazy how intermittent things can be. Makes me crazy when this happens. Anxious to hear what the cause is. Thanks for the post.
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Old 06-03-2012, 06:13 PM   #5
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Make sure the power steering belts are good and tight. Sitting 6 years I bet all the
belts need looking after.
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Old 06-03-2012, 10:05 PM   #6
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if your power brakes are powered by the power steering pump too....see if you think you have working power for the brakes...if so this shows the pump is working which says the gear itself is bad...most GM 1 ton frames with dual rear wheels had this set up for powering the brakes...it is known as Hydro-Boost
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Old 06-04-2012, 09:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sc3283 View Post
if your power brakes are powered by the power steering pump too....see if you think you have working power for the brakes...if so this shows the pump is working which says the gear itself is bad...most GM 1 ton frames with dual rear wheels had this set up for powering the brakes...it is known as Hydro-Boost
Folks, Yes this is a HydroBoost system.

At 1st there was no brakes what so ever , nada, zip , zero, and so I opened the brake reservoir and found the smaller side of the reservoir empty.

I filled it up and then bleed the back brakes only and 'Wa La' I now have good brakes.

I dont 'hear' the belts squealing as if they are slipping , so I will physically check them.

Greasing the front end zirks etc....sounds good, but remember the front steering worked great for awhile with 1 hand steering at a stop then its sits for a few days and reverts back to hard as a rock so it is a pump type of pressure hydraulic issue.

I am not complaining I paid ( drum roll Richard Dawson speaking ) "SURVEY SAY'S" > $75 bucks for it !!!

How you say, well it was turned back in to the finance company as part of a chapter 13 BK, the finance Co is a tenant of mine on the large shopping center I manage.

When I saw it sitting in the parking lot I left it alone for a week then a store manager informed be about it so I went up to it and read a note on the door that said : "belongs to ***** financial ".

I asked the owner of ****** financial and they said it belongs to the main office 300 miles away and they dont care about it.

I said : " well just move it into the large open lot were school bus and semi's park " , they said : " we will tell them but they dont care about it"

1 month later I am at the hot dog stand in front of the finance co and the owner comes out and tosses me all the keys and says " here its yours"

I paid a tow truck driver $75 to tow it to my end of the parking lot and now I am putting a 'lien sale' application for title due to abandoned storage at a certain rate a day plus towing , plus any and all work involved in it.

Anyone can pay a lien co to due all the paperwork for about $30 and wait 30 days while they send out certified letters to the last registered owner ( sent to the guy who left it there as per his attorney'/s direction, and the finance co who gave it to me)

I have done this before with cars but not with a $7,500 rig ( 7,500 k if it is back to proper and fine order )

I will sell my 1978 30ft rig and use the money from that to pay for the tires, steering issue etc....

So after new tires, and the steering and registration etc.... I will have a killer c-l-e-a-n rig for c-h-e-a-p
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Old 06-04-2012, 11:43 AM   #8
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While not the actual chassis manual, this is one of the chevy P30 books you keep around for reference: P30 Chevrolet Motorhome Chassis Manual

Things to check:
Chevy states that hard turning at idle can be do to overloading. You do not have a bunch of stuff temporaily stored in there do you? (pdf page 43)

Are the front air bags in good condition and aired up to the proper value? (pdf page 46). Chasssi may be dropped down creating stress on suspension.

Bell Cranks [support assy] (attach to frame, idler arms connect to them) - known wear point. Could be binding up and when you jacked the rig up you may have temporarily freed them.

Steering dampner (pdf page 42) - Is it binding up?

Depending on configuration, hydraulic fluid to/from steering box goes via Hydroboost system. Always possible something in hydroboost stystem is not allowing the fluid to flow correctly.

Dave
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Old 06-04-2012, 11:22 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave78Chief View Post
While not the actual chassis manual, this is one of the chevy P30 books you keep around for reference: P30 Chevrolet Motorhome Chassis Manual

Things to check:
Chevy states that hard turning at idle can be do to overloading. You do not have a bunch of stuff temporaily stored in there do you? (pdf page 43)

Are the front air bags in good condition and aired up to the proper value? (pdf page 46). Chasssi may be dropped down creating stress on suspension.

Bell Cranks [support assy] (attach to frame, idler arms connect to them) - known wear point. Could be binding up and when you jacked the rig up you may have temporarily freed them.

Steering dampner (pdf page 42) - Is it binding up?

Depending on configuration, hydraulic fluid to/from steering box goes via Hydroboost system. Always possible something in hydroboost stystem is not allowing the fluid to flow correctly.

Dave

Wow, great information Dave thanks a lot.

CHEERS
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