Need more assist from Authentic Automotive original style power steering.

After installing the complete original style power assist kit I am not satisfied with the amount of effort needed to steer. The new pump pressure is okay. Control arms with built in caster, a 16:1 steering box & Coker radials were installed. All bushings, ball joints replaced. I realize caster & quicker ratio will increase effort. Can the valve be modified to give more assist? Alter spring pressure by installing a weaker spring? I would rather learn how someone successfully decreased effort rather than experimenting myself. I talked to Authentic Automotive when I first installed everything & was sent a new pump which had a higher pressure but the steering effort didn't change. I have never driven a 57 with original power assist but I bet it required less effort than mine.

The manual says the maximum pressure should be 750-800 PSI. Do you know what yours is running? The way I understand it is that the control valve on the drag link is what controls fluid to the ram and the pitman arm moves the control valve. If that's the case, you are probably getting full pressure on the ram and that's as good as it gets unless you can get more pressure, or perhaps it's a volume issue and the flow to the ram is restricted somewhere and can't keep up with the faster box. I think your biggest problem is the steering box ratio but the added caster does contribute. The overall ratio for the stock manual box is 25.7:1 and for the PS system it's 23.3:1....not sure why it's different since they use the same box and steering arms.

Stock linkage assist uses same box, but has a different pitman arm for PS.

I read somewhere the system has a flow restrictor but didn't explain the location or what to do to obtain more flow. Does the stock type valve has a restrictor that can be altered & by what means? Has anyone out there tried anything like drilling an orifice or changing something to increase flow?

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Originally Posted by tecteachr

I read somewhere the system has a flow restrictor but didn't explain the location or what to do to obtain more flow. Does the stock type valve has a restrictor that can be altered & by what means? Has anyone out there tried anything like drilling an orifice or changing something to increase flow?

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Not sure why they would use a flow restrictor if the control valve controls the flow. I don't know anything about the stock power steering but if there is a flow restrictor I would try removing it and see what happens. I have no idea where it is although it's probably in the control valve or one of the hose fitting seats or in the pump.

Found this googling....


"Finally fixed the problem, CPP helped me figure it out, but they were the problem. The end result is that the valve in the Ps pump has a orifice that can come in 3 sizes. To run the 500 box it needs one over.140 in size. It came with .125.

The first new pump i bought had a .136 in it. CPP told me my pump did not produce enough pressure to run the 500 box. I needed to buy theirs. I did. It did not work any better. Then CPP said it must be the gear box, replaced it. Still no change. This is when I finally got to talk to someone at Cpp that had the knowledge to help.

He told me to remove the ps valve and drill it out to get more flow through it. I drilled it out to .156. He said don't go over .186.

Now i have power steering like it should be. Hooray.

Now the side effects, higher fluid temps. The higher flow rate causes high temps. So much for buying off the shelf product and it working like it should. I lost 2 weeks of fighting changing parts, 4 qts of ps fluids, exhaust gasket, a CPP ps pump it didn't need. Will now need a ps fluid cooler to keep fluid temps down. But the headaches are over."