Power steering rebuilding kit

[Bill Prince]

Asking for a friend. Best place to buy a rebuilding kit for power steering - 1963 Lincoln Continental?

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Never rebuilt one.

There are a number of kits which all look to be the same at various prices on E-bay.
One or two of the kits are being sold by Mark II Enterprises.
Which usually means Mark II has it on their website for a different price and an unknown amount for shipping

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[TonyC]

I have done it, with both results: Failure and success, the latter being my most recent experience.

I have seen different types of kits from different sellers on E-Bay; most of them consist only of all the seals the steering pump uses, others include a new center bearing (well, "bushing" is the correct noun) for the sleeve. A search will pop up both, at which time you can decide which one you'd want. Naturally, the ones with the bushing will be more expensive...but far, far cheaper than a rebuilt replacement, which may or may not hold up (I know from experience just in the past few years).

That said, I have to say that it isn't so much the kit you choose as it is the amount of skilled effort you put into the rebuild. You are not just swapping out seals here; it involves a total disassembly of the pump just to replace the seals, so any extra effort put into the pump is free of charge. One thing I picked up on that nobody (including me, until this last attempt earlier this year) ever thought of in reseal attempts was to polish off the sleeve, which over time has become crusted over with deposits that will compromise the new seals. Additionally, when the pump is being reassembled, I seriously doubt that anyone (again, including me until this last time) considered was employing a makeshift guide tool to stretch the outer seals as the sleeve is driven through; failure to do that will stretch the seals improperly and again compromise them. I did a write-up of exactly how I did this last rebuild earlier this year, in late March while the engine was in its coma...and incidentally, since Halloween I have been keeping watch, mostly out of habit, and I can boast that this last rebuild was a resounding success. Thus, I strongly advise looking up my post and following it very carefully: https://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/ ... =4&t=52614. The shop manual does have very good guidance, excellent in fact; but my post adds a bit more for those of us who don't have factory experience. One warning sign I didn't mention in the post then, but which I should now, involves the sleeve and bearing: The sleeve should turn fairly easily when inserted, and as a consequence should be easy to remove from the core of the pump. If it does not turn with ease, or if you end up taking the bearing out with the sleeve at the same time, that is a telltale sign of warpage which would involve replacement parts. Possibly a new bearing may work, but my bet is on the sleeve, for which I know of nobody offering replacements. But, if the sleeve comes out with no binding, you are already at an advantage; in which case, one of the cheaper, seal-only kits will suffice.

---Tony

However, as of 15 April of this year, long-distance use debunked my boast of "resounding success." I've posted about that frustrating and embarrassing experience on a trip to Florida, along with ideas I employed afterward to remedy the symptoms that popped up. First, always employ a driver of exactly the diameter of the outer seals, and don't dent them while setting them in; dents to the shells may cause the pump to suck in engine oil. Second, check the relief valve for smooth operation in its bore. If it sticks, that could cause too much pressure buildup in the system, causing it to puke fluid even if the level is correct...so disregard the warning in the shop manual, and take that valve out for inspection and cleaning. On the other hand, if it does move freely and you haven't noticed the left side of the engine bay get bathed in oil, then leave the valve be.