New seal for PS ram.

[Merc Cruzer]

Did your cylinder have a balance tube?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=11541057&cc=1338825&pt=7372&jsn=903


It appears that LARES did produce the original style with the external balance tube:

LARES -30

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3024831&cc=1434943&pt=7372&jsn=853

I will give them a call after the holiday, to see if by chance they still make them.

Me? I am OCD (correct alphabetical order of OCD). It has to be perfect or look perfect, even a driver.

Unfortunately, I am of the same school. Mine is not a show car, but by my own standards, it has to have been originally offed by the manufacture, when the car was produced and if it is on the car, it has to be fully functional.

But in that same breath, I have always enjoyed and gotten a great sense of accomplishment, in taking something totally grungy, greasy, rusty, warn out and bringing it back to life again, as it appeared the day it left the factory. To what degree you might ask, well all of my spare/backup parts are totally redone and put away in boxes (the original box if possible). Whoever gets my car next, will also get a boat load of "new" parts for the car. I feel it is the least I can do for "the old girl", in her journey down The Mother Road.

When I say her journey "down The Mother Road", that actually has meaning. When I found her, she was owned by a gentleman in Gallup, NM and he lived 3 blocks off the main street, and main street just happened to be Route 66.

 

[rjlester]

Yep, it was the reservoir cover gasket.

Everything in that system was completely flushed before installation. Pump disassembled and cleaned, valve the same treatment. Ram was drained of fluid. New filter. Brand new hoses. At one point I pulled a couple lines to fix connections and the fluid all drained out. I also put in a PS treatment.

I did the lock to lock thing, but will try it again a few times and see if there is a change. Looking forward to the new ram cylinder to arrive next week.

 

[Merc Cruzer]

I will be interested to see if there are any markings/numbers, on the cylinder you take off.

 

[KULTULZ]

Did your cylinder have a balance tube?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=11541057&cc=1338825&pt=7372&jsn=903

It appears that LARES did produce the original style with the external balance tube:

LARES -30

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3024831&cc=1434943&pt=7372&jsn=853

They are showing as REMAN -

Remanufactured

Rebuild Process :

Power Steering Cylinders are thoroughly cleaned and exterior surfaces reconditioned for like-new look.
Each component is carefully inspected and replaced if not to OE tolerances.
All units have new chrome shafts.
All seals and O-rings are replaced with OE equivalent parts.
Each unit is tested to ensure OE performance.
Painted with a high quality paint.

Technical Support

Lares offers technical support for all of their products. Misdiagnosis is common on steering components and the technicians can help you determine if your part is the problem.

�� Phone: 1-800-555-0638

 

[KULTULZ]

We need to put your MERC in a CAR SHOW MAGAZINE that offers a center fold-out ...

 

[Merc Cruzer]

Thank you. She actually made the cover of the last hard cover membership list, of the IMOA shortly after I bought it. She has come a long way, since those days.

 

[Merc Cruzer]

I called LARES this morning and they confirmed they could rebuild the original unit with the external line, but he didn't have any in stock. It was used from 53'-54'. The LARES 10031 is a direct replacement for the original unit, with the external line, now internal. He would sell it directly for $275.59 + shipping and handling. It comes with all the rubber bushings installed and the rubber seals, for the lines. He related that the units are built overseas.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3024831&cc=1434943&pt=7372&jsn=853

 

[rjlester]

Thanks for calling them and letting us know the details. It's good to know that 10031 unit is a direct replacement, part of me was worried about that, and I had already ordered it.

It will probably arrive later this week, when I'm out at the cabin lol.

 

[KULTULZ]

I hate to be a party-pooper, but ...

I would have tried the end seal kit to see if it would stop the leakage. Don't forget the boot.

 

[Merc Cruzer]

I hate to be a party-pooper, but ...

I would have tried the end seal kit to see if it would stop the leakage. Don't forget the boot.

On the early rams, the seal was internal. The out side "seals" were nothing more than "Scrapers" to clean the shaft off, because boots were not used until later models.

I would love to find a boot for mine, but so far I haven't found one that would fit over the end of the ram.

 

[KULTULZ]

On the early rams, the seal was internal. The out side "seals" were nothing more than "Scrapers" to clean the shaft off, because boots were not used until later models.

The INTERNAL SEAL controls pressure/movement within the cylinder.

If that seal fails, the cylinder fails.

The END SEAL controls leakage/dirt intrusion at the cylinder piston extension.

It can leak (common) and that is what you see on your garage floor.

I would love to find a boot for mine, but so far I haven't found one that would fit over the end of the ram.

GIGGLE C1AZ 3C651-A

 

[Merc Cruzer]

True, I must just be lucky with mine.

 

[KULTULZ]

!!! DAMN !!!

​

Are you sure that is not a photo of when the car was new? You trying to trick us?

You need to give us a photo session on that MERC. I had no idea it was so detailed.

Now I GIGGLED C1AZ 3C651-A BOOT KIT the other night and I swear I found a NOS. Cannot come across it again. It fits 1953/1962 FORD.

Maybe if you call LARES they can give you a lead?

 

[Merc Cruzer]

Thank you.

I do wipe the under carriage down from time to time, just to check for any new leaks. When I change the oil, that gives me the opportunity or clean the bottom of the engine. I changed the trans fluid and put in a new filter, which gave me the opportunity to repaint the air scoop and the cover plates and dipstick tube along with the pan. Most of the miles I put on her, are highway, on nice dry sunny days with the top down.

I recently found factory accessory, door edge guards, that I have been searching for for over 13 years. That was my Christmas present to myself this year. Normally I am not a fan of door edge guards, but in this case they seem to work.

 

[rjlester]

Wow, your car is very nice. Great attention to detail, and good score on the edge guards! I think they look great.

Well, my ram cylinder showed up today, about an hour before I headed out to the cabin for some ice fishing. I opened the box to check that it is there and it does appear to be correct. I'll be home Saturday and that's the day it gets installed. Looking forward to having no leaks on that steering system.

I will likely try changing that seal on the old one at a later time. Just have to get the plastic spacer thingy, I already have the seal. Not sure how important that spacer is, maybe I can make my own.

 

[rjlester]

After two weeks of waiting to put my power steering back together, I finally got to it today. The hoses I brought back to the place that made them and after over a week, they fixed them under warranty. They admitted they put the compression fitting collars on backwards. Glad to see a business is actually willing to mention when they are at fault and I thanked them for fixing them right.

So, NO LEAKS ANYWHERE. The new ram works great, and did I mention it's been -40 the last two nights, and it will be again tonight! This afternoon it was -30 which is a LOT warmer haha I'm not kidding.

I put all the hoses back on the car, and drove it outside. Drove it around my yard, it was a bit noisy at first but there were lots of bubbles and had to top it off a couple times. Drove it around the block. No salt has been spread on the snowy roads yet, so no worries there.

It does seem quieter with the ATF than the PS fluid, but truly hard to tell with the noise of the tires on the snow.

Overall, SUPER happy with it and after putting about two miles on it, I got underneath and it's completely dry. The control valve, hoses, and the ram are drip free. It used to drip when it wasn't even moving.

Thanks to everyone for your help on this forum, especially to Kultulz and Merc Cruzer for all the pictures and quick responses. I have now parked the car for the rest of the winter in it's own garage, and I don't have to squeeze my daily driver everyday under the Meteor which was up on the hoist the last two weeks.

Just checked the weather report, they are now saying -43 tonight. Sheesh.

 

[Merc Cruzer]

Good to hear you were totally successful in the PS project.

Any worries about the block or radiator freezing at -45?

65 Days until Spring!

 

[rjlester]

Not worried at all, we use a 50/50 antifreeze mix here in everything. Even if you have 60%(water) and only 40%(antifreeze) it will gel, but not freeze/burst. Have had engines start in freezing weather, but the rad will plug with gelled antifreeze as well as the heater core. Last time I had that happen was 30 years ago, that car just didn't have the right mix in the cooling system. Was puzzled as to why the heater didn't work, then hit the highway and the engine overheated, in -40 weather! Insane haha. Once thawed nothing leaked.

They announced last night on a cellphone emergency alert that there might have to be rotating power outages as the power grid was stressed. Hmm, why were all the solar panels and windmills the province installed not working last night?

Last night we only got down to -40.2 so not as bad as thought, still crazy cold.

 

[Merc Cruzer]

I am lucky, in that when we built our house, we dug the garage, below the house, into the side of a mountain, so the garage is literally 9' below ground level and it never gets below 45 degrees, no matter how cold it gets. The nice thing, is that if you go out on a snowy day and come back with the car all packed with snow in the wheel wells, it will be totally melted off by morning.The garage floor is sloped to the front so it all run off away from the car.

A small space heater will heat the single bay to the point you are comfortable working in a sweatshirt, while working on the car. This came in handy when I was rebuilding the motor.

I woke up to a balmy 20 degrees, so I will consider myself lucky.

A few years back we got tired of the power going off during the winter. No heat no water , no toilet (we are on well and septic). So we installed a whole house Generac generator. Since then, we have never had a power outage. It just goes alone with my philosophy on back up parts for the car, if you have them, you wiill never need them, but if you don't....

 

[rjlester]

Your garage sounds like a sweet setup. I upgraded our garage furnace here almost the day we moved in 25 years ago. They had a small, probably 30000 btu ceiling heater. Now I have a 100k house furnace in there, works great. When I installed an insulated garage door about 10 years ago it totally changed the atmosphere in there as well. Natural gas used to be quite cheap here, not so much anymore.

My septic line froze in the tank last night, but I dropped a 900 watt interior car heater in there for a few hours and that did the trick. I keep forgetting to insulate the tank lid in the summer, as about every three or four years we get it cold enough here to freeze things.

Good idea on the power generator, a friend of mine has one in Saskatchewan as he does get a lot of power outages in his area. We haven't had one in a long, long time here. I do have a 3000 watt inverter/generator ready to go just in case.