Possible steering gear failure... Help!!!

[carguy502]

Peoples, I need some diagnostic help. The car is a 69 nova, with a quick ratio GM 800 box and a DSE GM type II pump.

Ok, so I was driving home, pulling into my driveway. Suddenly, the power assist gives out. I muscle the car into place, check to see that I have not kicked the belt and call it a night.

Next morning I go outside to aattempt to diagnose the problem. After I fired up the car, there was some notchy feeling before everything smoothed out and power assist returned. There was some belt squeel at full lock, but other than that all was normal again.

Is it my gearbox? I could always use an excuse to upgrade...

[ZZ430]

The pulley could have slipped on the pump shaft, I had that happen with the same setup.

[WS6]

That or your belt is slipping and it's not making noise. I had that happen on a serpentine belt just recently but it also had power steering leaking on it providing good lubrication. Is your belt nice and snug?

[carguy502]

Not so much. It is a hacked L98 C4 serp set up that has lasted me almost 100k. It might be time to hang thwt one up and grab a third gen serpentine setup from the junk yard. I'll be following this one up.