Difficulty w/ Power Steering Hoses Install in 64 Impala small block
RickChevy64
08-01-2015, 06:39 PM
When I had about 6 years the 350 ci engine in my 64 Impala swapped out for a rebuilt '63 289 the mechanic told me he had difficulty getting the new hoses put in.
Well after finding the return hose was leaking 'cuz it was wearing against something we found that at some time during the 2 engine swaps over the years that the bracket on the Left frame, and the clamp on the power steering pump were missing. Well I paid some ripoff $ online for the replacements.
My good mechanic was going on a long vacation so he told me the guy across the street was fine. I got the Edelmann hoses. It looks like they don't put the protective cushions on them anymore; one does have hard plastic loose cover the hose that rests on the stabilizer bar. Is that a problem?
When I picked up the car I noticed that they had not put any cushioning on the hose whee they go into the bracket so the owner put some rubber cushion with plastic ties. After I got home my and my brother who is a mechanical engineer tested it in the backyard. When I turned to the right a hose was hitting the copper cooling line from the radiator to the tranny. When turning left a hose was hitting the power steering pump. My brother loosened the clamp and moved the hoses 1-2 inches. After that turning right was better, but left was worse. So I went back to the mechanic. He fixed the the right turn problem by bending the cooling with both of his hands. ( don't know if that hurts the cooling line?) But he did'nt seem to know how to fix left turn problem.
I told him my brother suggested that maybe either rotating and/or bending the metal tubes at the connections would help but he thought that might make it worse. ?? So I took it home luckily only 3 miles away.
So now that my regular mechanic is back he said that bring it over to the new guy and he will come over and help him fix it.
Well I'm a little paranoid now about them fixing so I hoping some of you guys might have some ideas as to the questions in this post.
Thanks,
Rick G:
Well after finding the return hose was leaking 'cuz it was wearing against something we found that at some time during the 2 engine swaps over the years that the bracket on the Left frame, and the clamp on the power steering pump were missing. Well I paid some ripoff $ online for the replacements.
My good mechanic was going on a long vacation so he told me the guy across the street was fine. I got the Edelmann hoses. It looks like they don't put the protective cushions on them anymore; one does have hard plastic loose cover the hose that rests on the stabilizer bar. Is that a problem?
When I picked up the car I noticed that they had not put any cushioning on the hose whee they go into the bracket so the owner put some rubber cushion with plastic ties. After I got home my and my brother who is a mechanical engineer tested it in the backyard. When I turned to the right a hose was hitting the copper cooling line from the radiator to the tranny. When turning left a hose was hitting the power steering pump. My brother loosened the clamp and moved the hoses 1-2 inches. After that turning right was better, but left was worse. So I went back to the mechanic. He fixed the the right turn problem by bending the cooling with both of his hands. ( don't know if that hurts the cooling line?) But he did'nt seem to know how to fix left turn problem.
I told him my brother suggested that maybe either rotating and/or bending the metal tubes at the connections would help but he thought that might make it worse. ?? So I took it home luckily only 3 miles away.
So now that my regular mechanic is back he said that bring it over to the new guy and he will come over and help him fix it.
Well I'm a little paranoid now about them fixing so I hoping some of you guys might have some ideas as to the questions in this post.
Thanks,
Rick G:
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026
