CJ steering box parts - steel return line ??

[DHugg]

Who has bought (made - stolen - junkyarded) a steel return line and metric fitting with rubber O-ring for an '80 CJ7 power steering box? I have the new steering stuff all installed, but the return line is twisted and fluid passage gotta be restricted.

When I re-installed the pulley, I used red emery cloth in burnishing the pulley shaft on the AGR Performance Super Pump. I made a few passes with a brake cylinder hone down the pulley hub to smooth out some scratches, then wrapped the hone with emery cloth for a minute's polishing. Pressing the pulley onto the hub was quite smooth, but required enough muscle torqueing down the press nut to know the pulley was a tight press fit.

Gulfport, MS, is a small town of about 50,000, and finding a sales person in any of the automotive parts chains who knows what I'm asking for is a bit of a challenge, at least it was today. If I knew which Ford or GM model uses the same power steering pump, I could get one in my hands in half a day, and have the system leak-checked and bled by nightfall.

Anyone have any experience to share out?

 

[IOPort51]

Who has bought (made - stolen - junkyarded) a steel return line and metric fitting with rubber O-ring for an '80 CJ7 power steering box? I have the new steering stuff all installed, but the return line is twisted and fluid passage gotta be restricted.

When I re-installed the pulley, I used red emery cloth in burnishing the pulley shaft on the AGR Performance Super Pump. I made a few passes with a brake cylinder hone down the pulley hub to smooth out some scratches, then wrapped the hone with emery cloth for a minute's polishing. Pressing the pulley onto the hub was quite smooth, but required enough muscle torqueing down the press nut to know the pulley was a tight press fit.

Gulfport, MS, is a small town of about 50,000, and finding a sales person in any of the automotive parts chains who knows what I'm asking for is a bit of a challenge, at least it was today. If I knew which Ford or GM model uses the same power steering pump, I could get one in my hands in half a day, and have the system leak-checked and bled by nightfall.

Anyone have any experience to share out?

The return line is not a pressure hose and it hose clamps on the back of the pump. ( how am I doing so far) The fix is to replace the hose with a section of fuel line and use hose clamps on it. you will need to cut the ferrell on the steel line end and cut the hose off but you should find the line has a ridged end that will aid in holding the hose on with the new hose clamp.

It just occured to me that your twist is in the steel and not the hose. is there enough to clamp a hose to if you cut it off or is it right near the fitting?

in a junk yard setting you should be able to find the hose on any full sized jeep wrangler or j truck.

 

[DHugg]

IO, you were right on about the flattened pipe section near the fitting. Here's the situation..........


I agree that a junkyard prowl is likely the quickest source. Last time I ordered parts on line (in November) it took a month to get 'em delivered.

You can tell that the mechanic (I am using a lot of restraint here ) who handled this part wasn't much on using the right tool for the job.

I think I'll take my grandson, here for the week after Christmas, with me. It would be exciting for him (me, too) and a good learning experience.

 

[Petescj]

Im pretty sure I have what you need brand new in the plastic still in my shed. If I do I'll post pics after work.

IO, you were right on about the flattened pipe section near the fitting. Here's the situation..........


I agree that a junkyard prowl is likely the quickest source. Last time I ordered parts on line (in November) it took a month to get 'em delivered.

You can tell that the mechanic (I am using a lot of restraint here ) who handled this part wasn't much on using the right tool for the job.

I think I'll take my grandson, here for the week after Christmas, with me. It would be exciting for him (me, too) and a good learning experience.

 

[CJ]

On mine the grill was notched (made a space for the line), but that line you have sure looks like a bit of a hack job...

 

[IOPort51]

the only one I have worked on was on my 81 J-10 and as I recall it was a bit of an adventure. there are more than one possibility of fittings, with and with out o rings and the fittings require different line wrenches. one of the fittings on the j-10 was strange in that it would not fit a SAE or metric line wrench :dunno: so I ended using a crescent wrench on it in the end. This is all from memory so take it for what it is worth.
Long story short the part is no longer available at my local parts houses.

IO, you were right on about the flattened pipe section near the fitting. Here's the situation..........


I agree that a junkyard prowl is likely the quickest source. Last time I ordered parts on line (in November) it took a month to get 'em delivered.

You can tell that the mechanic (I am using a lot of restraint here ) who handled this part wasn't much on using the right tool for the job.

I think I'll take my grandson, here for the week after Christmas, with me. It would be exciting for him (me, too) and a good learning experience.

 

[Petescj]

Yup I have one. I know I paid a little over $30 plus shipping. Yours for $20 plus the ride if your interested.

 

[Jokenring]

Another angle is to try a hydraulic shop. I just had my power steering hoses made at one. Guys were nice and helpful. Call ahead first, make sure they have o-ring fittings.

Should be a few hydraulic shops down there with the oil rigs and stuff.

 

[DHugg]

Yup I have one. I know I paid a little over $30 plus shipping. Yours for $20 plus the ride if your interested.

Petescj, I got an email back from a parts house just now, citing a difference between the 304CID V8 and the 258CID six part, different stock numbers. Now I have no worries about any durability difference between the two, but I'm working in a very, very small space, the V8 line comes up just about an inch then out toward the engine to get another vertical stretch toward the power steering pump back. I finally got the AGR Performance Steering Box II bolted in toward the end of daylight... had to lift up a torsion bar just to get it bolted.

The offer is a prize, badly as I need the part, and I am much appreciative. Can I take just a few days to mull over the pics you attached to see if your part will make my life better, or worse?

 

[DHugg]

Jokenring, over in Louisiana (20 minute drive) there are oil rig service companies beaucoup, but here along the MS Gulf Coast it is mostly shipfitter stuff, Northrop-Grumman and a high-powered yacht builder among many others. There are also junkyards beaucoup, and I think that's my pick. I have some other desires, off non-Jeep cars, for future upgrades to ignition, generator, rear axle, and rear brakes to disc.

But a very good suggestion, nonetheless. I gotta get a trailer to pull behind the Jeep for the boat I've built, so one of the marine supply stores probably knows a diesel mechanic or two.

Thanks.

 

[CJ]

The grill I bought many, many years ago had this cut out just below the radiator... Disregard the rust...

 

[Petescj]

Sorry man I didnt know you had a V-8. Im trying to figure out why it would be different. Im guessing its wrong because of your bigger V-8 fan shroud. No biggie, I was just offering it up.

Petescj, I got an email back from a parts house just now, citing a difference between the 304CID V8 and the 258CID six part, different stock numbers. Now I have no worries about any durability difference between the two, but I'm working in a very, very small space, the V8 line comes up just about an inch then out toward the engine to get another vertical stretch toward the power steering pump back. I finally got the AGR Performance Steering Box II bolted in toward the end of daylight... had to lift up a torsion bar just to get it bolted.

The offer is a prize, badly as I need the part, and I am much appreciative. Can I take just a few days to mull over the pics you attached to see if your part will make my life better, or worse?

 

[IOPort51]

You are looking for a return line, are you not??
The return line I am familiar with has one o ring fitting and a hose with hose clamp on the other end. The one Pete has is a fitting on both ends it would appear. I believe you will find the two, supply and return, have different size fittings. I would guess it could be a problem if you switched them at assembly.

 

[DHugg]

IO, you are correct.... the return out of the steering reservoir is just a 4 inch steel stub with a swaged hose "bump" on the end. The clamped hose ties into a 12 inch steel line with a metric coupling destined for the steering box return port. From the size of the plastic fitting plugs on the steering box, the high pressure fitting is larger than the return.

I think I have it sourced, here in an email:
"
Hi Denny! #5363662 return line & hose is for the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , 6 Cyl. and #5370019 is for a AMC 304 , V8. It has the steel line, metric fitting & O-ring on the gearbox end.

John Krage
krage@jeepdoc.com
www.jeepdoc.com
>
"

Don't know what I would do without help from other Jeep folks who have already been down that rusty, well-worn road of repairing Jeeps. I hope everyone gets Grade 8 and Stainless 316 hardware in their stockings tomorrow morning!

 

[DHugg]

Re-arranged the hose routings while putting back the ($!!@^&&) P/S Pump pulley - jumped off the press-on shaft and all three belts declared a strike at the same time, wound up on the garage floor. But garage floor is better than at a traffic light 25 miles from home!

The pulley WILL NOT {NEVER} come off again. Everything is working OK, even the chimes I unwittingly installed with a piece of plastic tie too long and close to the fan.

I use 'German silver' brazing a lot, gunsights, fishing lures, etc. I'm going to fabricate a very low, true right angle fitting from the 16mm screw fitting and a bit of stub, a stainless right-angle that is same I.D. as the steel tubing O.D., and a follow-on length of tubing to rubber hose leading up to the return tube on the P/S/ pump.

I'll photo it and put it up in case somebody else needs it.

Couldn't do it without all this great help. I'm now rebuilding the tilt steering column to cut off some more slack, then new bushings in the torque system. Next it's a full rebuild of the front axle, knowing now how much the back axle needed the attention.

I can keep her in my lane now; next I hope to keep her in the CENTER of my lane.

Bon chance,

Denny

 

[dslywalker]

Just for reference Napa had the pressure line in stock here in Arizona it was 25 bucks.They could also get the ends for return line but they were pricey couldn't remember what they were.
Mike

 

[DHugg]

END OF THE STORY

I went today to a fabrication shop with a rep for building unusual lines.... couldn't see how they could work with the 3/8 steel tubing, but vectored me to Maximum Parts on Creosote Road here in Gulfport, MS. The young lady there talked it over for a couple minutes, then went to the brass fittings bin and picked out the parts you see below. Couple of cuts with a Dremel, tiny bit of filing to remove burrs, and the LO-BOY return line fitting is done. Now I'll get a mirror, fish out the rubber grommet from the line seat, and button this job up. It has taken long enough!

 

[IOPort51]

Hopefully this will be easier to install than the original. You just have to hate hydrolic , brass, fittings on the blind side of something you can only touch with one hand. And the fittings cross thread soooo easy.

 

[IOPort51]

can you fit a tube wrench on that without taking it apart??