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G-Body power steering help

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Old 07-14-2013, 03:39 PM
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Default G-Body power steering help

sooo im doin a swap on my buddies 87 Grand National. almost done with it but have a question. He is still running the factory brake system which i am not at all familiar with. Wondering how you guys ran your power steering hoses and that with this setup.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

thanx in advance
Old 07-14-2013, 03:56 PM
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get rid of the stock system and do a hydroboost brake system. i cant tell you how many times the stock system has screwed me. never had a problem after switching to the hydroboost. its a little pricey but well worth not wrecking your GN
Old 07-14-2013, 07:56 PM
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If its a true GN it should have a hydro boost already.

What accessories are you running; Y, F or truck style?

Most trucks had hydro boost from the factory and the power steering reservoir has a 3rd port for the hydro boost drain. If running a Vette or F-body PS pump you might want to run a remote reservoir with an extra port for the hydro drain.

Also, if you still have the GN PS pump, make sure to take out the valve that the pressure hose screws into (which also screws onto the back of the reservoir) and all hardware to go with it. You'll need the valve for the new PS pump so that the output pressure is matched to the steering box...many have not and complained about "twitchy" steering from pump pressure output being much higher than our G-bodies came with.
Old 07-14-2013, 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by spacemanspif
If its a true GN it should have a hydro boost already.

What accessories are you running; Y, F or truck style?

Most trucks had hydro boost from the factory and the power steering reservoir has a 3rd port for the hydro boost drain. If running a Vette or F-body PS pump you might want to run a remote reservoir with an extra port for the hydro drain.

Also, if you still have the GN PS pump, make sure to take out the valve that the pressure hose screws into (which also screws onto the back of the reservoir) and all hardware to go with it. You'll need the valve for the new PS pump so that the output pressure is matched to the steering box...many have not and complained about "twitchy" steering from pump pressure output being much higher than our G-bodies came with.
The 87 GN's should actually have a powermaster setup. The 84 GN's came with hydroboost
Old 07-15-2013, 12:00 AM
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its a real GN. running a cluster **** off accessories but the power steering pump is F-body. dont think he wants to change the master yet.

oh another quick question is how did you guys wire up the fuel pump?i cant seem to find the wires from the OEm wiring diagrams!
Old 07-15-2013, 01:02 AM
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kinda hard to see but this is the brake setup?

Old 07-15-2013, 08:10 AM
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That IS NOT a brake unit, [Powermaster], for an 87 GN.
Either you are incorrect as to the yr of the car, or someone has changed the brakes. That HB unit looks to be an OEM from an 84ish type Regal. It's likely not an aftermkt HB, as they usually have an accumulator can on them.

As mentioned, you can mod the press valve on the LS pump. I used a kit made by Borgeson, to do the pump o my 55.
You can also use a "T" in the return line, to get the fluid back to the pump res.
If the pump has a 2nd return port, and you use a "T", do not hook the line to the upper port. The pump will be noisy.
Attached Thumbnails G-Body power steering help-hrdraboost-install-014.jpg  
Old 07-15-2013, 02:17 PM
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hmm intersting. ill have to look into this some more. thanx
Old 07-15-2013, 06:37 PM
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That looks like a factory hydroboost to me. My 83 el camino came as a diesel & still has it. Been running it with my 99' f- body ps pump for over 10 years now. Haven't had any complaints or issues other than having to replace the factory hydroboost unit a few years ago cuz of a leak (age related?). In another ps pump thread, it was noted my f-body model has a pretty good output, which may be helping it work for me.
Hydroboost has 2 returns that ran to the factory reservoir. I just ran a tee connector inline under the pump to connect both return lines. Had a custom hose made for the pressure side. No twitchiness or excess noise
I consider hydroboost an upgrade.
Old 07-15-2013, 06:40 PM
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would you have any pics?
Old 07-15-2013, 06:55 PM
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It is NOT Hydroboost. I got rid of the leaky shorting out garbage and retrofitted the older style that is power steering driven...

P.S. It is my car in question, lol.
Old 07-16-2013, 05:47 PM
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I deleted my close up pics of hydroboost, you can see it peeking out my partially done engine cover in the hooniverse link & pulled you up an auto parts page with pics.I searched HYDROBOOST to get it. Call it what you want.
http://hooniverse.com/2012/11/29/tru...amaro-edition/
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...erm=hydroboost.
Old 07-16-2013, 06:04 PM
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I have the HB just trying to make sure we hook the hoses up correctly...
Old 07-16-2013, 06:56 PM
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Guess the posted pic wasn't yours. Routing is pretty simple. High pressure from pump to hydro boost. Other pressure line from hydroboost to steering box. Low pressure return from hydroboost to ps reservoir & also low pressure return from steering box to reservoir. Here's a whole google images link, a few you will recognize as gm.
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-a...w=1920&bih=954

PS, gm hydroboost is the same on a 1 ton truck as a car application. Also, reminder that returns are same & you can use a tee, though a dual inlet reservoir is supposedly better. Like I said< I haven't had problems in 10 years of running a tee with mine.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/suspensio...droboost-3.htm
Old 07-17-2013, 06:27 AM
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? It is mine... replaced the power master (whatever that electric motor is called) with this off an older car (new just "retro fitted").

We were just confused putting it back together with the LS because I had thought it was pump to HB, HB to steering, steering to reservoir but there's the t fitting so I thought maybe pump to HB AND steering off the T and then two return lines to the reservoir. I did the conversion a long time ago...



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