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Power steering sticking 1989 Reatta


Guest ssantoro

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Guest ssantoro

I've been trying to solve this for months. Sometimes when turning, the wheel is difficult to turn for a second or two. I've had the power steering pump replaced, the belt, had the lines checked, the rack and pinion steering. Today I took it to a suspension shop near Sony Pictures in West LA. They checked it out thoroughly on the rack and could find nothing wrong it (and of course it would not do it for them, as these things never do). They found no rough patches or wear in the steering column assembly. I wonder if it could be as simple as a slipping belt. It does it when the car has been running awhile, and usually as it goes uphill (but not always). It's exactly as if the power steering momentarily cuts out. I can still turn the wheel, but with difficulty. Then it will be OK. I can't feel it doing it unless the wheel is turned on a curve. It doesn't do it, in other words, as it's going reasonably straight. Anyone have any suggestions?

It's frustrating as the car is now otherwise 99% restored. I really don't want to do exploratory surgery, which would be very costly, only to find nothing. The owner of the shop wants me to bring it back when it's doing it all the time so they don't have to do that, but I worry about killing myself!

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Guest ssantoro

I think it is good. It only does this when the car gets warm and usually going uphill. The owner of the suspension shop said it could be a bad ball joint where the strut connects in or worn rubber which makes it appear to be a rack and pinion issue when the car is leaning into a curve. It was a little over my head, but he said disassembling all that would be costly.

Yes, I work at Sony Pictures.

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Were you able to look up underneath the car when it was up on a rack? Did anything appear out of the ordinary? How about the steering column itself? Is it tight and in good shape? I used to have a problem with my 88 chevy corsica that was similar to yours but it was on startup in the morning, after it warmed up it was fine (it was a 4cyl underpowered car not like our Reattas!). Also right when I had bought it I replaced the rack and pinion due to stiff turning to the left. Did they look at the interior of the rack and pinion or did they just look at the outside? Also, how many miles does your Reatta have?

Thats great that you work there! I was always interested in the film industry myself!

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Guest ssantoro

The suspension place said they checked everything. I wouldn't know what I was looking at if I was there. They said everything was testing fine. They saw no worn parts or any other problems. My idea is to go back and have someone else check the belt and pump and line.

I draw storyboards for Sony Animation.

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Guest crazytrain2

Try spraying some belt dressing on the belt, make certain tie rod joints are greased. Might also have mech. check the motor mounts, rubber may have given way and possibly creating a bind in steering when under high torque (as in going uphill)

I had a front rubber mount go out and the slight engine rock eventually mashed one of the "pre-installed lines" on top of my Rack n Pin. NOTE: My car is an 89 Electra Park Ave. which is similar but different, so I'm just thinking out loud

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Did you recently have the front struts and strut mounts replaced? I had a situation where sometimes the car would go straight down the road and sometimes it would want to pull to one side. When I took the car back in they put it up on the rack and determined that one strut was hanging up on the mount. Lubed it up and I have been running straight ever since.

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Guest ssantoro

I didn't replace the rack, just the power steering pump. The suspension guy said the r & p was fine. I will say that now I have analyzed it, it happens when the car leans into a curve and when it is slowed down. It happened last night as I slowed down to take a sharp curve in Nichols Canyon (Los Angeles). It happened to the left and it happened to the right when I took a curve to the right, in both cases uphill. It did not happen downhill.

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Guest Mc_Reatta

I'm going with Daves89's suggestion of the upper front strut bearings. Your description of when it happens seems to coincide with when they're under high load. But I would think it would be worst turning one way vs the other.

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Guest ssantoro

The struts are probably about six years old at least. The engine mounts are original. I had the fluid checked and the belts and the line and those were OK. It's got to be SOMETHING, and it seems to me it couldn't hurt to replace the strut assembly on both sides and the engine mounts. It has 141,000 miles on it so it's had plenty of use -- it was a daily driver for 23 years.

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Guest Mc_Reatta

If you have the documentation for the strut replacement job see if you were charged for new strut bearings. Normally they should be replaced when new struts are installed just because, but if someone was in a hurry or they weren't readily available, the old ones could have reused.

It's not that hard to pull a strut to see what shape one is in, and no need to replace the strut if its still in good condition. But you will wack out the alignment so that doesn't make it a simple R&R job.

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Guest crazytrain2

The motor mount check is simple, have someone rev the engine a few times with car in gear and while foot is on the brake. Look for excessive engine rock. I really kind of doubt that is your problem but it's a simple check. I'm curious though is this problem what prompted you to change power steering pump? Or did it it start occuring after the pump change? When pump was changed do you know if fluid was flushed? One final question, with the problem isolated to when it is occuring, does it occur frequently, infrequently or every single time you make that particular turn

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