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Powersteering Flow Mods

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Old Jan 8, 2014 | 12:39 PM
  #1  
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Powersteering Flow Mods

Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone here has drilled out the orifice/pressure hole in the pressure fitting in the PS pump?

I hear about "driving like a caddy" is that not a good thing? Apparently it is a reference to no feedback from the road. I'm not exactly sure what this means? Wouldn't awesome power steering like that be a good thing?


I've done a lot of searching on it and it appears that stock hole is 1/8, and it is suggested to go 1-2 sizes above. Which would be 9/64, or 5/32.

Thanks
 
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Old Jan 8, 2014 | 12:56 PM
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Short answer... I haven't ever seen any reports of anyone doing that as the sole modification. When I've read about PS upgrades, I see folks moving to the Saginaw P-style pumps which produce higher flow rates and often use a remote reservoir in place of the attached one. You can convert to the P-style pump with either tank configuration. Regardless, part of their "upgrade" is related to the higher flow rates and less restriction, but the trick with the remote reservoir is to make sure that it can both feed enough fluid to the pump suction while also handling the much higher velocity and volume of fluid coming back into it from the pump discharge.

Like I said, I've not seen yet any reports of just drilling out the existing restriction as the only modification. If you do that, you'll still need to make sure that the existing reservoir ports to the pump suction will handle enough fluid flow to prevent pump cavitation, which causes fluid foaming, which worsens the pump cavitation.... and on and on and on it spirals downward.
 
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Old Jan 8, 2014 | 07:26 PM
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From: Gary,Indiana
Originally Posted by F250_
Short answer... I haven't ever seen any reports of anyone doing that as the sole modification. When I've read about PS upgrades, I see folks moving to the Saginaw P-style pumps which produce higher flow rates and often use a remote reservoir in place of the attached one. You can convert to the P-style pump with either tank configuration. Regardless, part of their "upgrade" is related to the higher flow rates and less restriction, but the trick with the remote reservoir is to make sure that it can both feed enough fluid to the pump suction while also handling the much higher velocity and volume of fluid coming back into it from the pump discharge.

Like I said, I've not seen yet any reports of just drilling out the existing restriction as the only modification. If you do that, you'll still need to make sure that the existing reservoir ports to the pump suction will handle enough fluid flow to prevent pump cavitation, which causes fluid foaming, which worsens the pump cavitation.... and on and on and on it spirals downward.
I agree with you Pete on all points. I have never heard of anyone drilling out the pressure hole. I do believe that you could actually make things worse by causing fluid foaming which in turn would also effect the brakes. And like you said the best way to improve p/s is by going to Saginaw P-style pump. I just think modding the stock p/s pump might work but it still doesn't make up for the short coming that the stock pump has in it's design.

But I won't mind hearing first hand from someone who has done this mod and hear the results.
 
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Old Jan 8, 2014 | 10:44 PM
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This mod is pretty old and was done back in the hay days of TDS. I've done it on two trucks and has been best on my '96 F350 4x4 cclb srw. As noted above the feed back "feel" will be diminished, read '70's land yaught or so I've been told, if you go too big. For my 96 I drilled the pressure port bushing hole iirc 1 drill bit size larger sorry I don't remember actual size. It didn't seem to make a huge change so went one more size and it made the steering feel much better as I recall. Seems to me on my '97 sig truck it didn't make a significant difference.

On my new truck '96 F250 ECSB 4x2, I'll be doing this mod when it warms up here. It's easy to do and is a good mod I think.

Sorry guys I just realized..... I can only speak for OBS trucks.
jrc
 
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Old Jan 8, 2014 | 10:51 PM
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How will this affect the hydroboost??
 
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Old Jan 9, 2014 | 08:09 AM
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Modifying your power steering effects your brakes. This is a mod that I would not even attempt.
 
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Old Jan 9, 2014 | 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Tugly
Modifying your power steering effects your brakes. This is a mod that I would not even attempt.

Very sage advice this.....
 
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