News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

1974 Eldorado power steering pump

Started by ClarkStreet, September 25, 2017, 01:33:02 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ClarkStreet

At some point, someone replaced the power steering pump assembly with whatever they had lying around that would bolt up - It's a Saginaw, but who knows what car it came from, and the pulley protrudes farther out, causing belt misalignment.

I want to return my car to the exact correct pump, bracketry, and pulley. Can someone tell me which other models and years with the 472 or 500 have the EXACT same pump/pulley/mounting as the 1974 Eldorado?  Does anyone have an assembly they want to sell?

Thanks - Lee/ClarkStreet

fishnjim

Try your local part stores.   This should not be a secret.   If it's not online they can look in the vintage catalog.   May have to settle for a rebuilt, and pulleys/brackets may have to be ordered or source junk parts.
You probably can look up the part numbers on line yourself, liek at Rock Auto.com or get a parts book.

ClarkStreet

Hey, thanks for the helpful "this should not be a secret" comment, fishnjim.  Next time I need generic information about generic parts that may or may not fit my car, or an alternator for a late-model Camry, I'll be sure to rely on the mainstream parts retailers.  Certainly you haven't had as much luck at Advance Auto or Carquest as you make it sound.  I thought I could get something more from a community of experts... :-\

"...pulleys/brackets may have to be ordered or source junk parts..." -  hence my question about interchangeability with other Cadillacs.  If I had a 1970s Cadillac master parts book, I'd be happy to look something up for a fellow CLC member - am I wrong in thinking that a fellow member wouldn't do the same for me?

TJ Hopland

I hesitate to reply because I don't own a interchange manual so what follows is not confirmed official information just what I have gathered in my head from messing around with several Cadillacs in the era in question.

Does your car have double or single groove belt(s) on the AC and PS?   74 could have gone either way.  74 was the last year for the bolt on PS pulley so a single groove bolt on was a partial one year item for Cadillac.  75's should have all been single groove with the press on pulley.   68-73 should be double groove bolt on.    I don't think Eldorado was special in the bolt on era so one of the RWD cars should be the same. 

I think the pumps were all the same for GM and it was the brackets and pulleys that varied for the makes and models.   I don't think the brackets were different between say a 73 and a 75 so if yours doesn't align my guess is you have a pulley from a different GM or someone got creative in trying to eliminate the smog pump.   Does yours have a smog pump?  Look at the crank pulley, on a smog one the grooves are all pretty closely spaced together.   A non smog there is about a 3/4" gap between outer groove and the inner one(s).   So no smog pump and no gap in the pulley would be an indicator that someone got creative and that may be your issue rather than the wrong pulley on the pump.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

TJ Hopland

There is also reports that more recent production water pumps are not very accurate when it comes to pulley height and some belt clearances.  If the water pump looks recently replaced that may be another area to look at for a reason someone started trying to move other components around to make the clearances work. 

Just trying to save you the trouble of finding the 'correct' PS pump and finding out that wasn't the problem.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

ClarkStreet

Thanks for the info TJ!  I definitely know more than I did before - I appreciate it!