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'58 power steering pump/oil bowl gaskets

Started by 58K114323, September 18, 2018, 03:25:56 PM

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58K114323

Hi all,

since quite a while I'm trying to get the oil bowl of my '58 power steering pump sealing, but for some odd reason I can't work it out. It's either the bowl lid or the foot gasket that's leaking or both. I have tried home-cut thick gasket paper and cork rubber. Currently I have pure rubber at the foot and a thick rubber compound at the lid, but there is still some mist spraying across the left engine bay when the pump is warming. I'm sure that it does NOT come from the high/low pressure hoses nor from the pump itself, it's just the bowl not sealing.
Can anyone pls tell what the original gaskets were made from between lid and bowl as well as between bowl and pump and what the original gasket thickness was? Maybe who's selling yardage, too? Think some of the problem may be that I'm just getting metric stuff over here in Europe that doesn't fit well.
Thanks a lot


Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373

I don't know how similar yours is to a 55. But when I did my pump there were metal spacers between the pump and bowl. If you need them and they are missing the bottom of the bowl will distort and you will never get a seal.
Again, I don't know if yours is the same or not.
Jeff
Jeff Rosansky
CLC #28373
1970 Coupe DeVille (Big Red)
1955 Series 62 (Baby Blue)
Dad's new 1979 Coupe DeVille

58K114323

Jeff, thanks for your pic. The pumps are apparently different there. The MPL shows an (unlisted) spacer for late '52 - '55 pumps in that place, whereas the '56 to '58 don't have any. The bores of the '58 pump have something like a tiny collar underneath pointing towards the pump housing. I assume this replaces the spacer and was intended to carve into the gasket for complete seal. The MPL lists a tank gasket kit for '58s (568.6175) that contained the tank cover gasket, the inner manifold gasket and two different tank to pump gaskets. No one seems to sell these kits any more, and there is no material specification in the MPL so I need to cut them myself - that's why I'm in need of the info.

GG

J. Gomez

Quote from: 58K114323 on September 19, 2018, 08:19:28 AM
Jeff, thanks for your pic. The pumps are apparently different there. The MPL shows an (unlisted) spacer for late '52 - '55 pumps in that place, whereas the '56 to '58 don't have any. The bores of the '58 pump have something like a tiny collar underneath pointing towards the pump housing. I assume this replaces the spacer and was intended to carve into the gasket for complete seal. The MPL lists a tank gasket kit for '58s (568.6175) that contained the tank cover gasket, the inner manifold gasket and two different tank to pump gaskets. No one seems to sell these kits any more, and there is no material specification in the MPL so I need to cut them myself - that's why I'm in need of the info.

GG

J. Salchert,

I’m attaching a set of instructions from a rebuild kit I have that could help you with your issues. Sorry for the quality but I had to shrink the original down in size to be able to posted.   :(

The two oval gaskets for the bowl to pump you can use a rubber/cork 1/8” gasket material and cut them to size, for the bowl gasket is best to use rubber.

Now there is one “O” ring for the lid bolt not sure if you have one on yours?

Good luck..! 
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

fishnjim

I'm fairly certain I got my '58 rebuild kits from Fusick's.   There's a kit for the pump and one for the steering gear.   What I recall was there was a thick ~1/8" rubber gasket that went under the tank somewhat diamond shaped.   It compressed quite a bit.   
Makes sure something else isn't wrong that's causing the pressure, because it shouldn't spray out from the reservoir tank, like the hoses are backward or something's restricted.
The pressure is controlled at the steering gear.   

https://www.fusickautomotiveproducts.com/products.asp?dept=246

58K114323

Guys, thanks a lot, very helpful.

J. Gomez pic of the old installation manual is marvelous - just printed out as an addition to my WSM :-).

I have seen the gasket kits on fusicks and cadillacpartsltd today, but they are complete pump rebuild kits and they will cost me more than $100 until I have them here in Europe - why strip off three gaskets worth a couple pennys and have the rest thrown away or lying around in the unused parts collection?
Thanks for the cork-rubber thickness - I have ordered metric 0.118 in cork-rubber yardage from a local dealer today, hope that will do for the bowl-to-pump gaskets with a squirt of Curil K2 sealant.

And yes, fishnjim - I think I should have the steering box rebuilt on long term. The pump is howling a lot under pressure when compared to other '58s I know, so there may be some restriction within the box that has nothing to do with the pump itself. On the other hand, all of the stuff that is leaking is on the low pressure side, so I'm not quite sure how a high-pressure issue might backfire into the low-pressure side.

But anyway - will try the new gasket stuff and come back if it doesn't work.
Thanks a lot for all the advice
GG