Power steering and clutch 8.2 detroit

[Birdhouse]

Well crapskies.

The power steering pump is causing the belts to scream and the steerimg wheel currently will not turn while parked. Hopefully it is better while moving. Honestly has been an issue for most of the time ive owned it but not getting any better. Need to relo next weekend. In the snow in northern Michigan

Few questions
1. Is that belt dressing slime anything but a real bad idea?

2. Looks like radiator has to come out. Is this correct? Im seeing terrible access and poor adjustment options on the belt that drives the air compressor

3. How many gallons of coolant am i looking at?
Just engine and radiator. All heater cores are disconnected or removed.





Oh on a slightly unrelated note
I replaced the master and slave cylinders on the clutch last summer. Both were donezo. The clutch seems to work great. Disengages fully and connects well enough to stall it out with the air parking brake engaged. But it has Ever So Little pedal height. Maybe 2 inches of total travel. I can pull it up higher and it drops straight back to where it was like im lifting the pushrod away from the master.

Im guessing its normal but it feels so funny.
Works too easy.
Lol meanwhile the stick is a real workout.
How might a guy lube or adjust said stick?


Thanks all

[Birdhouse]

Oh. Anything else i desperately need to deal with while the radiator is removed?

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

if the power steering pump is starting to seize up you wont get to far without it rubbing through the belt.
it could just be loose or and need to be tightened or just plane old wore out.
for your slave cylinder it sounds like your rod is to short.
some had adjustment built into the back of the cylinder where the rod sets and some you had to measure and get the correct length rod or just re use your old rod if nothing is wrong with it.
year make model of your bus will help you get more specific info.
and either naturally aspirated or turbo 8.2 will make a difference as well.
air brakes or juice brakes will change the belt routing and or the number of belts.
the belt conditioner does ok only if your steering pump isnt causing a problem.
another old school belt trick if you know its snug and your pump is good is a little tricky and dangerous on some engines is while its running hold a bar of soap on the belt to quiet it up.
that was the days before the safer spray on belt conditioner.

[Birdhouse]

Will the conditioner make it stop slipping or make it slip more? Sounds like soap would lube it up.

I dont wanna make it worse.
I dont think anything is tying to sieze on me i (think) i just have some crap belts that need to be dispensed with

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

sounds like you need belts?
none of the belt stuff will fix a problem just make it shut up for a little while.
i reccomend 2 sets of each for spares down the road.
one to put on now and one for on the road

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

ok this just hit me???
you say everything looks good?
did you actually pull the belt off of the power steering pump and spin it freely by hand or does it just look like it is spinning as fast as everything else with engine running.
when was the last time you check fluid in it?
you said this has been a problem for awhile so are you sure you dont have a fluid leak or a collapsed high pressure line or return line?
not being able to steer in park is an indicator that it should not be driven wiith snow on the road? unless you have driven older vehicles of this size that never had power steering in the mud or snow?
with your questions i say you have not and this is not your time to learn.
what does your steering box look like?
any linkkage look bound up? is it covered in wet crud? depends on if you have fluid in the system.
what does your pitman arm and seal look like?
now follow all of that linkage out to each wheel.
put your hands on every piece and see if anything moves?
now take a prybar under there and try to make those things move.
can you get the front tires off the ground with proper stuff to get under safely?
thats the best way to check steering and suspension if you can do it safely.

[Birdhouse]

I cant get any form of access to the pulleys, last i recall. Its been a while, but i remember mostly being alarmed at how bad the access is and how poorly the tensioning device for compressor and ps pump worked.

Last time i drove it, the reservoir had more than enough. Big remote reservoir towards rear of doghouse.

I swear nothing looks out of order.

Mostly the belt slips like a sumbich.

Looks fairly fresh even, i just couldnt tighten it for shite.

Eh my little old pickup is pretty bad when parked. No ps. But its different clearly.
At the moment this feels worse than no ps. Like its bolted down.

Horrible timing to be forced to move.

Right now i dont even know where im going. Some local dweeb stood up on Facebook and said that he would take me but it looks like that was bullcrap and hes going to watch as i get hosed. Continually preaches anout how busy he is and wont say anything of value like where he is at.

Seems like a socially awkward way of changing his mind.

Im pretty much screwed right now im sure

I have no way to get anything off the ground

[Birdhouse]

K i just got under there. All the belts were very loose. Had to use a 4 foot bar to get the alternator tight enough.

Power steering pump appears to have no adjustment whatsoever. It is a formed 1/2 inch steel plate with multiple bolts into the block and several into the pump with no visible slots

The belt is quite loose. I cannot see any part of the bracket that can be moved. My buddy cranked back and forth on the steering wheel and caused the pulley to stop spinning completely each time. Its loose and glazed enough that its not even screeching anymore







Compressor tensioner sucks but its not an issue at this moment and i can at least see how it works if i can get a proper wrench on it

[Birdhouse]

Here are the Pics

[Birdhouse]

Oh. It does have a tiny bit of adjustment available. But basically no access. Lololz

[Birdhouse]

I got under there last night and replaced the ps belt. Had to displace all of thrm as it is the last on the stack. Others look very captured.

They did not have the same belt. Only narrower gauge rubber ones. Got a green Gates lawnmower belt. Intended for maximum power transfer. An inch shorter to make up for terrible adjustment. Very difficult.

Got it all put together.
Started up.

Its still causing the pump to stop and belt to slip when i crank on steering wheel.

Real nice if it had a double belt like alternator or a gear driven pump or something....

Im guessing its because its a bit bedded into the dirt. Im not able to move bus yet because its still shored up with drainpipes and ****. Im sure it will chill out with a bit of rotation.

[Birdhouse]

Well i got it extracted from the ditch it had called home since april. Lol in honesty it was a pretty awkward place to park, anything but level but it worked.

All wheels had sank about 4 inches into the ground and the dirt is frozen solid. Rocking out of the hole was a trick. As soon as it was loose, power steering is working like a hero. Lol.

Well she is ready to roll out, destinations unknown. If i wasnt broke and desperately tethered to a job it would be great.

It was funny though.
I had been feeling very persecuted yesterday. Up until the moment i broke free and charged up the little snowy hill i was afraid of. It was liberating.

Im still not happy about it but being a bit more mobile will be good.
Luckily ive gotten my exterior body work and doors finished finally. It will be ok

[Booyah45828]

For anyone else parking on dirt, place appropriate length 2x12's down first, and then drive the bus on top of them, and you won't run into the issue of it sinking. Your tires will also thank you for it, as the moisture from the dirt leads to dry rot of the tires.

[s2mikon]

I always park mine on top of boards. Even on the cement.

[cadillackid]

Look at gates truck belts.. the 'TR' series belts are a size width between an 'A'(narrow) and 'B' (wide) belt..



I run these for my Air brake compressor and my Alternator..



https://www.gates.com/us/en/power-tr...uck-belts.html