I'm trying to mock-up the routing of my power steering lines. I have a Hydro-boost with a power steering cooler.

Need some quick opinions before I make the routing permanent (ie cut the lines to length).

Quick summary, I have 3 lines going to the steering box / hydro-boost. The high pressure line from the pump. The return from the steering box and the return from the hydro-boost. The return from the box has to get routed through the cooler and then Tee'd before returning the pump. I'm clear on what needs to go where just trying to figure out how to route things to look good (and actually fits)

Here is what I got so far:
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting.jpg

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting002.jpg

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting001.jpg

Planning on using a small aluminum round stock spacer (shown) that will space off the lines from the fender and hold them in place to keep them from rubbing or moving against anything.

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting003.jpg


I wish it was straighter along the fender but I have to allow the lines to bend to be able to go under the radiator support to reach the cooler.

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting006.jpg

Here is pic of the power steering cooler (small one in between the big oil (right) and smaller trans coolers (left).
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/CoolingSystem031.jpg

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/CoolingSystem030.jpg

I can get everything to fit now, just aesthetics I am working on. Thinking of routing the return after the Tee back on the passenger side along the front lip of the frame cross-member and then a slight bend up to get to the return on the steering pump.


Any help, suggestions or pics would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!

You're joking, right? You need help? Come on,,,,, you're doing work the rest of us would copy. My son and I just did much the same work sans the cooler. No way it looks as good as yours. But the routing is almost identical. And thanks for the snaps.

You're joking, right? You need help? Come on,,,,, you're doing work the rest of us would copy. My son and I just did much the same work sans the cooler. No way it looks as good as yours. But the routing is almost identical. And thanks for the snaps.

I guess, I am just looking for some feedback. Haven't done much of this before. I guess I am just picky and want to do this once. Also I know sometimes someone else can see something you can't since you have been staring at it so long.

Thanks for the feedback.

Great looking lines! I have one suggestion however.

It would be best to cover the section of hose with rubber grommets where they are attached to the fenderwell. A lot of hydraulic noise and vibration are being transferred through the hoses. The fenderwell will act as a big sounding board. You want to isolate them as completely as possible from connecting to the fenderwell. Don't even let the hoses lay on the fenderwell sheet metal. Even though you are using rubberized clamps, I think that you really want a fairly thick grommet of sponge rubber between the hose and some larger clamps.

How do I know? I was the supervisor of the power steering hose group at Saginaw Steering Gear. I had several engineers that assisted the GM car and truck divisions in plumbing their power steering systems. That was one of our design guides.
Jim

It would be best to cover the section of hose with rubber grommets where they are attached to the fenderwell. A lot of hydraulic noise and vibration are being transferred through the hoses. The fenderwell will act as a big sounding board. You want to isolate them as completely as possible from connecting to the fenderwell. Don't even let the hoses lay on the fenderwell sheet metal.
Jim

Yeah not planning on letting the hoses hang loose on the fender. I have some 1" aluminum round stock that I have made about 1" spacers / standoffs to hold the hoses away from the fender.

Rubber grommets are a good idea for mounting the stand off to, thanks!

Slightly improved routing, follows the lines of the fender-well a bit better and routes the high side coming from the pump away from the upper control arm a bit better (hard to see in the pic but more than 3-4" away).

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting007.jpg

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/Cooling%20System/PowerSteeringLineRouting008.jpg

Also Fred, I guess I was spoiled having worked on my car at a local Junior College's auto shop for the last two years. Now that is it home, I can't get a dozen people's opinion by turning around, guess I got used to all that instant feedback.

thanks.

Ed, great pics of your project there. Per site rules, please reduce the size of your pics to around 880 wide x 660 tall, plus or minus a little. This keeps the printing so you dont have to scroll side to side to read your words. Its also to help the folks on dial up modems with large photo downloads. Thanks for understanding. :thumbsup: nice ride too

Per site rules, please reduce the size of your pics to around 880 wide x 660 tall, plus or minus a little.


Hi Jim,

Thanks for the compliments.

All the pics in this thread should be resized to 800x600. Let me know if I missed something or didn't work (looks different to me).

Another option is to run the hoses in the stock locations. It's a tight fit and requires a lot of patience to get them routed correctly so that they do not rub on the steering gear.

Here's a pic before the engine was completed, but the routing did not change.

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1355/img0036cb8.jpg

Here's one of the previous engine with the same pump as yours. Sorry, it's a bit hard to see the routing details.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/526/newengine.jpg

Another option is to run the hoses in the stock locations. It's a tight fit and requires a lot of patience to get them routed correctly so that they do not rub on the steering gear.

Thanks Carl for the pics and ideas. Worth considering, but I ran the pair of hardlines for my oil cooler along the side of the block on the driver's side, so it would be an even tighter fit in my case. Thanks thou.

I do not have the cooler, so my mines are very short. You could have ran them inside the wheelwell if you didn't want all that line exposed. I use 100% braided line on my classics as well. I even ran my braided fuel line from the hard line ending at the firewall (at the frame) into the fender and to my regulator, which is located below the battery tray. Sorry I didn't see this yesterday.

I do not have the cooler, so my mines are very short. You could have ran them inside the wheelwell if you didn't want all that line exposed.

Yeah that was my other choice behind the wheel well or infront. I already had the braided line seemed ashame to hide it.

I use 100% braided line on my classics as well. I even ran my braided fuel line from the hard line ending at the firewall (at the frame) into the fender and to my regulator, which is located below the battery tray. Sorry I didn't see this yesterday.

I have something similar, with my regulator on the firewall on the passenger side (older pic; all the orange Earl's heat covers on the left side):
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l346/Marroweter/Engine/Engine%20Install/EngineInstall083.jpg

Thanks for the response.

I too have -10 oil cooler lines along the side of the engine. It's tight, but it does fit. But with that fatty block of yours it gets real tight.