Inappropriate Touching: Power steering cylinder & long tube header

oz · May 4, 2005

I discovered recently that my long tube headers and my power steering hydraulic ram just barely touch when the wheels are pointed straight forward. It caused the fluid to boil, turn black and occasionally belch out the fill tube but I didn't feel it in the wheel. The system is now back with the place that rebuild it so they can check all the seals, etc.
I'm thinking that if I put a big enough dent in the header tube, I can avoid burning the fluid. Since the header and ram just touched before there was probably some conduction of heat between them. I assume it will be much less likely to burn fluid if I can keep some air gap between them.
My question is, how much clearance I need in order to keep the fluid from boiling/burning?

THANKS!

66HertzClone · May 4, 2005

There is a modified mounting bracket available for the cylinder. It is designed to provide the extra clearance needed when using long tube headers. Check on the Summit website, I'm sure you will be a be to find it.

mustangprodude · May 4, 2005

My Mustang had the same issue for for it's previous owner. Looks as if he welded a longer reach L bracket to the sub frame to lower the ram mounting point. This keeps the ram about 1-1.5 inches away from the tri-ys. I saw a longer bracket in one of my parts catalogs at one time. I think it was Mustangs Plus.

oz · May 4, 2005

I forgot to mention that I have the ram relocation bracket from Hooker... Unless other brands lower it further, I have already done that.

mustangprodude · May 4, 2005

Personally I'd hesitate to lower it any further. May mess up the streering geometry. If it were me I'd try different headers or ditch the power steering. Making a big dimple in the header tubing kinda ruins the purpose of headers which is smooth flow. Like I said, I have tri-ys and the ram is far enough away with what looks to be 1" of lowering.

oz · May 4, 2005

Maybe it's crazy talk but is there a bracket that attaches to the two inner center link holes and lowers the inner end of the cylinder? The outer edge is lower with the relocation bracket but it still attaches to the center link up high... just a thought...

mustangprodude · May 4, 2005

I'd really give these guys a call. They're big into restomodding and hipo Mustang handling and such. I'm sure they could advise you.

http://www.mustangsplus.com/

geordie · May 4, 2005

Good thread guys. I've got exactly the same problem. My power steering fluid doesn't boil but the ram boot and the locating grommets melt. The PO had dimpled the long tube tri-Y headers. I wrapped the header in thermal header wrap tape and fitted a thermal sleeve over the ram boot. This has prolonged the life of the boot but it only lasts a few weeks of pleasure driving.

I'm encouraged that you can buy some kind of alternative L bracket. I'll have to look more closely at what I've got now. I'm very interested in finding a solution to this for when I put me engine back in.

84convertablegt · May 4, 2005

i also have the same problem, but slightly different. i havent had any boiling, but when i first installed my patriot tri y's (with the drop bracket) i noticed i didnt have a good turning radius anymore. i was confused until i look under the car. the ram was hitting the header and actually bent its own path right through it, so now i have a major dimple and i think it messed something else up, i.e. the header gasket because i now have a header gasket leak on that side of the car. i really just wanna ditch the p.s. but not unless i get a new box that makes it easier to steer without power

Edbert · May 4, 2005

One sure fire way to solve this is dump the entire mechanism and get a rack. But to answer your question; 1/8 of an inch of air will make a HUGE difference in heat transfer from the actual contact you have now. It will make a bigger difference then the 1/8 gap and a 3/4 gap would have.

ron67fb · May 5, 2005

Ditch those headers and get one that doesn't need the long bracket. I'm tired of explaining it, so use the search function.

84convertablegt · May 5, 2005

ron67fb said:
Ditch those headers and get one that doesn't need the long bracket. I'm tired of explaining it, so use the search function.

but those header are cheap and work well. it would not be hard for someone to fabricate something that actually works instead of just getting a shorty header with less of what people want just to patch the problem.

ron67fb · May 11, 2005

84convertablegt said:
but those header are cheap and work well. it would not be hard for someone to fabricate something that actually works instead of just getting a shorty header with less of what people want just to patch the problem.

So getting correct headers is considered a patch? Isn't the power steering bracket extension a "patch" in itself? Just because most header makers are too idiotic to realize that they're still making headers for the non-power steering Falcon chassis doesn't mean we have to live with stupid brackets and collectors that hang lower than your frame. The days of lift shackles and 6" of ground clearance to keep your sidepipes and N-60 tires from scraping are over.

While I do use shorties I did not in any way specifically recommend them in my post. There are more alternatives than shorties. I've seen Doug Thorley tri-Ys clear the power steering ram on someone's car here, but his posts are gone. MAC themselves claim that theirs will clear the power steering (http://www.netstang.com/vint_exhaust_upgrade.htm). I saw some really old rusty long tube headers on a customer's car that cleared it but he didn't know the brand. Probably some no-name brand that didn't make it because he didn't have a cool company name like "Hooker" or "Patriot". Gee, these power steering cars have only been around since 1966, wtf is their excuse?

There is a LOT of room around that cylinder, and any header maker that can't get around it either a) has never seen a power steering Mustang in their life (unlikely), b) they just copy someone else's design since it's known to "work" (more likely) or c) they're just lazy and don't want to bend the extra pipes since, like "b" says, they think "Oh so-and-so did it this way, and so will we."

krash kendall · May 11, 2005

ron67fb said:
Gee, these power steering cars have only been around since 1966, wtf is their excuse?

There is a LOT of room around that cylinder, and any header maker that can't get around it either a) has never seen a power steering Mustang in their life (unlikely), b) they just copy someone else's design since it's known to "work" (more likely) or c) they're just lazy and don't want to bend the extra pipes since, like "b" says, they think "Oh so-and-so did it this way, and so will we."

Bingo. It's the old "They'll buy what we tell them to buy, and the indignity of it all if they undermine us by telling us we designed it poorly."

It's all to familiar and frustrating around here where I work.

EDIT: My long tube collector touches the hand brake cable bracket.

84convertablegt · May 11, 2005

maybe you misunderstood what i was trying to say. i agree with you. its stupid that a new header would come out with the disclaimer that it wont fit a manual and will only fit an auto with ps with a lowering bracket. it is just lazyness and poor design. all i was saying is that i would hate to spend a lot of money on either shorties or a overpriced set of mac headers. tri-y's and other long tubes are cheap and i guess the sacrifice is that you have to use the bracket. its simply a cost thing here. and i dont know of any longtubes besides the macs that claim they dont need the bracket. the even crappier thing is that i have the bracket and i still rub on the power steering ram.

Inappropriate Touching: Power steering cylinder & long tube header

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