Power-Steering Pressure-Hose Placement/Relocation?

Platonic Solid · Jun 7, 2009

If I'm not mistaken, the power-steering pressure-hose on 71-73 (probably the same on all years with power steering) is/was intended to be attached to the top of the export brace as shown in this picture (note: this is not my engine bay) and the looped portion of hose has additional foam insulation.

I assume this routing has something to do with cooling, but I see many (if not most) engine bays routing this hose, unattached, under the export brace. What are the prose/cons of pressure hose placement?

zookeeper · Jun 7, 2009

My '68 was similar to that, but it was so ugly, I routed it underneath the car and just fabbed a bracket to hold the slack off the ground. Why they did that is beyond me, but mine's a full 18" too long.

2+2GT · Jun 7, 2009

The long hose was to prevent pump harmonics in the steering gear, to smooth out the boost. Imagine pump vibrations transmitting straight to the steering wheel via the about 9" hose they could have used. Ford gives nothing away, if they could have saved 5¢ per car by using a shorter hose, (not to mention the cost of the bracket) believe me, they would have.

Platonic Solid · Jun 8, 2009

The previous owner of my 73 used a short pressure hose and looped the return hose over the export brace. Am I correct in assuming the it must be the pressure hose that is long and looped for it to be effective?

Also, for all I know, this car may have had a power steer cooler at one time. It seems that from 67 through 73 some came with coolers and others did not. When should a power steering cooler be used?

2+2GT · Jun 8, 2009

Platonic Solid said:
The previous owner of my 73 used a short pressure hose and looped the return hose over the export brace. Am I correct in assuming the it must be the pressure hose that is long and looped for it to be effective?

Also, for all I know, this car may have had a power steer cooler at one time. It seems that from 67 through 73 some came with coolers and others did not. When should a power steering cooler be used?

Yeah, I can't think of a good reason to use a long return hose, it's almost no pressure. Probably generic service parts.

Hard to say about the cooler, they tended to be on the larger and more powerful engines.

Platonic Solid · Jun 11, 2009

So I just picked up a new power steering hose set. I went to Mustangs Unlimited to make sure I got the right thing. Dang if they aren't exactly the same as what's on the car now. A really short, like 1.5 ft. pressure line and a really long, 4+ ft. return line. Go figure . I guess there's just something different about the 73.

2+2GT · Jun 12, 2009

Platonic Solid said:
So I just picked up a new power steering hose set. I went to Mustangs Unlimited to make sure I got the right thing. Dang if they aren't exactly the same as what's on the car now. A really short, like 1.5 ft. pressure line and a really long, 4+ ft. return line. Go figure . I guess there's just something different about the 73.

You got it from the wrong place. Call Glazier's, tell them you need the long one. If you need the insulator or bracket for the top of the brace, they can do that too.

Platonic Solid · Jun 12, 2009

Thanks GT, I emailed Fred. We'll see what he has to say. Meanwhile, if anyone has pictures of 73 351C engine bays, I'd really like to see what the steering hose routing is supposed to look like.

2+2GT · Jun 12, 2009

Platonic Solid · Jun 12, 2009

Wow, nice clean engine bays (puts me to shame). Thanks for the pics! Certainly leaves no question to the routing or hose length. The pressure hose I got from MU is their #3718 (which is the only one they list for 73). Upon very close inspection of their newest catalog, I see there are 2 different pressure hose lengths available for 72 with 302/351, which makes no sense to me at all. Why wouldn't they all have the same length pressure hose? Same engine - steering pump - steering box.

Power-Steering Pressure-Hose Placement/Relocation?

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