| Author | Message | ||
     Daniel Shepherd Experienced User Username: 1957_grey_cloud Post Number: 57 Registered: 12-2021 |
After some anxious interventions and guidance from this group over the years I finally drove the mother-in-laws 1957 Cloud to the testing station this morning. There were a few fails, the indicators surprised me as they were working fine a month ago. Oh well... The power steering leak will surely be above my pay scale. Any advice on whether I should seek a professional to sort it out, or should I simply, as it says in the manual, remove the belt to the power steering pump and enjoy the work out? Thanks again to all those who helped me get this far. Daniel   | ||
| David Hughes Experienced User Username: wedcar Post Number: 167 Registered: 07-2004 |
Hello Daniel Good to see you have come this far. Where is the leak from? From the pump the ram or the hoses? If you are not confident to tackle the pump or ram, probably best to seek a good technician. Regards David | ||
| Martin Webster Experienced User Username: martin_webster Post Number: 58 Registered: 09-2018 |
Daniel, The workshop manual for the Cloud 1 with power steering states that the steering box components are lubricated by oil from the power steering pump so it may not be advisable to run the car for any prolonged period without the pump operating as this may cause wear or damage to the steering box. The steering box gear ratio for a standard Cloud 1 without power steering is 20.6:: 1 whereas the powered steering box ratio is 18.7: 1 which would make the steering much heavier without assistance on your car without the pump operating . Your box may only need new seals but you should have it investigated. Martin | ||
| NormanGeeson Unregistered guest Posted From: 81.98.117.162 |
Daniel The usual place for a power steering leak on a Silver Cloud, is the ram. If I remember correctly one modification was to turn the ram around, that is back to front. I do know that at least one specialist, now retired, produced some oversized oil seals for the ram because they were having abnormally high failure rates. A high proportion of rams examined had either damaged or incorrect assembly of parts. R-R issued a bulletin CB57 in an effort to combat the issue. I think, but I am not 100% certain, that the current seal kits contain modified seals (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Daniel Shepherd Experienced User Username: 1957_grey_cloud Post Number: 58 Registered: 12-2021 |
Thanks all, I got under the car yesterday and there was indeed a spot of oil on the ram. The reservoir and pump seemed clean, though I had difficulty looking around the steering box. I will see if I can find a specialist here in Auckland, hopefully once on a hoist the ram will be easy to remove and rebuild. We have 28 days to fix the issues and I am very motivated to get this over the line :-) | ||
| David Hughes Experienced User Username: wedcar Post Number: 168 Registered: 07-2004 |
Hello Daniel. This link from Ronny's Garage may help you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpUxSaF909g Regards David | ||
| Jeff Martin Frequent User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 647 Registered: 07-2018 |
Daniel, I don't own a SC, but just out of curiosity I started watching the videos, and it's not that complicated, the link above is part 2 of 6, watch all of them. It gives part numbers and how to get it apart and the challenging part is when it's time to put the high pressure seal in. You may watch the videos and decide for yourself if you're up to the task. Only you know how careful you are, you get someone with no patients or experience working on things like this that absolutely require care, and you walk away with a "fu*k" up. Guys under the clock scare me, so I've taught myself to do it, then I know it's done right. | ||
| Jeff Martin Frequent User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 648 Registered: 07-2018 |
There's a large bolt right at the front of the frame that takes a cotter pin. I mark the head of the bolt with a bright yellow paint marker to show the direction the pin goes in _ makes things a little easier. The head of the bolt is very shallow, I've ground wrenches and turned down sockets on the lathe so they both grab the corners of such a bolt. Or get a modern bolt with a nylon lock nut, and just do away with the annoying cotter pin thing. In that case the bolt head will have to be rounded off a bit to match the original _ it's all about clearance. | ||
| Daniel Shepherd Experienced User Username: 1957_grey_cloud Post Number: 59 Registered: 12-2021 |
Thanks all, I'm feeling a bit better about investigating the leak after reading this. I watched Ronny's Garage when I did the brakes, and found it really useful, and the brakes passed the test. Just spent an idle hour-or-two (hopefully) sorting out the Speedo. The speedo came off too easy, someone had disconnected it. Why would someone do such a thing? It makes no sense to me :-( The car is booked in at the local exhaust shop in a few days, and fuse number five was fried. Now replaced, hopefully that will sort out brake lights and indicators, assuming there is nothing untoward going on with any of the circuits... I will hook up with Ronnie now and see what I can learn. Thanks again for all the tips, I think I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Daniel  | ||
| Jason Watson Experienced User Username: crikeydawn Post Number: 181 Registered: 07-2023 |
Cable is stiff, seized, kinked, creating a wobbly speedo. People also disconnect speedos to keep the kilometres down. Its a dubious way to make out the car is in better condition then perhaps is. Recently I viewed a Cloud online boasting 16,000 original miles. To me that says at the very least if remotely true, it will need the engine pulled out to de-sludge the whole cooling system. From there it's a can of worms. The interior was ok and so the outside, but one would expect it to be far better if it sat around indoors. Which is where one would house a car with 16,000 miles. On the other hand it didn't look like it had done enough miles to clock the speedo. Funny ol world. | ||
| Jeff Martin Frequent User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 651 Registered: 07-2018 |
Un-screw the cable at the transmission and it should turn by hand quite easily. Even if it does, it still may need to be greased up. A friend of mine made a device for his grease gun to attach at one end to make sure it made it to the other. I just used a drill and a syringe and worked it in _ that took a while. I used this on mine, it's light grease with a #0 NLGI number:  | ||
| Daniel Shepherd Experienced User Username: 1957_grey_cloud Post Number: 60 Registered: 12-2021 |
Jason - yup, took it for a drive today and the speedo seems fine. Good grief... Thanks Jeff, I know this is stupid question, but should I be packing both ends with this stuff? The dashboard end was filthy, I cleaned with alcohol and lubricated with a highly refined oil. Now I'm not so sure... Exhaust getting done as we speak, only the power steering leak to go, I'll be hitting Ronny's garage next week! Daniel | ||
| Jeff Martin Frequent User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 653 Registered: 07-2018 |
I just did it from one end, so the minimum amount of grease makes it under the dash. It's a pretty machined fit once the big thumb screw is done up though, it shouldn't be that much of an issue. There's always going to be some seepage through the speedo casing anyway. In the end I used a Shimano bicycle shift cable to work the grease through. They're good quality stainless steel so they slip through nicely. They're also long enough to get through because they're made for tandem bikes as well _ the "cut" end is melted so it doesn't come unraveled while feeding it through the speedo casing. | ||
| Daniel Shepherd Experienced User Username: 1957_grey_cloud Post Number: 62 Registered: 12-2021 |
Thanks Jeff. On another note I have been given a six month reprieve on the power steering. I will start with the Ram, and report back... |
