1956 power steering cylinder leak | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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1956 power steering cylinder leak

  • Thread starter Thread starter swatson999
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swatson999

swatson999

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Thunderbird Year
1956
Hey, all...well, the newly-acquired 56 T-bird is back on the road after addressing a handful of minor squawks. The only thing that needs to be addressed fairly soon is the power steering cylinder which is leaking from both ends. I guess all those years in the dry desert dried out the seals. So my first question is...is there a rebuild/reseal kit available for these things, or is it just "buy a new one" time? Looks really easy to remove and R&R.

And wouldn't you know it...went to put the wheel covers back on and actually snapped on of the steel clips. Grrrrr. Is it okay to drive around the neighborhood for a few days with just 4 of them on one wheel? 🙂 I'd have to see one of those babies come flying off! 🙂

There are some other longer-term things that we'll get to (replacing some of the 30-years-new rubber parts on the rear suspension, adding a rear sway bar, etc.

But for just a couple days of work, she's running and driving beautifully, and looks fantastic! Can't wait to take her to the office to show her off when we're all back at work!

Thanks much, everyone!

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Sounds like you're having fun! Wheel Cover clips are only $4.77 each from NPD. I have the same simulated wire wheel covers and if you lose 1 clip, not a big deal. However, they can slip and it's good to be sure they're evenly spaced, even if you only have (5).
 
Mrujoint said:
Sounds like you're having fun! Wheel Cover clips are only $4.77 each from NPD. I have the same simulated wire wheel covers and if you lose 1 clip, not a big deal. However, they can slip and it's good to be sure they're evenly spaced, even if you only have (5).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've already ordered some replacements. Just wanted to drive her around all fancy-like before leaving town for a week! 🙂 Might get them in time to replace the busted one.

And yes, having a ton of fun! It's been a few years since I had a project (building an airplane), so this is a kick!
 
I have a 1956 Tbird and have rebuilt the power steering ram and all went well checked the ram arm and it was smooth no pits. Now that is is all back together I have very slow leak(Drip). It leaks only on the passenger side(right) of the ram. Should I try and get a small size seal???? Or what? Thanks Jerry
 
I rebuilt my 57's ram, but it still leaked some. The rod gets slightly worn and the new seal didn't seal. I replaced my ram - end of problem
 
swatson999 said:
Hey, all...well, the newly-acquired 56 T-bird is back on the road after addressing a handful of minor squawks. The only thing that needs to be addressed fairly soon is the power steering cylinder which is leaking from both ends. I guess all those years in the dry desert dried out the seals. So my first question is...is there a rebuild/reseal kit available for these things, or is it just "buy a new one" time? Looks really easy to remove and R&R.

And wouldn't you know it...went to put the wheel covers back on and actually snapped on of the steel clips. Grrrrr. Is it okay to drive around the neighborhood for a few days with just 4 of them on one wheel? 🙂 I'd have to see one of those babies come flying off! 🙂

There are some other longer-term things that we'll get to (replacing some of the 30-years-new rubber parts on the rear suspension, adding a rear sway bar, etc.

But for just a couple days of work, she's running and driving beautifully, and looks fantastic! Can't wait to take her to the office to show her off when we're all back at work!

Thanks much, everyone!
Click to expand...
might be worth trying lucas power steering sealer. it works good at reviving dried out seals if they are not completely shot
 
I replaced the whole cylinder.
 
I've owned my 56 now for just about two years. It sat for 30 years in a barn and never started. Needless to say, it took some time to get everything back up and running, fortunately though, other than changing the oil and plugs, the engine runs well. Having worked on just about every system on the car, I need to dive into getting the power steering operational again and not sure where best to start. I've researched rebuilding the cylinder which seems pretty straight forward and will tackle this myself, but not sure about the other parts of the system like the control valve or tank.
Question for the group. Is it typically the steering cylinder that goes bad, or should I just plan on rebuilding or replacing the other elements?
 

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  • 56 TBird Radiator removed 7-22-23.jpg
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    56 TBird front suspension removed 7-22-23.jpg
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