HF54 power steering for my M35A2

clinto said:

Click on that link I shared. We've already designed a robust replacement.

I'm putting off a cab brace install for the same reasons. I need the brace in order to install the M44A3 3 point seat belt system. A lot of work.

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Beautiful work! I like that you can just pop open the cover and replace the relay with an off the shelf part! Awesome!!! And something I can do late at night while family in the house are sleep and I'm in my garage with several moderate quality beers! You had me Chuckling a bit on this one! Almost can't wait for mine to fail!


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Great job Mike! Glad to see all that labor paid off and it all came together. Your truck looks awesome, and I am stoked to hear that it all turned out so well for you. I really like the C-channel bracing you did, it looks factory, and your GG column worked out real nice.

Well done, your truck is one to envy for sure!

Seth_O said:

Great job Mike! Glad to see all that labor paid off and it all came together. Your truck looks awesome, and I am stoked to hear that it all turned out so well for you. I really like the C-channel bracing you did, it looks factory, and your GG column worked out real nice.

Well done, your truck is one to envy for sure!

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You were a big help bud...thanks for all your help!


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There...I think I finally figured out all the broken picture links...

Seth_O said:

....Well done, your truck is one to envy for sure!

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My words also!
Great write-up; great job, done professionally - and in record time! You are "goodwithsteel", also!



I think I was lucky so far, with the HF54's I got: never had to completely reseal-rebuild one. So now I know who to ask for advice...



G.

Wow great work !!


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gringeltaube said:

My words also!
Great write-up; great job, done professionally - and in record time! You are "goodwithsteel", also!



I think I was lucky so far, with the HF54's I got: never had to completely reseal-rebuild one. So now I know who to ask for advice...



G.

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I do have to say, if I didn't have such great write-ups to research, read over and over again, and procure parts beforehand, it would have never happened as fast as it did. I think I spent about 4-5 total 10hr days on it, more or less.

The rebuild wasn't too bad. I think the adaptor plate on mine wasn't machined correctly from the factory. Both rebuild kits had flat o-rings that would have never been able to seal that oil passage. I don't know why else it would be deeper than need be, as everything else was machined to about .055-.060, with its accompanying o-ring about .078-.082. In fact, the o-rings on the spool valve for the SAME oil passage was .050 deep and used the exact SAME o-ring as the adaptor plate side. And guess what...IT DIDN'T leak!!! Still scratching my head. I called a guy at a reputable steering rebuild shop in Texas (SRTP), and in over 30 years he'd never seen anything like it either. Someone goofed up somewhere!!

Thanks G for your hard work on this for all us guys looking to do the same thing your write-up was perfect!


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gringeltaube said:

Great write-up; great job, done professionally - and in record time! You are "goodwithsteel", also!

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HA! I was thinking the same thing.

gimpyrobb said:

HA! I was thinking the same thing.

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I'm a hack of all trades!

Used to work doing carpentry, then for a non-destructive testing firm, that's when I really polished up my welding since I had access to cool stuff like X-ray, mag particle, UT, dye penetrant, and a host of other stuff to check my work!

Now I'm a CAD teacher, they all really helped me out on this project!


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Thanks for the write-up. I have been planning to do this conversion for awhile...have had the steering head for a year now!

Good job !

Decided to add a cooler. During my original install, I removed and repositioned my return line. I’m doing so, I never replaced the o-ring in the fitting, which developed a small leak. I never liked how my return line turned out anyways. Although my temps weren’t that hot (180 degrees F on a hot day), I figured I’d never get time or have to go through the hassle of draining the system again, so never a better time than right now.

I decided to go with the PSC cooler, available from PSC steering online, part number 13253-8. I went with this model because of the aluminum heat sink design, as I planned on keeping it in the engine bay right next to the fender vents, as I didn’t want any chances of it getting punctured anywhere else. Also, having a winch up front left me very little room to squeeze one in front of the radiator. This model also has the large bore, -8AN hydraulic fittings, keeping my return lines the same size (1/2”) from the box to cooler to reservoir.

So I installed it, fairly straightforward, using 1/4” SS hardware, locking nuts, and rubber isolators to help with the vibration in the area. I was pleased with the way it came out. It would make adding a cab heater difficult later, unless I did the cab relocation mod many have done. Of course, living in CA I will probably never need one anyways. It really cleaned up the install, IMHO. I have not been able to see how much it lowered my return temperature, haven’t had a chance to drive it on a hot day yet, as the weather is getting cooler now. After the install I bled the system and added more fluid. This increased the capacity of the system by a little over 3/4 qt.





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Took her for a decent drive through town and on the highway. Cooler dropped the temp approximately 15 degrees. It’s about 85 here today. Not bad, but I didn’t really need to cool it much anyways. But no more leaks.

Horn intermittently chirps when steering slowly though. Something else to check now. It works fine otherwise. I’m thinking the brush is loose.


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Awesome write up and pictures! I was really hoping to get this done when I had everything off the front of my M109 (cab, engine, drivetrain, etc) but ran out of time and had trouble finding a reasonably priced HF54 box. I put an LDS engine in the truck so I have the pump already. Eventually I hope to get this done and will definitely be back here to reread over a few times and use your parts list! lol. I also am running G177s and love them.

The horn chirping is a wiring issue in the column. I see you went with a wiper assembly, so it may be that it can contact the inside of the tube and ground while turning. On the old ones the wire running through the tube would wear through and do that.

Thanks again and love how it came out.

Great thread. On my list too, after my crew cab. Thanks for the details.

I finally took the next step in my journey, I went to 395's. This was one of the main reasons I installed PS. I am so glad I did it, those tires are massive, there is no way I would be able to drive the truck on them without PS. One of my best mods to date for sure.

Seth_O said:

I finally took the next step in my journey, I went to 395's. This was one of the main reasons I installed PS. I am so glad I did it, those tires are massive, there is no way I would be able to drive the truck on them without PS. One of my best mods to date for sure.

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Haha!!! Yeah one of the reasons why I did it too, but then I went the other way, 395’s down to 1100’s. You need a come-a-long to move those 395s at a dead stop! Power steering is still great, even with 900’s I’m sure.


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Does anyone have a 3D file or drawing of the frame rail reinforcing plate? I'm hoping to leverage the work someone else has already done to make my own plate from a leftover frame rail.

brianp454 said:

Does anyone have a 3D file or drawing of the frame rail reinforcing plate? I'm hoping to leverage the work someone else has already done to make my own plate from a leftover frame rail.

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Do you have access to CAD software? Or know someone who does? I do have a drawing in AutoCAD which you can print out as a full scale template for drilling. If not, I can convert it to PDF with dimensions. If I recall my template was only for the box mounting and the sector shaft hole, not for all the plate mounting bolts.


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You now have a truck you must keep forever.