Noisy steering

anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi Everyone;

I have a question. On my 56 Imperial whenever I am stopped and turning to
back up or pull forward the power steering unit squeals like it is out of
fluid. It only does it then no other time.

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Reading your post literally. When your car is stopped and you twist the steering wheel, you are putting the maximum pressure on the steering pump. Have you tried letting your foot off the brake just a little? Letting the car creep slowly as you spin the steering wheel?

If I go into a 3-point turn, the only thing that I usually do when motionless is shift gears. As the car starts to move, I then spin the wheel, or will spin it reversed just before completing my forward motion, leaving the wheel pre-positioned for the opposite direction that it needs to be in for the reverse motion.

I perceive that doing this puts much less stress on the system of any car, manual or power. Try twisting your steering when the car's off and stationary. Then imagine (or actually) turn the car off while at low speed and notice what a difference just a little motion can make in the manual force required to twist the wheel. That power pump is doing almost ALL the work, so it's masking the feel of the increased load when you're stopped.

This may be an adjustable/mechanical/wear related problem particular to your car that I just don't have a clue about, but I'd be curious to hear what my suggestion does for you....I'm also assuming that the noise is internal to the pump and not belt-related.