Cautionary tale: power steering system/steering shaft failure leads to bad situation - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

Dan1990NC · 09-14-2022

Hi everyone,

So I bought a 1990 ZR1 in 2019. Soon after buying it, I had some engine work done by one of the few high-performance shops out there that specialize in the LT5. I won't name names, as it's not important to the story; the fault for what happened falls on my shoulders.

So after approximately 18mos at the shop, just prior to this past Christmas, I received the car back (COVID issues were to blame for the delays...fun stuff). It was amazing; I loved all the new power! Pushing near 500hp at the wheels.

One night earlier this summer, around 930pm, the fiance and I are heading back from dinner. I'm taking a relatively sharp left turn from a light, up a steep hill, no more than two miles from my house (in a residential area). We're talking, so I'm not absolutely in-tune to the vehicle, as I typically am (first mistake). I take the turn at approximately 15mph in 2nd, and let my hand off the wheel to allow it to re-center; however, rather than straightening out, the wheel stays far left, taking us into oncoming traffic.

Luckily, there was no one on the road; immediate crisis avoided. I grab the wheel, try to pull it right?and nothing happens. I pull harder, and it slowly starts to move. At this point, my foot is off the clutch. It starts to stall. I re-engage, downshifting into 1st. Apparently the higher revs engaged something in the power steering system, unlocking the wheel. Keep in mind, I'm still pulling right...you can guess what happened next.

So yeah, the long and the short is that my car spun completely around, and slid into a concrete curb at low speed (probably around 10mph). Other than the need for some new underwear, and some gnarly curb rash on the driver side wheel (and some camber work to realign everything), we ended up alright. I even drove it home.

Got it over to one of my favorite custom shops (who have handled other cars I've owned), and we tore it apart. From what they can tell, a system-wide failure took place: total failure of the power steering pump (to the point it seized at low rpms going up a hill), minor failure of various steering components (major wear on the solid rag coupler in the steering shaft, and loose steering assembly?combined with a worn rack/pinion and various other suspension components), and general stupidity on my part (responding as I did) were to blame.

Now, the fiance can say all day long how "lucky" we are that it wasn't earlier; if it were rush hour, we probably would not be here, due to the high likelihood of a head-on collision. And yes, I did not realize how "bad" the feel of the drive was, as I never felt what "good" was supposed to be.

But still, I should have known better. I can't get over my stupidity of getting a high-performance "package" placed in a vehicle with 30 year old suspension components, to whose viability/age/maintenance history I have no concept of. I take total responsibility, and deserve to take this "learning opportunity" directly on the wallet.

That said, I just wanted to share this little story as a warning, to both "stock" drivers as well as those who maybe have a little more going on under the hood. Take a look at your suspension parts, and power steering system! My car has 68k on it, and I have the full driver history (as in basic maintenance records, oil changes, etc)...and even still, I ended up in this situation.

Specifically, take a look at your power steering pumps, and coolers. Apparently both of mine were "worn out". I dont yet know what that means exactly, as I have yet to get over to the shop and examine its internals for myself. I imagine that there was some form of road damage to the cooler, which caused damage to the pump and one caused the other to get worse and worse, etc.

The silver lining is that now everything is getting refreshed; from the radiator on back, it's all being replaced, or refurbished. She shall ride again, and this time, no oversights!

Anyway, just wanted to share my little situation, and encourage everyone in the community to not make my mistake. When you get work done on the engine, ensure everything around the engine can handle it!

Happy to answer questions / share more. Just let me know. Cheers!

WARP TEN · 09-15-2022

Glad everyone was OK. A scary time I am sure. Hope you are back driving soon. Keep us posted on what the shop discovers on your Z. --Bob

dredgeguy · 09-15-2022

Thanks Dan and timely information. My steering was getting sloppy after 110,000 miles and the steering rack is getting rebuilt by Turn 1. I will have everything else checked when it is installed next month. Glad you are all OK!

Dan1990NC · 09-15-2022

Quote:

Originally Posted by dredgeguy

Thanks Dan and timely information. My steering was getting sloppy after 110,000 miles and the steering rack is getting rebuilt by Turn 1. I will have everything else checked when it is installed next month. Glad you are all OK!

Yeah, I'd start at the control arms, work my way through the rack (we just bought a new one), up into the coupler / rag joint, and through the column itself.

Swung by to take it all in today. They have it totally broken down; they wanted to ensure the frame / K-bar (engine mount) were not warped in any way, and also to check that all of the support brackets / front impact members were not damaged.

The rack was in decent shape (I'll keep it as a backup, and have it fixed up), but the rag joint in the coupler was warped/cracked pretty substantially (cracks all the way through, but still in one piece), the pump had barely any fluid running through it (they hadn't broken it down yet, but said almost nothing came from it when hoses removed / drained), and the cooler was warped (likely from road debris). Think we're going to have to have the cooler fabricated, as they are NLA.

Kind of nice to have it so entirely deconstructed, tested, and rebuilt; I can be certain this won't happen again!

secondchance · 09-16-2022

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan1990NC

Yeah, I'd start at the control arms, work my way through the rack (we just bought a new one), up into the coupler / rag joint, and through the column itself.

Swung by to take it all in today. They have it totally broken down; they wanted to ensure the frame / K-bar (engine mount) were not warped in any way, and also to check that all of the support brackets / front impact members were not damaged.

The rack was in decent shape (I'll keep it as a backup, and have it fixed up), but the rag joint in the coupler was warped/cracked pretty substantially (cracks all the way through, but still in one piece), the pump had barely any fluid running through it (they hadn't broken it down yet, but said almost nothing came from it when hoses removed / drained), and the cooler was warped (likely from road debris). Think we're going to have to have the cooler fabricated, as they are NLA.

Kind of nice to have it so entirely deconstructed, tested, and rebuilt; I can be certain this won't happen again!

Dan,

Sorry to hear of what happened.
FYI - L98 standard C4 power steering coolers, although not an exact match, works fine with minor re-bending of the tube that feeds to the power steering pump. I replaced my original piece with a L98 C4 PS cooler.
LT1 version does not fit because the power steering pump is on the passenger side.

Dan1990NC · 09-16-2022

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondchance

Dan,

Sorry to hear of what happened.
FYI - L98 standard C4 power steering coolers, although not an exact match, works fine with minor re-bending of the tube that feeds to the power steering pump. I replaced my original piece with a L98 C4 PS cooler.
LT1 version does not fit because the power steering pump is on the passenger side.

That's good to know, much appreciated.

A new learning, as of this morning?someone (probably prior owners repair guy; don't know who) put an alternator on that did not have the appropriate "clearance"; it caused undue tension/friction on the belt.

Not certain that contributed to the situation at hand?but, is something that was "off", that will now be fixed. One more problem resolved!

secondchance · 09-16-2022

Alternator clearance? Can you be a bit more specific? Sounds a bit odd. Is this what your mechanic is saying?

Dan1990NC · 09-20-2022

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondchance

Alternator clearance? Can you be a bit more specific? Sounds a bit odd. Is this what your mechanic is saying?

Yes, the teeth on the alternator were impacting some mount. I'll take pictures later, when I head back over to pick up some old parts.

secondchance · 09-20-2022

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan1990NC

Yes, the teeth on the alternator were impacting some mount. I'll take pictures later, when I head back over to pick up some old parts.

Alternator teeth? Are you referring to the fan blades behind the pulley?

Dan1990NC · 09-21-2022

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondchance

Alternator teeth? Are you referring to the fan blades behind the pulley?

Yes, sorry, the fan blades. They were impacting a mount piece. Altered the physics of the belt, etc.

09-14-2022	#1
Dan1990NC Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 9	Cautionary tale: power steering system/steering shaft failure leads to bad situation Hi everyone, So I bought a 1990 ZR1 in 2019. Soon after buying it, I had some engine work done by one of the few high-performance shops out there that specialize in the LT5. I won't name names, as it's not important to the story; the fault for what happened falls on my shoulders. So after approximately 18mos at the shop, just prior to this past Christmas, I received the car back (COVID issues were to blame for the delays...fun stuff). It was amazing; I loved all the new power! Pushing near 500hp at the wheels. One night earlier this summer, around 930pm, the fiance and I are heading back from dinner. I'm taking a relatively sharp left turn from a light, up a steep hill, no more than two miles from my house (in a residential area). We're talking, so I'm not absolutely in-tune to the vehicle, as I typically am (first mistake). I take the turn at approximately 15mph in 2nd, and let my hand off the wheel to allow it to re-center; however, rather than straightening out, the wheel stays far left, taking us into oncoming traffic. Luckily, there was no one on the road; immediate crisis avoided. I grab the wheel, try to pull it right?and nothing happens. I pull harder, and it slowly starts to move. At this point, my foot is off the clutch. It starts to stall. I re-engage, downshifting into 1st. Apparently the higher revs engaged something in the power steering system, unlocking the wheel. Keep in mind, I'm still pulling right...you can guess what happened next. So yeah, the long and the short is that my car spun completely around, and slid into a concrete curb at low speed (probably around 10mph). Other than the need for some new underwear, and some gnarly curb rash on the driver side wheel (and some camber work to realign everything), we ended up alright. I even drove it home. Got it over to one of my favorite custom shops (who have handled other cars I've owned), and we tore it apart. From what they can tell, a system-wide failure took place: total failure of the power steering pump (to the point it seized at low rpms going up a hill), minor failure of various steering components (major wear on the solid rag coupler in the steering shaft, and loose steering assembly?combined with a worn rack/pinion and various other suspension components), and general stupidity on my part (responding as I did) were to blame. Now, the fiance can say all day long how "lucky" we are that it wasn't earlier; if it were rush hour, we probably would not be here, due to the high likelihood of a head-on collision. And yes, I did not realize how "bad" the feel of the drive was, as I never felt what "good" was supposed to be. But still, I should have known better. I can't get over my stupidity of getting a high-performance "package" placed in a vehicle with 30 year old suspension components, to whose viability/age/maintenance history I have no concept of. I take total responsibility, and deserve to take this "learning opportunity" directly on the wallet. That said, I just wanted to share this little story as a warning, to both "stock" drivers as well as those who maybe have a little more going on under the hood. Take a look at your suspension parts, and power steering system! My car has 68k on it, and I have the full driver history (as in basic maintenance records, oil changes, etc)...and even still, I ended up in this situation. Specifically, take a look at your power steering pumps, and coolers. Apparently both of mine were "worn out". I dont yet know what that means exactly, as I have yet to get over to the shop and examine its internals for myself. I imagine that there was some form of road damage to the cooler, which caused damage to the pump and one caused the other to get worse and worse, etc. The silver lining is that now everything is getting refreshed; from the radiator on back, it's all being replaced, or refurbished. She shall ride again, and this time, no oversights! Anyway, just wanted to share my little situation, and encourage everyone in the community to not make my mistake. When you get work done on the engine, ensure everything around the engine can handle it! Happy to answer questions / share more. Just let me know. Cheers! Last edited by Dan1990NC; 09-14-2022 at 03:14 PM.

09-15-2022	#2
WARP TEN Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lake Bluff, IL Posts: 2,040	Re: Cautionary tale: power steering system/steering shaft failure leads to bad situat Glad everyone was OK. A scary time I am sure. Hope you are back driving soon. Keep us posted on what the shop discovers on your Z. --Bob __________________ 2016 Long Beach Red Z06 #10281 "POPS Z" 1995 Polo Green #409 "WARP TEN"--Haibeck 350/510 package, 4.10s, Hurst, Stock Exhaust with QTP Cutouts --Sold but still running strong 1993 Quasar Blue #161 "HIL KING" --Sold but still running strong, now with more than 120,000 miles 1967 Marlboro Maroon/Saddle Corvette Coupe 300 hp/4-spd --Sold a long time ago ZR-1 Net Registry Founding Member #95 NCM Lifetime Member Favorite Quote--Attributed to Mickey Thompson: "Too Much Horsepower is Almost Enough"

09-15-2022	#3
dredgeguy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ellicott City, MD Posts: 1,635	Re: Cautionary tale: power steering system/steering shaft failure leads to bad situat Thanks Dan and timely information. My steering was getting sloppy after 110,000 miles and the steering rack is getting rebuilt by Turn 1. I will have everything else checked when it is installed next month. Glad you are all OK! __________________ Charlie __________ Dredgeguy WAZOO Member 1992 Bright Red/Black ZR1 #246 Dana 4:10 gears Polished LT5 by Haibeck Polished Fikse FM5's with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Stainless Works headers and cats with Corsa

09-16-2022	#7
secondchance Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: McLean, VA Posts: 3,705	Re: Cautionary tale: power steering system/steering shaft failure leads to bad situat Alternator clearance? Can you be a bit more specific? Sounds a bit odd. Is this what your mechanic is saying?