Power steering cap detail

[Bill Rose]

At the MCACN show in Chicago, I lost 2 points for my power steering reservoir cap. It's the metal cap with the ears, not the round plastic one. The judge looking at the motor said it was the only thing he found wrong under the hood. I was really surprised because that was something I was sure, was correct. Now I'm not sure. He kept saying it should have a black cap, and I thought he meant the round cap like the 70's have. So I started looking for a 69 survivor with power steering and couldn't find one. Question: What should a 69 L78 Chevelle power steering cap look like. Round, metal with ears, natural/nickle plated, or metal painted black?

[Mr. Chevy]

Bill, my understanding is that sometime in the 69 model year the cap was changed from the metal, ear type to the round plastic style. Not sure when or why this transition took place. Either is correct and I have seen both styles on 69 cars.

The metal cap w/ears should be painted black in color. I have an original/used one that I recently found which you can see remnants of the black paint on it. I'm sure lots of these caps lost their paint due to handling and fluid being spilled on them over the years.

Hope this helps..

Rich http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Bill Rose]

Thanks Rich, It's always good to learn new stuff. I guess I'll paint the cap then. ....but it does look a lot better unpainted in my opinion.

[wheelhop]

Looks like I'm gonna have to paint my cap then too.

[CC Rider]

[ QUOTE ]
Looks like I'm gonna have to paint my cap then too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, me too.

[Rixls6]

The 67K mile original 6 banger I have, has remnants of black paint on its metal cap.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e43/Rixls6/69Chevelle300Deluxe002.jpg

[Woj]

I just found this in my archives, this is a low mile unrestored 69 SS. Looks like the cap has about as much paint as Rick's 6 banger.

Phil W.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii116/Woj1969/69SSOrangeOriginal9.jpg

[al8apex]

so did the judge say you had the WRONG cap or just deduct because it wasn't painted?

[92646]

Bill this is the cap that was on the power steering pump when I shipped the car (notice the deep groove pulley).

[Postsedan]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks Rich, It's always good to learn new stuff. I guess I'll paint the cap then. ....but it does look a lot better unpainted in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bill,

We restore all 1969 Chevelle`s / El Camino`s with the cap left natural, no paint. I agree... it just make the engine compartment look much nicer. If your worried about future judges at future judged shows, than have two power steering caps. One painted for judged shows and the other natural.

This is yet another reason why I own..... non-power steering cars http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

Dan.

[70 Forest Green Zee]

With arms like yours Dan....you don't need power steering!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif

[Bill Rose]

Wow, 8 replies today. I spent the whole day repainting the doors on my El Camino, and didn't get to the computer until now. Thanks for the replies and the pictures. I agree with the consensus, that the cap should be black, especially after looking at Rick and Phil's original, un-restored cars.

Mark, I wouldn't go by anything that was on the car when I got it. I think the only thing that was correct on the motor, was the power steering pulley. There was a big difference between what you sent east, and what I got. Nuff said there.

Good idea Dan. Two caps. No power steering seems to be very popular. When the judge told me it was wrong, I walked around the MCACN show, looking at what other L-78's, and I couldn't find a 69 big block, with power steering, in the short amount of time I had, since the judges were waiting. I did eventually find some but only one with the cap painted black. It seems silly to paint the p/s cap and leave the radiator cap plated, but apparently, thats what they did.

[x Baldwin Motion]

Not to get too far off topic, but why did you have to repaint the El Camino doors Bill?

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[wheelhop]

[ QUOTE ]
With arms like yours Dan....you don't need power steering!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

you two should get a room!

[Bill Rose]

[ QUOTE ]
Not to get too far off topic, but why did you have to repaint the El Camino doors Bill?

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Christopher, This is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

When I was putting the pass side fender on the El Camino last spring, I was adjusting the door and fender to get the gap between them right, and at one point the two were too close and it chipped the paint on the edge of the door when I opened it. Not a big deal at the time. I touched it up with a brush, but wanted to fix it right, when the last show Chicago/MCACN was in the books. I had to remove the door, and disassemble everything , to do it right.

The driver side was just carelessness on my part, when I was painting the car. I missed a spot on top of the door, on the horizontal area, that goes up to the window fuzzy. Also a small area, that had to be repaired. Again with the driver side, I had to remove that door, and take all the glass, door handle, lock, etc off to do the job right.

All that was done a few days ago. Then I scuffed, clean, and masked off both doors. I also had to remove the SS stripe on the doors. All this for a few bad spots in the paint, that no one ever knew was there, except me.

On a side note: The judges at the MCACN show were going over the car for 20 mins, and didn't see it to the best of my knowledge, but I knew it was there. Now the doors are both touched up, and re-cleared. I did the re-paint at a friends shop.

Tomorrow I will be bringing the doors home, and start the sanding/wheeling process. Then all the reassembly, and installation, glass, hardware, handles, srtipes, etc, all hopefully without scratching anything, or I'll be doing this again next week.http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[x Baldwin Motion]

Bill I spent a little time checking out your ride at the MCACN, (at least the pass side) and it looked flawless!!
It was great to see it in person after watching the resto here on the site.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif Great Job !! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

[Kurt S]

I'll add that most of the ps caps I've seen on 69 Camaros are the plastic type. YMMV.

[Bill Rose]

[ QUOTE ]
Bill I spent a little time checking out your ride at the MCACN, (at least the pass side) and it looked flawless!!
It was great to see it in person after watching the resto here on the site.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif Great Job !! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks Mr Stone for checking out the Elky. Glad you liked it. Did we meet, or was I off checking out the other 500 muscle cars. I must have talked to a couple hundred people at the show, and I certainly can't remember them all. Man, was that a cool place to be, even if it was 13 hours away.

[Steve Shauger]

I have inspected 69 camaros built 09B (of 68)and they had black plastic caps. 67 and 68 were metal. The pump for 69 was changed and this may have has something to do with the cap change.

[Woj]

[ QUOTE ]
I have inspected 69 camaros built 09B (of 68)and they had black plastic caps. 67 and 68 were metal. The pump for 69 was changed and this may have has something to do with the cap change.

[/ QUOTE ]

Steve,

Here are a couple more survivor photos of ps caps. First one is a 12K original mile 69 Camaro SB car, it has the plastic cap (built 6A). Second picture is a 26K mile 69 Chevelle SS (engine painted, ps pump unrestored/unpainted, built 2A).

Phil Woj.


69 Camaro:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii116/Woj1969/69PSCapsChevelleCamaro003.jpg

69 Chevelle SS:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii116/Woj1969/1969ChevelleSSPSCapGradysLemansB-1.jpg

[Bill Pritchard]

Phil,

Regarding that survivor 26K mile 69 Chevelle... What plant was it built at?

I ask because my Chevelle was built 1B at Kansas City, and it has the plastic cap.

[Woj]

Bill,

The Chevelle is a Baltimore car.

Phil Woj.

[al8apex]

and that picture clearly shows it WAS painted ...

[al8apex]

the cap WAS painted, the outer portions of the paint had come off due to the leakage of the PS fluid

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii116/Woj1969/1969ChevelleSSPSCapGradysLemansB-1.jpg

[Bill Rose]

After looking at all the pictures of original caps with black paint, they all have paint only left in the center/top of the caps. It seems like the caps were plated like the radiator caps, with nickel plating? Then the paint came off very easily, where your hand/fingers touched the cap to remove it.
Seems like the painting was an after thought. Maybe just a way to paint the pump, without getting paint inside the pump. I guess if you want the paint to stick for any period of time, it should be blasted first.

[x Baldwin Motion]

here is my 75000 mile original 69 Nova pump, removed tonight.

http://www.yenko.net/photos/uploads/3242/104_9999.JPG

[njsteve]

Check out the cap on the 69 427 Caprice - still has most of the paint on it.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=433273&page=0&vc=1#Post4 33273

[Bill Pritchard]

Uhhh, Counselor....that Caprice is a 67, not a 69 http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[njsteve]

DOH! Sorry about the typo. My keyboard is missing the seven key. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif