Very Hard Steering on International 9800 Cabover

Try to jack up the front axles so the wheels are off the ground and see if you can move the wheels side to side by hand. You may have seized or tight king pins.

 

Well, to properly test it you need a power steering flow and pressure analyzer put on it. This will tell you if the pump is actually ok or not, and if the gear is working properly or not. Since you had the pump apart and it looks good, and the fluid looks good, I would try an new/rebuild steering gear. Make sure your power steering reservoir is not over full. The level should be a couple of inches from the top. Does have a dip stick for the power steering tank?

 

You should still be able to turn the wheels side to side with out moving the truck forwards or backwards. The oil splashing in the tank is a bit puzzling. Make sure all your lines are good and clear with no restrictions. Some times older trucks that have sat for a while will have hoses that have collapsed internally, but look fine externally. Take the lines off and see if fluid flows through them nicely. Most power steering tanks have a filter inside, make sure it is not plugged, or just install a new one if you can. If that is all good, I still think you are looking at a gear problem.

 

To release a parking brake look for a long threaded bolt hanging on the exterior of the brake chamber. Unscrew it and put the nut and washer back on it just onto the threads. In the center of the brake chamber there should be a plastic or rubber plug. Use a screwdriver to pop it out and then insert the long bolt into the hole. The end of the bolt has a T that fits through an opening at the bottom of the assembly inside the chamber. Push it down through the T space and turn it 1/2 turn and then tighten the bolt with a 3/4 inch wrench. It will compress the chamber and allow the brake to release. Do NOT loosen the clamps that go around the chamber. Loosening these can let the brake come apart and cause bodily harm. If your chamber has a large nut in the center, but no hole, just tighten the bolt to compress the spring tension and release the brake.

 

If this truck has sat for a long time, another likely culprit is siezed up s cams. You need to narrow down the problem and give a bit more information. Take the pins out from the clevis on the end of the push rod from the maxi. Then you can see if the maxi pots are releasing. If the push rods go in and out as they should when the park brake is applied and released (good to have two people, one to pull and push the yellow handle and one to watch underneath). Then, if the pots are working ok, take a pipe wrench and see if you can move the s cams, or sometimes it takes a hammer to pound them back to released position. If they are seized you can try greasing and working them back and forth. They need to move freely (remembering there is a spring on the brake shoes). If you can't get them working freely, you need to take the wheels, and the drums off, and see what is going on. Try this, and let us know how it goes. Glad you got the steering figured out.