Slight drag/delay in the Marles Variamatic steering box

I have it in 4 other cars, and know what it should feel like. It has been rebuilt by the ssme guy as the others. No leaks whatsoever.
Recently installed. All bushings and other rubber parts on front axle are new.
I have a slight delay between I turn the steering wheel and the car changes direction. I have fiddled a bit with the top adjustment screw, and securing nut. Can´t get it normal/perfect.
Very annoying!
Further tightening?
The man in England who rebuilt it said on a previous occasion, on another car, that I can tighten quite hard, contrary to common beleif.
Anyone been in this situation?
Peder

If you are referring to the Marles Varamatic steering, your problem may actually be rectified by replacing the filter located in the fluid reservoir. I experienced the problem a year ago, cured by installing a replacement filter. Here’s a good way to find out without spending $$ on a filter. Open the reservoir, remove the filter inside, then top up the reservoir to make up for the space created from the missing filter. Then, get in the car and drive it a block or two and see how it behaves. If the problem is gone, get a new filter. If the problem persists, the culprit lies elsewhere.

Very interesting. Thank you. I will do this on the 10th, when next with the car. Will report the result.

If you have a Marles variamatic steering box (4.2 MKX or later), it should be mated with
the Saginaw pump, which has no filter

The earlier Burman steering box fitted to 3.8 MKX (may) have a filter in the pump (not Saginaw)

Oh yes, thats right. My S-type with original pump at the back of the generator has a round canister with a filter inside, I think. This car got the Marles Varamatic back in the late 80s. A friend helped me with ihe work.
But can my current problem be due to a slow or worn pump?
Can they be rebuilt, if parts are available?
Perhaps easier to buy a second hand one, and see what happens!?

I think you will need to go thru a fault finding procedure with an assistant

doubt it will be the pump, as they are very simple, with few parts, and so long as they have fluid, and dont make a bad noise, can be assumed to be working (pressure test procedure is in FSM)

I would raise the front end, open bonnet, and have assistant move steering wheel, while you follow the fault finding procedure in the FSM, starting with the upper column, then going under car and observing whether there is any freeplay in any plane at steering box, (as outlined in FSM)…check draglink and tie rod end freeplay

the steering box has 2 points of adjustment, the top lock nut, and a huge screw in the side

If these need adjustment, its tricky with box in car, not ideal at all, the steering parts will jam together if overtightened, box should come out for this

I posted some Youtubes that fully cover these adjustments recently under Adwest.

All parts are new and the steeringbox rebuilt with new seals and gaskets. Completely dry, week after week.
My problem is that the servo action is a bit delayed on each movement on the steering wheel.
Hence my suspicion that the ps pump is not working as it should…

Chapter 8 Page I.13 describes the procedure to diagnose the hydraulic sytem.

It would seem that it can be the pump or “internal seals” on box itself…and how to differentiate

The pump just has a few gears…and a pressure valve

its hard to diagnose not being present…connection is still direct so I would not expect a “delay”, but a lack of assistance

how much freeplay is at the steering wheel rim ?

an examination as i described before with engine off…so no hydraulic assistance, is fairly quick to do, and will virtually rule out anything else but hydraulics

I compared the visible lenght of the threaded tightening screw, on top of the lid on the steering box, with that on 2 other 420Gs.
They showed noticeably less thread, so I loosened it to match. It is now better, but not as good as esp one of the cars.
So I now have 4 of these cars with a different feel to the steer9ng on aech. . All of them have new parts in the eassential areas, and the same tyres.