Steering: Nothing is sounding good

[dleroux]

Just drove my '63 Avanti to a car show about 75 miles north, the LaConner car show. Everything was fine except when I needed to move vehicles around on Monday morning. I moved the Avanti about 75 ft to make room for service trucks. In doing so there was a loud "clunk" when I turned the steering wheel hard. After that I've lost power steering and there is metallic noise coming from the steering wheel. Don't know if the two are related or not. I didn't have time to address it when it happened because I had to make an emergency flight to MN. This is definitely steering related, so does anyone know who I should contact in the Kirkland, Woodinville, WA area who would know how to look into this sort of problem? I can have it flat-bedded wherever it needs to go. Belts are all okay, PS pump seems okay, nothing out of the ordinary down below, PS fluid reservoir is full. Tie-rods, bushings, shock absorbers all appear to be A-okay. Any ideas?

[bezhawk]

Have the mechanic, disconnect the steering rag joint and check the column. It could be the lower plastic bushing, or even the upper ball bearing. Once you eliminate that, then disconnect the reach rod from the center bellcrank. That will isolate the steering box to see if it is smooth and not binding. Then it can be traced to the power steering. Perhaps the power ram tie rod end came loose. That would make a noise, and then it would not be connected to the center arm to assist. it would still remain a sealed system.