Good morning friends,
This weekend I ran into something strange. When ever I did a 3 point turn, it appeared from the smoke that my coolant was leaking. But there was no tell-tale scent of coolant. After purposly recreating the situation in my driveway, I figured it out. Whenever I turned the steering all the way to the stop, a pinhole leak in the power steering hose will squirt a stream of fluid onto the exaust.
I've ordered both the high pressure and low pressure hoses. I've never done anything like this, if you don't mind I'd like to ask for your coaching.
Is it difficult to tell the difference between high pressure and low pressure hoses? Without raising the front of the car, I got lost trying to trace the path of the leaking hose (this is going to be one messy, greasy job I can see). Is it pretty straight forward to replace these hoses?
When the engine is running and I turn the steering a without reaching the stop on either side, the fluid just barely oozes out, when it reaches the stop, it shoots out like a water gun. From this description, does it appear to you that the low pressure or the high pressure hose has failed?
If my questions are an indication that I'm getting over my head here, please let me know. Guess this might explain my previous question about the "chirping" noise. Thanks, I appreciate your input.
John
Submitted by johnkenny@avaya.com on Thu, 01/13/2005 - 17:16
Hi,
Here's an update that you may use someday. I was able to replace them last night. Not a very complicated job, but is is dirty and cramped. I found that Carb cleaner worked better than brake cleaner to remove the gunk around each fitting.
Here are the steps:
1) clean around each fitting.
2) Get your wrenches ready. 5/8 inch - disconnect high pressure on pump. New high pressure fitting is 18mm. 5/8 disconnect Low pressure on Steering rack. 1/2 disconnect high pressure on steering rack.
The high pressure hose is the top connection on the steering rack and the bottom on the pump. The low pressure hose is attached to the pump with a simple hose clamp. I could not pull the hose off the pump, had to cut it. Space is cramped, but I came up with the perfect tool:
Take a single edge razor (safety glasses of course) Using a tin snip, I cut away 3/4 of the blade back to the safety rim on the back. This left 1/4 inch of razor untouched at one end. Now wrap the part you cut away with tape. This little tool will allow you to get in there and cut the hose. BE Careful - the nipple on the PS pump protrudes a lot further than you would expect. I'm lucky I didn't crush it tryin to get the hose off prior to cutting it off.
Underneath the front nose of the car, look at the 2 hoses clamped left to right along the frame (there are 4 clamps). These are the power steering hoses. You will need a short #2 phillips head driver. Take these out and pry them open to free the hoses.
Do one hose at a time. the Low pressure must be attached first at the steering rack, the high pressure at the pump. Cover the connections of te new hose (those little caps on 6volt lantern batteries are good) and insert each end from the front of the vehicle. The good news is that regardless of how complicated the threading of the hose in looks, it is just an insert and push a little job.
Note the "support" wing on the rack side of the low pressure hose. It's got to pretty much align with the entry of the high pressure hose above it (this will make sense when you look at it).
Re-attach the clamps in front and get ready to bleed your sysem. Put in fluid, start car, turn wheel back and forth 10 times. Turn off engine, true up the fluid, repeat 3 or 4 times.
This is one of those jobs I could probably do in 40 minutes now, last night it took several hours.
John