| Author |
Message |
    
guru prasad (Simguru)
| | Posted on Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 08:17 pm: | 
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Hello....power steering fluid seems to drip from somewhere beneath the pump and above the steering box....Mine is a 95 ...The prev. owner spent tons on this problem and the dealor hasnt fixed it....All the hoses, pump, steering box has been changed....
I dont see anything leak near the tubes or high pressure line......Can the pump crack ??
Thx |
Brad_N
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 10:19 am: |
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Changing the cheesy stock clamps on the hoses stopped my leak. About a total of $3.00 Might be worth a try. It worked for me. Lucas makes a power steering stop leak fluid. Never used it, but that might help. |
guru prasad (Simguru)
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 07:53 pm: |
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Where was your leak ? Was it near the hoses ?
My hoses look clean....The problem with mine is I cant pin point from where it is leaking ....the chassis between the pump and steering box is wet ....so I am deducing that it must be dripping from under the pump....
Thx. |
Frode H�bertz Haaland (Discofrode)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 02:14 am: |
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Clean everything thoroughly, then steal some powder/talc from your wife or your baby, and cover everything with that white dust. Any leaks should be visible as a build-up of gunk...
There's a 30minute fitment seal kit (errr...wonder who ever used the proposed time for any job...) if it's leaking along the output shaft.
Roverly Yours, Frode |
Danno (Danno)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 07:32 am: |
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try using a bottle or 2 of the Lucas Power Steering stop leak stuff. i had a leak that i would lose half of my fluid in a few days. put the Lucas stuff in and no more leaks. also change the clamps, because the stock ones are POS's |
Rob Davison (Pokerob)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 10:01 am: |
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thats where mine was weeping from, could never see the seal itself piss oil, but it seemed to cry from the frame like one of those virgin mary statues in mexico city. if the stop leak doesnt do it, you simple need a new box.
rd |
Danno (Danno)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 10:04 am: |
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"full of grace, full of grace" |
Joe Still
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 12:00 pm: |
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After doing the Lucas, Clean area thoruoghly and check, etc. I pulled my box from 95 Disco. Started to get the seal kit but decided to disassemble first. Good thing. The lower output shaft bearing race was cooked and shaft would require turning down and sleeving back. Shaft would move enough to let fluid pour out.
I bought used. Next time it will be the Meridian unit every post of this nature contains.
BTW, this vehicle uses ATF, not power steering fluid.
Joe |
guru prasad (Simguru)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 03:56 pm: |
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I didnt realize it uses ATF in power steering....Any specific reason ? ( I had screwed my old Honda by using regular power steering fluid instead of the special ones for Honda).
Is there a drain plug somewhere where I can drain all the current fluid ?
Also I am not sure what clamps you all are refering ? Is it the ones connecting the hoses to the metal tube ? |
Paul T. Schram (Paulschram)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 04:52 pm: |
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Not to start a flame war, but I have successfully fixed a few of these leaks with very little problem.
I would bet much of my reputation on the low pressure supply hose from the reservoir to the pump. Since my reputation probably isn't worth much-especially here, you can decide if it's a good bet or not!
On the '95s, the power steering pump is hidden from view by the mounting assembly. What isn't hidden by the mount, is hidden by the fan! To make matters worse, the hose barb you need to get to is toward the center of the truck. The easiest way to fix this nagging issue is to remove the fan to gain access to the fitting. The fitting is a glorified hose barb made of die cast metal-be careful, you can fawk it up easily if not careful.
FWIW-IMO it is impossible to remove the PS pump, or gain access to it without pulling the fan. If you're having problems with your PS pump, you had better learn how to pull the fan.
Remove the fan and lay aside. Reach into the abyss with a pair of needle nose pliers and pry/chop, etc. to remove the worthless factory clamp. Replace the factory clamp with a high quality worm gear clamp, tighten moderately (don't collapse the fitting) and reinstall the fan. If you're lucky, you won't even lose any fluid. I don't suggest trying to trim the end of this end of the hose as the hose barb is so long and the barb so big that you end up having to cut off nearly an inch just to remove the hose. Also, the hose is formed and it is just barely long enough as it is!
Lots of folks have a real hard time getting the fan and clutch off their trucks. Your '95 should be serpentine belted. I use a 1-7/16" end wrench on the fan nut. It isn't perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than using a crescent wrench. Turn it counterclockwise to remove (it's what the manual says and it works on my truck). In order to immobilize the water pump, I place a narrow pry bar between one of the bolts holding the pulley on and jam it against the shaft. You will almost certainly need to give the end wrench a beating with a BFH to break it loose-at least, the first time.
The other hose that often goes bad is the low pressure return line from the box to the reservoir, at the reservoir end. This one, you can cut some from it with impunity. On the reservoir end, be careful as you can break the plastic of the reservoir-I have yet to break one, but I hear many "Down in Sussex" stories of it happening.
Paul |
Danno (Danno)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 05:06 pm: |
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you can also try a capful of brake fluid to try to swell the rubber in the seal... |
guru prasad (Simguru)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 05:32 pm: |
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Thank u vy much Paul and others !! U enlightened me more....I was incorrect in my description of parts....I was refering to the unit connected to the steering rod (which I mistakenly kept refering as the steering pump)...I am guessing it is called the reservoir....and the unit below it is called a steering box (attached to chassis). Please correct me ??.....I am new to this vehicle....the leak is somewhere in between these two units .....I am going to try the talcum powder thing once I clean the existing oil....
I did find the clamp and worm gear behind the fan unit on the steering pump....They are clean.... |
guru prasad (Simguru)
| | Posted on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 12:09 pm: |
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Hello again....Finally I cleaned up around the steering box and realized that it was just one unit....I was wrong again with the two parts I was refering in prev. post....So it looks like the steering box is leaking....somewhere....I did put some powder on the chassis to find exactly where it leaks....
I want to drain the existing fluid. Any ideas ?
There is a circular plug like thing on the steering box (when viewed from below)with a long slit across. Is that the one we turn to drain ?
if so what tool do we use ? Its way long for a screw driver head.
Thx.... |
hendrik
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 02:43 am: |
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No, thats not a drain plug. Don´t think there is a provision for draining but with removing the hydraulik pipe connections and turning the steering wheel from side to side the s/b will spit out some ATF.
Is it certain that brake fluid does sth to the inner seals ?. I think some of the seals are made out of silicone, some teflon and some rubber. The former I´d guess would not be affected, with the latter: I thought (but don´t know for sure!) it was obligatory for brake fluid not to affect metal or rubber (as these are the parts to be found in the brake system). Could be rubber and rubber are different things (?). |
Paul T. Schram (Paulschram)
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 10:08 am: |
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Hendrik:
I don't know about the seals in the gear box, however, I am becoming very intimately familiar with the pump on my truck. The seals in the pump appear to be made of viton and are very unlikely to be affected by much of anything! Viton is pretty much resistant to just about anything automotive related(Time to pull the chemical compatibility chart out!). Yup, just checked the chart and unless your power steering fluid contains trichloroacetic acid or anhydrous ammonia, the seals are pretty much unaffected. FWIW, there are few seals in the pump and those that are most easily exposed are in the form of o-rings. Consequently, I wonder just how effective some of the voodoo juices work, in spite of my having used them and touted their effectiveness.
The gearbox however may be a different story. Fortunately, I am not as intimately familiar with the gear box-yet, I'm sure it will break next, though!
Paul |
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