On my 1983 XJ6, the power steering hose (not sure which one) seems to have developed a leak. I watched it leak from close to where the hoses connect to the steering rack, but it seems as though it is leaking from the "rubbery" part of the hose (which probably has metal tubing underneath?).

Any idea what the procedure is to replace/repair these lines? It is making a huge mess underneath the car! I hear it is a pain in the butt to do on the V12 cars, but is it easy on the XK6 cars?

 

You will need the services of a mob that repair hydraulic hoses. They can re-swage a new piece of hose (that rubbery bit) for you.

I would suggest from what you have described, it is the "return" hose that is leaking, and that is simply a section of 10mm trans cooler hose and clamped into place, ONCE the old section is removed first.

If it was/is the "supply" hose, that is HIGH pressure, and would empty the system in a few seconds. Also when they start to fail, they usually explode apart due to the pressure involved.

Yep the V12 RHD is a MONGREL, and the 6cyl is MUCH easier on the RHD cars, as the pump is on the RH side of the engine, and the hoses basically go straight to the rack. I reckon the LHD 6cyl would be a pain, and the V12 would be the simpler one, but I have never done a LHD, we dont have them.

 

Drats, I have a LHD XJ6. Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll just pay a shop to do it. Couldn't be more than a couple hundred bucks, right?

 

Halfway through writing this post, I recognized the OP (amcdonal86), and then I realized the XJ6 he's talking about is actually my car! I bought it from him a couple of weeks ago. Rather than taking it to a shop, I decided to fix it myself. Seeing as I'd already typed it out, I decided to post my tips in case anyone else is interested in the procedure. What a small world!

My hoses were leaking a little every time I took it for a drive. It's no fun to drive around with a trunk full of P/S fluid because it needs to be topped off before every trip. It's also REALLY embarassing to pull into a parking garage in a big cloud of toxic smoke because the leak is getting on the exhaust manifold. Yes, this happened to me!

The job itself is pretty straightforward. Just switch out a couple of hoses, right? It gets complicated when you consider that these hoses have probably been there for decades. First, they're are held to the underside of the car with 4 or 5 clips with Phillips-head screws. Clean off all the old oil and dirt with some Simple Green or any other light degreaser. Soak them overnight with PB blaster and work them gently or they will strip. There are no second chances here!

While you're at it, spray some PB blaster on all the hose ends, both at the pump and the rack. You will need to remove the air cleaner assembly for access, but this is no biggie. The other hoses on the rack will also need to be loosened.

The good news is, you won't need to jack up the car for this job. I removed the license plate (Maryland plates are razor sharp for some reason) and I had no problem getting to the clips. Installation is the reverse of removal. Top up with fluid, bleed the system and check again before hitting the road.