Hello everyone,

I need some help with a power steering leak. I had a sudden onset of hard steering and whining when turning to lock this past weekend while driving hilly, curving, back roads, lanes and tight parking spaces as we toured hidden country art studios on a beautiful summers day in October. I immediately checked the steering fluid, found it very low, interrrupted our journey, and drove 25 miles to the nearest source for Mercon III–a Menards store, and topped it off and continued our tour and visits with like-minded country craftspeople of various persuasions. We returned to our diversion for a few more stops, but alas, were unable to finish, due to the detour, so we drove home for the day, Saturday, and went home to see what was going on.

Sunday morning, I got the car in over the pit and found the fluid was dripping from the high pressure line at the bends just before the steering gear. This was just what I had expected. I searched with lights and mirrors to confirm that the high pressure hose was the source of the leak, but was unable to confirm it due to the tight quarters. I had my wife, Kathy, come out and turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine running, while I searched further. Fluid flowed readily at either lock from the end of the pressure hose, but I was unable to locate the source.

I set about eliminating other possibilities: there was no fluid on the rack at either end, nor on any part of the bellows, only at the steering gear unit. I wiped everything clean and checked as far up the hose as I could see and reach. The foam sleeve on the hose was heavily damaged and soaked with fluid. Kathy was still standing by, so I checked again the hoses above to make sure the leak wasn't up there there was no oil anywhere, and I keep the engine bay detailed, but the dusty lanes and gravel roads had left a light covering of dust, so I cleaned everything, started the engine, and had Kathy turn the wheel while I searched above and below; nothing except, dripping off the end at the steering gearbox.

We returned with a squeeze bottle of Mercon to our tour on Sunday. I avoided turning to lock when parking or turning around on narrow roads and tiny lanes, so we didn't have to add fluid all day.

This morning, I removed the pressure hose, another exercise in frustration, and checked it over carefully by bending and examining it. The foam sleeve was in very poor condition, but the hose looked perfect, so I decided to pressure test it. I pumped Mercon in one end with a hand transfer pump, then plugged the other end and put all my weight on the pump as I examined the the crimps and hose for leaks–Nothing, again. I was only able to blow the bolt out of the hose attached to the other end as a plug. I'll replace the hose as long as I have it out(about $60.00 at Rock)but I still need to find the leak.

If any of you can see what I'm missing, I'd very much appreciate it.
Thanx, Rick

 

There is a well documented P/S leak at the fitting below the air cleaner box. It’s right above the sway bar rubber bushing so the fluid “conveniently” leaks on the rubber and it deteriorates. At least that what it did on my 2002 XKR. Don’t know it that’s your leak, but worth investigating. You’ll have to remove the air box to get a good view from above, or get the car up in the air a bit (jack stands or a lift)) to see it from below.

to repair, most people cut off the hose at the plastic fitting and insert a brass barb into the hose and use a short 4” rubber hose to connect the barb end to the metal P/S line. Use good quality hose clamps on both ends of course. The short rubber hose needs to be rated for P/S fluid or it won’t last.

you can search the X-100 forum for “power steering leak” to get a much better description.

you may be leaking elsewhere of course, but this leak is the most common one to my knowledge.


Z

 

^^ What he said....

 

Thanx Z snd John,

I had searched the forum plus JL, JF and John and Damian on YT without coming across that thread. It's on the far corner of the engine bay from my leak evidence, but in more accessible surroundings, so I'll definitely check it out today.

I may also see if I can reconnect the pressure line to the rack outside the motor mount where it's a bit more visible just to pressure check it further. This would also allow a better view of the suction and cooler line on the left side under pressure

In any case, I'll report my results back here.

Best, Rick

 

Hi,

Sorry for the typo/misspell Jon.

I checked the right side cooler line and connection (much easier than the mess on the left) and found no sign of leaks. Any even minor leaks would be visible in the light dust from our weekend travels. It looks like I can reattach the HP line on the outside of the motor mount. I struggled with the pump connection for a while last evening and have a plan for another try today using a small crowfoot to push the connector snug against the pump while turning it with with the fingers of my other hand. Tough typing on the phone today with arthritic fingers after yesterday's efforts.

After closer inspection, I found some checking on the H/P hose and ordered a replacement, but I don't believe that's where the leak is.

Checking seems too minor to be even weeping.
Here's the setup for my pressure test and the damaged foam sleeve above the hose.

It's hard to imagine why the leaking fluid would only be running off the tubing on the rack end of the hose. Perhaps there's a seal at the top of the connection to the steering column? Maybe I'll find out today.

Best, Rick

 

The one definitive way to determine the origin of any petroleum-based leak is to clean the entire area with spray solvent and then coat the area (hoses, fittings and rack) with talcum powder before operating briefly to see the small beginnings.

 

Good morning,

My efforts to test the pressure hose on the car in a more visible location were very difficult. I connected it to the rack after routing the pump end around the outside of the motor mount. The connection was a struggle but successful; however, the pump connection proved more daunting due to the 90⁰ bend in the pipe. The bend required a twist of the hose of about 60⁰ in order to make even a temporary connection possible. I achieved this with a curved jaw lockiing pliers on the crimp, then wedged into place with the end of the pipe as close as I could achieve with my arthritic hands. I then spent spent an afternoon trying to get it threaded, with no luck. There was not enough room for my hands between the A/C pipes and the pump to grasp the knuckle and pull it up tight enough to thread it. I then tried pushing the bottom of the knuckle with a 7/16" crowfoot adapted to a long 1/4" drive extention with one hand while trying to turn it with a finger on the other hand–no luck, so I retrieved a 3/8" drive ratchet with an extention and 9/16" crowfoot to turn the knuckle. After countless trips out of the pit to adjust alignment from above, then returning below to try for connection, I was exhausted and took a break for the day to mull it over.
Lawn mowing was overdue and so was fall preparations for the greenhouse and flower gardens, and since the replacement hose was now on the way, I took time off to get caught up and do the grocery shopping. Oh well, it was no longer convertible weather anyway and we had an anniversary to celebrate, Sunday, 57 years together.
Monday the new hose came, and since it needed to be routed around the outside of the motor mount, where I could clearly observe it, I decided to install it and hope that my instincts were right that the leak had to be in the high pressure iine and connections. In any case, it would be easier to see everything.
Inspecting the hose, I was dismayed to see that the seal supplied for the rack end appeared to be the wrong size.




Old ring 3/32", left.

Old ring installed.

New ring installed.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my own advice, fearing the thicker ring might be difficult to insert. The new hose design was easier to fit. I again connected the rack end first. After taping both ends with masking tape, I fed the pump end through the inside of the steering column and gearbox and past the outside of the motor mount at the very bottom, lying right on top of the sub frame. Back up on top, I pulled the pump end ahead, fed it between the pipes going around the compressor, above the lowest which I believe is the return trans cooler line and under the upper two which I believe are the compressor lines. Hard to see in that area. I pushed the hose from behind until it hit the fan shroud, then I took a scrap of AWG 10 or 12 electrical wire, made a hook to fit the pipe behind the knuckle and pulled it back, bending the hose to point up to the bottom of the pump and looped it to one of the ABS brake lines. Then I took a short piece of wood 1X2 and put it down between the front of the pump and it's pully, to be used later. Although I often complain, sometimes it's nice to have all your shops in the same space.
Now, back in the pit to connect. the rack end. First, I removed the masking tape. It took some twisting and cajoling to get the pipe into it's hole and pull the other end of the bracket down over the other pipe. I put in the bolt in and turned it down to close but loose. Now back upstairs for some real frustration exercise.
I put my left hand on the hose just below the pipe and pulled up while I reached back further with my right hand and pulled the slack out of the hose pushing it upward into the pump, almost but not quite. I removed the wire, the bend in the hose and the 1X2 will hold it's place for now. Back below, I checked the location of the pipe end; it was against the bottom of the pump just ahead of the hole. I removed the masking tape with a long pick making sure to get it all. Everything now is either look or work, no chance of seeing and doing. I reached up and grasped the hose, moving it back until I found the hole and pushed it in. This took a few tries. Now it would stay in place. I was tempted to try to thread it now, but when I looked at the alignment of the knuckle with the hole, it was clearly pushed crooked by the pressure of the bent hose. Back upstairs I gathered a couple of wood wedges and some shims. I put a wedge between the hose and the 1X2 shim against the pully and pushed it up until the knuckle looked centered back to front. I couldn't get two hands in there to wiggle with one and turn with the other, so I shimmed right to left by eye. I went back up and tried to start it by hand, but the space was too small to grasp the knuckle with two fingers–I could only coax it with my fingertips and that was no go, so I would have to carefully start it with the crowfoot. Before going back down, I took another extension to have a better view of the crowfoot and a long wooden dowel for coaxing. I eyeballed the knuckle again, made minor adjustments to the shim and wedge, carefully pushed the bottom of the knuckle upward with the dowel to ensure contact with the threads, then carefully tried the wrench. Voila! I gently turned it finger tight then went back and checked the rack. I twisted the bracket slightly to fit the other pipe securely and tightened the bolt securely. After checking the hose for clearance from that end and clipping the wire back on the tube, I went topside and checked from above for any pinches or pressure points. Everything looked good, so I went down to tighten the pump connection. I backed the knuckle off a turn to be sure it turned easily, then tightened it down. I couldn't find torque values for either end, so I relied on feel and experience.
Now for the trial, perhaps you've already guessed, I should have trusted my experience with the o-ring.
By now it was dinner time, and I had a doctor appointment 45 miles away tomorrow, so I gave up for the day promising to get up early and finish, so I could bleed and test it, before a 90 mile test drive. All went well, and after observing the o-ring leak under pressure, I have a new theory on the original leak: it was also the o-ring. The leak coming from under the bracket made a very fine spray to the upper left corner of the bracket, just where the pipe was on the old style hose. On the new style hose, the pipe is on the other side.
When I measured the old ring with calipers to be sure of the size, it measured 1/8" wide by 1/16" high, so it had lost resilience. I perhaps didn't notice the spray in the relative darkness of the pit. It's been further tested now for a few days with no sign of leaks nor loss of fluid.

Best, Rick