Power Steering Line Leak - Question

[77IndyStepside]

There are two lines coming out of the power steering pump - one of them has hose connections on both ends that uses just the screw down clamps that you can tighten with a screwdriver.  The other line coming from the power steering pump has a hose with another type of metal connector/fitting on both sides of the line.....this is the one that I have a leak in.  I am not sure how these connections are tightened....or removed for that matter. 

Anyone understand what I am saying here? I need to either tighten the connections on this line or replace it.  Let me know what you think. 

[VileZambonie]

That's the high pressure hose. You need to get a new one.

[77IndyStepside]

That's the high pressure hose. You need to get a new one.

Thanks much - will do.  Is there a trick to removing this leaking one?  Let me know. 

[VileZambonie]

Lefty loosey righty tighty. It might be easier to tighten and loosen using a crows foot. Just make sure you thread it in by hand as to not cross thread it and make sure if your steering box uses an o-ring seal that it's there and the old one is out.

[77IndyStepside]

Lefty loosey righty tighty. It might be easier to tighten and loosen using a crows foot. Just make sure you thread it in by hand as to not cross thread it and make sure if your steering box uses an o-ring seal that it's there and the old one is out.

Thanks sir - just screws off - good to know - did not want to hork on the thing until I knew that was the method.  Never done anything with regards to power steering on any vehicle that I have owned.  Is there any kind of trick to not lose a ton of fluid when making the change - or is the most I'm going to lose what is in the hose itself?

[Prong]

It'll drain the pump dry if you let it. What I would do is remove the line at the box first and then prop the end up above the pump to stop the draining process. Then remove the end at the pump and screw in the new hose at the pump end ASAP to minimize loss and the mess. I would also stick some teflon tape on the threads of the new line (both ends), but be sure that the tape won't protrude into the path of the fluid. Wouldn't want that stuff getting sucked into the system.

[77IndyStepside]

So I started this job tonight and had a heck of time.  The fitting on the back of the pump just will not loosen.  It's cramped quarters to get an open face wrench in there to hork on it and so minimal leverage...but the thing just will not budge.  Any ideas on tools that I could try or maybe another angle rather than underneath? 

[VileZambonie]

You can do it! Use a flare nut wrench and hook another wrench on the end for some leverage

[77IndyStepside]

You can do it! Use a flare nut wrench and hook another wrench on the end for some leverage

Thanks - will have to see if I can borrow a flare nut wrench in the morning from a neighbor that surely has a set.  I'm assuming this fitting was tightened at the factory 30 years ago - and does not want to 'leave the nest'......:-)

[77IndyStepside]

Holy Mother of All that is Holy!  Removing the high pressure line fitting from the rear of the power steering pump has turned into quite the job.  It would not budge.....and I'm not a small man by any means.  I purchased a flare nut wrench to get a hold of it and still could not get enough leverage working from below to remove it.  Ended up taking the pump out of the mounting bracket last night to remove it.

A severe complicating factor in removing this fitting is the fact that the threads of the line fitting screw into a mount on the back of the pump that has a large flat nut and that turns as well!  So not only do you have to try and hork on the fitting nut itself - you have to find a way to secure this larger mount nut from spinning in the same direction.  Royal pain in the behind to say the least.  It was much easier once I had the pump out and laying on the bench - that is for sure.  Even then though I had vice grips on the mount nut and the flare nut wrench on the line nut and was hammering the flare wrench with all I had to get the thing to loosen. 

I will buy the new line today at the parts store and re-install the pump itself.  Cripes!  I don't know if my dad was just a chronic "overtightener" or if this is just how things go on older trucks - but every nut or bolt that I have laid a wrench to under the hood of this truck is tighter than I can even imagine it needs to be.     

[Bitzer!]

I'm having the opposite    i'm wondering how things never fell off mine. Fuel tank bolts = finger tight and only a few threads left on bolt. AND the bed was lifted off within 20 mins of starting work on it!!

[VileZambonie]

Someone needs to eat their wheaties! lol You learn techniques that will help you work smarter not harder.

[77IndyStepside]

Someone needs to eat their wheaties! lol You learn techniques that will help you work smarter not harder.

You would not have removed this fitting from underneath - guaranteed.  The smarter way here would to have been to just remove the pump a few days back rather than wrestling with it for the amount of time that I did.  That is the lesson I learned here.   

[VileZambonie]

ok 

[77IndyStepside]

ok 

We'll arm wrestle someday and then go from there.....