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  #1  
Old 08-28-2011, 02:28 PM
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WestCoastSVX WestCoastSVX is offline
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Power Steering leak!

Done a few different searches but I'm having trouble making sense of past posts in relation to what happened with my car.

A couple days ago just driving around town I started to hear a bit of grinding, nothing major. When I got to one of my stops and got out, I saw light smoke coming from the front of the car, that quickly went away. So little that I thought it might have been a bit of an oil leaking onto the exhaust or something. I started back out around the parking lot and then the grinding got worse, the steering started to get stiffer, so I pulled over again and popped the hood. This time I noticed a trail of fluid across the parking lot leading up to my car. And ATF spilled all over the front passenger catalytic converter. Couldn't see the source of the leak, but saw the power steering resevoir was almost empty.

I was close enough to home that I just went for it, I wasn't going to leave it in the bank parking lot all weekend or have it towed somewhere. Car actually drove much better at higher speeds, anything under 10 mph the steering was VERY "manual".

So now it sits in my driveway. I've gone over every hose I can from the top, with the airbox and ducting all removed too. Can't find any holes or broken hoses. Can feel it's still wet down near the bottom of the rack so I'm going to try to get it up into my garage and then jack it up on stands to look under there.

Anyone have any first impressions of what this could be though?
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  #2  
Old 08-28-2011, 02:39 PM
XT6Wagon XT6Wagon is offline
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Re: Power Steering leak!

O-ring between the pump and fluid tank. Just replaced mine with the same issue of smoke. Leaks down the engine and onto the header. Steering has issues as it gets air into the pump.
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  #3  
Old 08-28-2011, 02:43 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

under the car there are 4 aluminum tubes ( pre bent running the length of the power steering rack and range from $130.00 to about $80.00 total $400.) You have a pin hole in one . I bet it is the one under the driver side on top.
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Old 08-28-2011, 03:11 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Conn SVX View Post
under the car there are 4 aluminum tubes ( pre bent running the length of the power steering rack and range from $130.00 to about $80.00 total $400.) You have a pin hole in one . I bet it is the one under the driver side on top.

All of which you can also take to a hydro shop and have reproduced for about 1/2 of the price of buying new. Most places you even get to pick the color and material used. Some places won't make it for a auto but just tell them its for a Kabota and you're fine.
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  #5  
Old 08-28-2011, 04:02 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Thanks guys. Wow so far 2 very different options and no mention of the usual hoses mentioned in my searches!

I'd love it to be the o-ring but I'm skeptical since it was last replaced 2 1/2 years ago... and this happened really fast. I haven't found fluid under my car of any kind before Friday, and even checked the reservoir a few weeks ago. Could the o-ring fail so drastically?

I've been under the car now and did see the 4 aluminum tubes. They were covered in gunge but I cleaned them all up and can't see/feel any holes. Of course a "pin hole" I probably wouldn't.
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1992 SVX LSL "Serenity" 250,000 miles!

I don't care, I'm still free, You can't take the sky from me...
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  #6  
Old 08-28-2011, 05:09 PM
XT6Wagon XT6Wagon is offline
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Mine did fail suddenly, though I'm betting it was the factory O-ring and not something newer. If it is leaking your timingbelt cover should have a shinny section near the pump.
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  #7  
Old 08-28-2011, 08:43 PM
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Manarius Manarius is offline
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Did you check near the bottom of the radiator? More specifically, the front of the radiator closer to the front of the car? The stock cooler is there and yours may have rusted out. It's what caused my leak that was pretty bad.
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  #8  
Old 08-30-2011, 05:09 PM
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WestCoastSVX WestCoastSVX is offline
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Well, I replaced the resevoir/pump o-ring as a first step as I've been all over on under and on top the engine and can't find any holes in hoses or tubing. Plus it was cheap and easy, especially since the resevoir was already dried out.

I saw the o-ring YT installed 3 years ago and it looked fine. But tried a new one anyway. Filled the resovoir with ATF, and started her up.

Immediately foamy ATF spilling all over under the car and pump making bad noises. I was expecting that, but still had to have a little hope it would have fixed it.

So now that I got to examine the leaking right after it happened, I can pinpoint it is happening right above the subframe crossmember almost centered right between the front wheels. Actually the final drips are coming out that little circle hole right in the center of the frame so it must pool up in there.

By the time I get all the airbox piping out of there, all I can see looking down is that it is pooled up down there. I can't tell where it came from (a couple rubber hoses, a couple of those aluminum tubes, all down there, none look damaged). And the car won't run without all the air intake stuff in place (I tried that last time).

Next attempt I guess I'll get the car up on stands and try running it with more fluid and see if I can source anything by looking underneath the car as it leaks?

Any ideas with this new info though? Fluid leaking VERY quickly from right above the cross member (or whatever it's called?)?
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  #9  
Old 08-30-2011, 05:30 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

I agree with the part about raising up the car to see where the fluid is coming from. I would take it to a shop at this point, personally.

Also, glad to see another Firefly fan .
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  #10  
Old 08-30-2011, 06:34 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

If it was a pin hole, I wouldn't think that the oil would leak that fast. It can produce quite a mess though. The pressure hoses can have a pin hole leak and difficult to find. I had one and when I found it, I thought it was a spider web that was there. I reached out to touch it and got fluid on my hand. I then knew I found my leak. It may take a flashlight (torch) to find the leak. I would think it would be best to get it up in the air so you can look up to see if you can find it that way. Good luck.
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  #11  
Old 08-30-2011, 07:26 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

I found mine by putting it on a lift and had the kid sit in it and turn the wheel . It was squirting out of the top tube farthest to the left near the left front wheel driver side ( the $125.00 tube of course .But I changed them all. ) very difficult to change the one I had leaking .
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  #12  
Old 08-30-2011, 07:39 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Hey man, I should be able to make it ot there this week sometime. Saturday at the latest. Call me anytime before midnight and after nine am. I have a pretty open schedule.
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  #13  
Old 08-31-2011, 12:36 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

Cam - You have voicemail.


So I'm tired of pushing the car in and out of the garage or hearing the pump grind. Plus if I end up taking it to a shop my trusted place is 20 miles away. Is it possible to just take the belt off and drive around with no harm?
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1992 SVX LSL "Serenity" 250,000 miles!

I don't care, I'm still free, You can't take the sky from me...
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  #14  
Old 08-31-2011, 12:44 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

No, the alternator is on the same belt. If you had a belt small enough to fit just the alternator, then you could. Well, technically, you will be ok without the alternator, but only until the battery dies, which is unpredictable, and therefore not really safe.

Driving with no p/s fluid is supposed to be pretty bad for the pump.
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  #15  
Old 08-31-2011, 02:01 PM
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Re: Power Steering leak!

That's right, forgot the alternator. Which also is a problem because I left the door cracked the other night and drained the battery. Jumped it yesterday for my test, but I had to shut the car down before it charged so now it's dead again. And I can't charge it without hurting the dry ps pump even more.

Fun stuff.
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Troy

1992 SVX LSL "Serenity" 250,000 miles!

I don't care, I'm still free, You can't take the sky from me...
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