Possible dead PS rack, need info... story inside!

On the way to work this morning I was cruising up I-85 at my normal pace (80) and made it to my exit about the time I really should have been walking through the door of my office.

Of course I catch the yellow light at the end of my offramp on a notoriously long light (5 mins!) and quickly decide to take a right and go down a block, pull a U-turn and head back in the direction I needed to go. After I pull the U-turn, I'm heading back through traffic and coming up to the intersection before my office when I notice plumes of smoke coming out from underneath the car. The sniff test tells me PS fluid.

I continue through the intersection thinking, oh man just another little PS line leak... but then I realize that larger and larger clouds of smoke are now coming from under the car as I drive.

FANTASTIC.

I just replaced the high pressure hose about 8 months ago, I'm hoping it's just the return hose and not the rack.

If it is the rack I'm going to be investigating alternatives (Impreza rack?).

I'll keep you guys posted.

-Porter

Anyway my real question was... if it is the rack, does anyone know whether an Impreza rack will fit the SVX?

[immortal_suby]

You're never gonna keep that engine bay clean

Don't know about the legacy rack, sorry. I hope it's the return line.

YEP!

It was the low pressure return line.

Turns out it was so old and hard it literally walked its way off the nipple. We're fixing it now with some high temp hose.

Hope that fixes it...


Also, we found what my clicking sound was on the right front... the rear bolt in the left control arm was steadily walking its way out. That would have been a lot of fun if the control arm had gone suddenly mobile in the middle of a freeway maneuver.

I guess all that high impact gravel road driving at 60mph takes its toll on bolts...

[oab_au]

Originally posted by Porter
YEP!

It was the low pressure return line.

Turns out it was so old and hard it literally walked its way off the nipple. We're fixing it now with some high temp hose.

Hope that fixes it...


Also, we found what my clicking sound was on the right front... the rear bolt in the left control arm was steadily walking its way out. That would have been a lot of fun if the control arm had gone suddenly mobile in the middle of a freeway maneuver.

I guess all that high impact gravel road driving at 60mph takes its toll on bolts...

The motor movement works the pipe off the rack. Wire the hose clamp to the rack with tie wire to stop it coming off again.

Makes a lot of smoke doesn't it.

Harvey.

[Jamsvx]

Can you use Loctite or some other such product on the bolts??

It's all back in good shape...

My motor mounts are looking sad though, anybody know whether the circular motor mounts on the SVX are the same/similar to the ones on the Legacy?