Power steering box leak

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Fri Oct 30, 15 8:54 pm

Hi guys. I noticed a drip under the car, checked fluids and saw the power steering fluid had dropped. It looks like it's leaking from the part the low pressure return hose attaches to. I wiped it all down, topped the fluid up and it's dropped again and is wet in that area. Is there a seal under there that goes? Is this something I can unbolt, seal and it's fixed?

There looks to be two bolted on parts here, the part the hose attaches to, then the part that bolts to the steering box. I'm not sure exactly where it's leaking but think it's the join between these two parts.

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Fri Oct 30, 15 9:51 pm

It looks like I need O ring to fit in here. Can anyone advise on what size I need to order?

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Sat Oct 31, 15 2:32 am

Sorry, can't help with the size of "O" ring required.
If the leak is coming from the low pressure hose end with the jubilee clip on it, you could try just nipping up the jubilee clip a little more. It might even be that the hose end under the jubilee clip has perished or split, if the hose is long enough, just cut the damaged end off and refit with a new jubilee clip.

If the leak is from the threaded union that bolts into the steering box, try some PTFE tape ( or liquid PTFE ) on the threads of the union and retighten

Hope this helps

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Sat Oct 31, 15 8:48 am

The return hose is new. I have nipped the clip up, wiped everything down and it seems to be coming out where those metal pieces meet together.

yabadaba · Post by **yabadaba** » Sat Oct 31, 15 11:22 am

i had a leak from the same area and after checking the hose itself was okay I ended up removing the fitting and found two fibre O-rings. The larger one seemed the culprit as it was too compressed and so no longer sealing properly. I managed to find an almost perfect replacement in a Halfords assorted set and this did the trick. I flipped the good O ring over before refitting for good measure, as it was a tad pitted on one side. No leaks after refitting.

If you end up having to remove the low pressure fitting be careful as the bolt heads are very low profile and easy to round off. Use a 6 point socket if you can. Here's a couple of photos of what I encountered. I couldn't even spot the larger O ring at first and just thought it was completely missing. But it was there and had just stuck itself firmly into it's recess on the steering gear (the grey colour ring in the second photo) and was no longer sitting proud. Flicked it out with a small flat-head screwdriver in the end.

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Sun Nov 01, 15 11:49 am

That's great! Thank you for the reply and the photos, it's a big help

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Mon Nov 30, 15 9:40 pm

Righty, it's been a while, but the kit I ordered should be with me tomorrow. I am going to remove the low pressure fitting and replace the rings as there is an obvious leak.

Further input I need is if to remove the high pressure bit that the low pressure bolts to while I'm taking bits off? I don't think it's leaking from here but as just said, if I'm going in there is it worth doing? Are there O rings under there? Will a million springs and bits come flying out if I take this off?

Yours anxious and never done this before of Essex

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Mon Dec 14, 15 9:08 pm

I have changed the two o rings on the low pressure return part as the photos above. This seems to have cured that leak. I took it for a drive the other day when it was nice to give it a test and all seemed ok. But after I noticed a drip of fresh fluid running off the K member and onto the floor. I have wiped both the pump, box and everything below down and still have the drip. I cannot for the life of me figure out where it's coming from! The level in my pump was about 1/2" into the neck. It's now dripped out so the level is where the neck meets the round pump body. Any hints or tips guys?

John · Post by **John** » Mon Dec 14, 15 10:02 pm

Could be the large o ring thats in the pump housing to the reservoir?

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Mon Dec 14, 15 11:17 pm

John wrote:Could be the large o ring thats in the pump housing to the reservoir?

Is that on the return part? If so I changed the large one as well as the tiny one when I had that off. I have not touched anything else though. I'm hoping to get the front in the air and have a better look around. There is the chance I have messed up what I have done mind. One thing when I put the return piece back i was frightened of the bolts stripping. I didn't put too much pressure on, but they didn't seem to lock up when I tightened.

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Mon Dec 14, 15 11:19 pm

John wrote:Could be the large o ring thats in the pump housing to the reservoir?

Scratch that, reservoir? All I have is a round pump, the steering box and the high and low pressure pipes between the two. No separate reservoir.

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Mon Dec 14, 15 11:33 pm

If you can get the pump and reservoir cleaned off, try doing the steering box as well just in case. The try covering them in talcum powder, start the car turn the steering lock to lock a few times, switch off and look for the damp patch (

), might give you an idea of where it's leaking from.
Also try wrapping the screw threads in PTFE tape, if the bolts aren't tightening up fully, the PTFE tape will help create a seal

David Murray · Post by **David Murray** » Mon Dec 14, 15 11:54 pm

What you are referring to as the pump is actually a combined pump and reservoir. The front section is the pump and the part that you pour the fluid into; i.e the container, is the reservoir. The two will separate with some gentle persuasion (you'll need to remove from the car first though) and you will find a large o-ring around the circumference of the pump that formed the seal with the reservoir.

With age these o-rings harden/flatten, which will cause a leak.....or the reservoir can become distorted if it has been used as a levering point to apply tension when fitting a new belt or tightening an existing one. A replacement o-ring will easily cure the former, but if the reservoir has been distorted then a little extra tapping and banging will be required to get it nice and circular again so that it will fit snugly around the pump and it's o-ring.

This is a common area to find a leak (as is the steering box). Try doing as Rebel suggested and also run your finger around the lip where the reservoir and pump meet after having first wiped it all clean and then having done a few lock to lock turns.

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Tue Dec 15, 15 10:46 am

Cheers guys, I'm going to get it as clean as I can then try and find the leak. Cheers for the talc tip

XP29 · Post by **XP29** » Tue Dec 15, 15 11:55 am

Just got underneath it and I could see pink fluid on the bottom of the pump behind the lip at the front. So can only notice from underneath. So this must be my issue. Is it best to get this pump sorted or get a new one? Sometimes new stuff isn't so great? This is my pump