power steering fluid leak

If it's leaking that fast, it's going to be real easy to find. You most likely have a mess under there now, so start by washing the area with engine degreaser, then, when it's dry, start the engine and look at the hoses first. The common places to find leaks are the high-pressure hose, the front seal on the pump, then the accordion boots on the rack and pinion assembly. Even without washing everything, you can slide the small clamp off one of the accordion boots, then use a small pick or screwdriver to pull the end of the boot open. If power steering fluid runs out, replace the rack and pinion steering gear and have the car aligned.


Here are videos on how to replace the hose, pump and steering box

https://youtu.be/BGBUv5r9fk0

hose

https://youtu.be/EXDysSOs07g

and box

https://youtu.be/KKeFqHLuRQ0

Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

Cheers

how do i tell what type of system i have to get the correct high-pressure hose will it be the hydro-booster or conv (etc.)

I seem to have lost my mind. I'm sure I answered this question for a Ford car, and here I see you have a GM truck. You don't have a rack and pinion steering gear. You have a "recirculating ball" gearbox. The hydro-boost brake booster was available but that was designed mainly for use with diesel engines. If you have fluid leakage between that unit and the brake master cylinder, you have a potential major disaster, but you haven't said anything so far to point to that. You can look up the power brake boosters on the Rock Auto web site and look at a picture of the hydro-boost unit and the standard vacuum booster. They'll show the hoses too that you can compare yours to.

the high pressure hose is leaking got it repalced, Thanks for the videos helped me !

Nice work, we are here to help, please use 2CarPros anytime.

Cheers

I have a 1996 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 pickup - 4x4 with 5.0 vortec engine. There is a leak in the power steering lines. Should be so simple to replace - but the lines running out of the power steering unit at bottom run down towards the ground, then curve upward to the steering box. How can we replace the lines without cutting into the frame or removing unnecessary parts?

Many thanks in advance :-)

they arent' fun to replace, but you shold n't cut them just replace them. they will be held in place by brackets that are unbolted. you may have to do soem from under the truck.

I have a power steering hose leaking down where it goes into the steering box. It is leaking between the hard line and the nut that screws into the steering box. I assumed the o ring was bad so I changed with a new one from the dealership, but it is still leaking

maybe it has a hairline crack in it?

I have found a leak in my power steering. Today I added some "stop leak" stuff I got at the parts store. I do not know where exactley it is leaking because I live in North Dakota and it's too cold to climb under and take a look. Has anyone ever used this stop leak type stuff and had success with it? How much am I looking at to repair the power steering system in a worst case senario?

Sorry for the late reply.

It does depend on where the leak is located and what part is leaking? If you do the work yourself, no labor charges.

There are online partsbooks, everywhere, for example autozone.com--rockauto.com and many others where you can look up the cost of the parts, be it power steering pump--power steering hose or whatever.

When my truck starts after sitting it turns fine. When it gets hot and at idle it is really hard to turn unless you rev the engine.

Unless you have some type of troublesome computer involved with speed-sensitive steering, the clue is it helps to increase engine speed. That is almost always caused by weak pump output due to worn vanes. This can be expected at the mileage you listed.

Internal leakage inside the steering gearbox can cause this too, but it is much less common. For vehicles with rack and pinion steering gears, internal leakage can be identified by the lack of power assist in only one direction at first. No assist in the other direction shows up weeks or months later, and the problem clears up after a few minutes when the power steering fluid gets hot.

hello. when i try to turn the wheels right or left, while pressing the brake,(like parking it) the reliesse valve ramains open , the fluid goes by the return hose, and steering wheel gets very hard.
i replaced the reliesse valve, the pump rotor , the hydroboost, the torsion bar, and still the same.
why relesse valve keeps open that easy?
what else can y do?

Makes me wonder if a hose is falling apart internally causing the pressure problem. Dont see the steering box doing that if it works when your off the brake. Sounds like you have replaced everything else that could do it (normally)

hi jack thanks for reply.
i already check the hoses and they are ok. do you think that i could replace the relesse valve spring for a harder one? ill try it. talk to you soon. bye. :wink:

Shouldnt have to do any mods to make the system work

It is normal to have increased steering effort if you are turning the steering wheel from lock to lock with the brakes applied!

thanks for reply. you are right, after a new checking, the thing is that the relesse valve remains open all the time, even at idle, and the fluid goes by the return hose. and after 2500 rpm the pump starts to make noise. (all of the named parts are new, and steering fluid level is ok.)thanks.
edgar.

Maybe somehting in the box is creating the problem. Hate to just throw parts at it, but you have done everything but the box

With your brake applied the road wheel can't rotate as the steering wheel is turned. The wheel wants to rotate just a little because of the wheel alignment angles. When the wheel can't rotate it takes additional effort at the steering wheel. Try another vehicle like yours. Without being there to experience your condition I think you may be trying to fix a normal condition.

We do the total degreasing cleaner here as well to clearly see where is the leak coming from. Always better to replace the parts, especially the hose, that leaks than repair them.