Power steering low pressure hose leak

[pjanda1]

Hi folks,

I can't get my power steering pump low pressure hose to stop leaking. I've replaced it twice, this time with a brand new Gates. It leaks at the connection between the lower metal part and the factory crimp. Before this I was clamping transmission cooler hose to the lower tube. If I really cranked down the clamps I could keep it from leaking for a few days. Then it would start leaking. Then I'd break the hose clamps.

It leaks at even idle with the wheel stationary.

I've replaced the pump a couple of times recently. Could this be the gear somehow? I have dumped quarts and quarts of fluid on the ground in the months I've been futzing with the power steering. I'm tempted to just burn the whole Jeep.

Best,

Paul

 

[pjanda1]

Really? No ideas? I just need to know if this could possibly be the steering gear or if I'm having incredibly bad luck with hoses.

Paul

 

[md21722]

I'm not really following where the leak is? On my 97+ XJ's, for the low pressure return line, the reservoir side is a hose clamp to the plastic reservoir. The gear side is a crimp fitting to the pump. A picture may help.

 

[xcm]

Get the right size hose, its a low pressure return line, if your leaking, you did something wrong, and we cant see that.

 

[Overland]

Use power steering hose, says it right on the side. Mine didn't say power steering/trans cooler, just power steering. Some people run ATF for steering fluid, though.

Maybe you could step down in diameter a bit? They always fit pretty snug before the clamp goes on.

 

[pjanda1]

The gear side is a crimp fitting to the pump. A picture may help.

As I wrote above (" It leaks at the connection between the lower metal part and the factory crimp") this is where it leaks. I can get a hose clamp tight enough to keep it from leaking at the reservoir, but either the crimp fitting or a transmission hose clamped to the metal tube at the gear side leaks, presumably because there is a bigger barb at the reservoir side so I can get it to seal up better.

Clearly the problem is that there is rather a lot of pressure in what is supposed to be a low pressure line.

So tell me XCM, what am I doing wrong that causes the right Gates part to leak at their factory crimp fitting?

 

[md21722]

How can it leak between the lower metal part and the factory crimp? That is a solid metal. It sounds like it is leaking at the crimp and that on another attempt you cut the crimp off and replaced the hose and used a hose clamp? I would think if there was enough pressure in the line that the hose would blow off. I used a NAPA hose on the supply line and it works great. NAPA gets them from Plews Edelmann. This is the return line for a 97 XJ from NAPA:

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/P-S-Return-Hose-OEM/_/R-PSK72680_0504507526

 

[Hypoid]

I had a new hose fail, it happens. The fact that you get two in a row is kinda screwy. If you can make the drive down to Golden, I'd be happy to look it over for you.

 

[pjanda1]

Interesting. That is not what either the hose that was on there or the Gates 363510 hose looks like!

Is there no way that the pressure could be too high in the return line? I'm happy to replace the hose again, but I don't want to just band aid another problem.

 

[Hypoid]

That is a high pressure hose for a '90 XJ. On the low pressure side I have new power steering hose from a bulk roll, and a power steering filter, hose-clamped on to the stock steel tubing.

I think that you have a leak that has yet to be located, or you have really crappy luck with new parts. Like I said, I'd be happy to lend a new set of eyes to the problem.

 

[pjanda1]

No, I know exactly where the leak is exactly where I keep saying, at the juncture between the steel tube and the hose on the low pressure hose. (It doesn't leak at the reservoir, presumably because the barb is bigger so it seals better.) As I keep writing, If I really crank a hose clamp down on the low pressure side, it will hold for a couple of days. Then it will start to leak. Then I crank the hose clamp down tighter. Then I break the hose clamp. The brand new factory crimp hose leaks from the get-go. (Google the Gates part number I posted if you don't know what the factory low pressure hose looks like.)

The reservoir to pump connection also leaks a bit, but not enough to bug me. I've taken it apart and reassembled it with new O rings. Twice. It also pukes fluid out of the cap sometimes, but I usually over fill the system so that I don't have to fill it so often.

I'm really not sure how much more clear I can be. My question is whether there is a reason that the pressure in my low pressure hose is so high that no combination of hose, clamp, or name brand hose will stop leaking.

I can replace the gear and the pump about as fast as I can get to Golden and back (and probably cheaper). But I'd rather try and track down the problem before replacing parts willy nilly.

 

[pjanda1]

Also, I am sure that somebody else can get it to stop leaking for a bit. I can do that too. The trick is to keep it from leaking.

 

[pjanda1]

And, to add to the rant, bad luck is a real possibility. I bought this thing, which had been supposedly pretty well kept, back in January. I knew it needed a t-case.

Here is what I decided to replace or add to improve it: axles, locker, seats, door seals, alternator, sway bar, shocks.

Here is what I didn't know it needed: oil pressure sender, starter, alternator, battery, battery cable, header, blower motor, blower motor resistor, valve cover gasket, tranny pan gasket, radio, headlights, motor mount, power steering pump (and hoses, of course), a radiator hose, door lock actuators, and even the radio antenna!

I didn't look it over great, as I assumed they all need some work. But this has turned out to require a ridiculous number of evenings and weekends.

 

[md21722]

It seems like you want someone to tell you to change something other than the hose to fix this problem. I would try the NAPA hose and fill the reservoir to the correct level. As the power steering fluid heats up it expands. A puking power steering system is not a healthy one and can lead to other problems. If the NAPA hose doesn't fix the problem, I would change the steering box. In either case I would get a refund on the Gates hose. I doubt the auto parts store will question the return, logic being he cut the crimp off because it leaked and rather than warranty the hose he tried to run it with a hose clamp instead. Are you running power steering fluid in the system?

 

[Hypoid]

I'm really not sure how much more clear I can be. My question is whether there is a reason that the pressure in my low pressure hose is so high that no combination of hose, clamp, or name brand hose will stop leaking.

I'm not buying into the pressure theory: I guess one way to prove that would to let the joint start leaking, then take the cap off the power steering reservoir. At that point the leaking should stop.

Of course, if I had my hands on it, I would try to twist and pull on the hose while it is leaking.

Then again, if I had my hands on it, and thought the steel line did not have a big enough barb, I would pull out the 'ol double flare kit and create a suitable barb for the hose.

Keep us posted on the outcome.

 

[pjanda1]

Awesome. I feel better knowing that pressure likely isn't the issue. I will run it with the cap off to be sure. I had thought of flaring the hose, so I'll probably give that a shot. I've also thought of trying to figure out if I can just toss a barb straight into the gear, but I'm not sure what threads they are exactly.

 

[pjanda1]

A guy at O'Reilly suggested fuel line hose clamps. So I cut the Gates factory crimp off and put one on. No leaks yet, but I'll be watching.

 

[pjanda1]

So I had one drip free drive. Then it started leaking at the seal between the pump and the reservoir. I decided to ignore it. Then the pump died.

So now it has yet another new pump. This one is the crappiest yet, as it really doesn't want to do much at idle. I wish I had had time to order something other than the Cardones that the local shops sell. But it's not leaking!

Well, good enough for now. After I toss another t-case in I may return to this problem.

I kinda' think these pumps work better at low rpms with atf instead of power steering fluid. But, it gets too hot and starts to smoke a bit and smell burnt. Maybe a cooler+atf?

Anyway, thanks.

Paul