lurch has a power steering problem......

[DEFENDERZOOK]

ok guys.......heres an interesting one i havent seen before......

my power steering is moaning worse than my wife......
it sounds like theres no oil in it......but theres plenty of oil......
its not leaking out or anything......

the problem is its getting aerated somehow......
i dont know how its getting air in it......i thought if a seal was sucking in air it would
also be leaking out oil.......?

i had to keep stopping every so often to bleed the steering box of air so i could have some
sort of steering assistance for safety reasons.....

by now the pump should be stuffed from not being lubed properly i guess....
but the question is........

what could be causing the problem......????????
has anyone seen or experienced anything similar.....?


03 Td5 fender.....

[Homestar]

I once had a similar problem on my VB dunny door. Turned out the pump was sucking air through the front seal, but not leaking any fluid. Not sure how that works, It was before I started working on my own vehicles, - this is what the mechanic reported as the problem, and he fixed it - reco pump installed and all sorted. I basically had a red frothy mess in the top of the reservoir and not much in the way of any assistance in the steering. Not sure if it would be the same thing, but maybe... Just my two bob's worth...

Cheers - Gav

[Blknight.aus]

would have been my guess as well. It could also be a small leak in the suction line from the reservoir thats venturi-ing air in but not letting oil out when its stopped.

to check for these leaks put a piece of rubber over the top of the reservoir stab a ball inflator in the middle of it hold it down with your hand and pressurize the whole lot to about 15psi.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

Sounds identical to my problem.....
I just found it strange that nothing is leaking out.......

[DEFENDERZOOK]

Thanks Dave.......I'll give that a go and see what I find.....

Are the pumps easy to overhaul.....?

[Blknight.aus]

its a landrover thing...

things that only have to resist the natural weight of the oil will leak
things like computers that dont have oil in them will leak oil
high pressure oil systems will develop leaks that let air in but not oil out.

think of it this way

do you park on the hill in case the starter fails or do you park on the flat in case the handbrake does.

you cant win either way.

[justinc]

Zook,

The front seal in the pump is a good start. The way the seal lip is designed is to keep oil from leaking OUT, not air sucking IN. If there is excessive wear in the pump it is possible to have air entering through this method. Also, the steering box input seal etc can be at fault, causing air to leak IN at rest and accumulate in the pump overnight.
Tighten every hose and if possible even replace the clamps as they can distort when tightened, and cause air leaks on the suction side.

JC

[DEFENDERZOOK]

if it was the steeringbox seal.....it should bleed out when running.....or when i bled it via the bleed nipple.....
and not suck in anymore more due to it being under pressure whilst running......

but its happening whilst its running.......it froths up and squirts out the overflow on the cap......

i suspect the front seal on the pump may have a little too much mud in it...... :angel:


should i try to overhaul it......or just replace the pump......?
if thats the problem.......

[justinc]

If its a 300tDI/ td5, then the pump isn't repairable:(


JC

[DEFENDERZOOK]

Ok..... Thanks.....
So if it's the pump..... I need to replace it.....
I'll see if one of the cooling system pressure tester fittings will
Fit on the reservoir and pressurize the system and see if anything leaks.......

I could be lucky and only have a leaking hose.....(yeah right).....

Tomorrow is Bathurst day.....so it'll have to wait till next week......

[Blknight.aus]

the pump is sometimes repairable...

but its just not worth it especially with a sub 50/50 success rate.

fit a new one.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

thanks for all the help and advice guys..........


i will let you know what i find when i get around to it........

[DEFENDERZOOK]

thought i better give an update on this problem........

i pulsed in compressed air with an air blower into the breather hole in the reservoir cap.......
i dont know what pressure was in there......but i could see the hoses starting to expand......

well.....the reservoir didnt split in two like i thought it would........

but i didnt have any oil leaks anywhere........the pump is bone dry.......so are the hoses.....

im thinking i should change the pump........cos its cheaper than the box........


would a faulty pressure relief valve cos the oil to aerate/froth........?


also.......where would be the best place to get a power steering pump in sydney......?

[one_iota]

Hi Tony,

Got the Disco's replacement from Karcraft only because it was closer to me than Land Vehicle Spares.

Mine was spewing PAS fluid and the reservoir fluid was aerated so it was a no brainer.

I have a surplus 300 tdi PS pump that has been stuck together with gunk if you want to take a gamble

[DEFENDERZOOK]

mines a td5.......

i dont think they are the same......

ill give karcraft a call tomorrow......