Thread: Power Steering Fluid Escape

Fitted another hose, Reservoir to Pump, using screw type hose clamp at Pump/Hose junction. Filled with new PS Fluid (500 ml), started engine to circulate fluid. Immediately noticed that fluid was leaking at the pump/hose junction. Relocated hose clamp, re-tightened hose clamp, repeat, repeat, repeat. No change, continuous leakage.
Purchased a new hose, fitted hose & clamp, refilled reservoir, another 500ml PAS fluid. Started engine to circulate fluid. Again, leaking at pump/hose junction. As previously, tried relocating clamp. hose etc, without success. Repeated process numerous times, but still leaking.

Anyone care to offer suggestions as to cause of leak? Suggestions as to remedial action?
Has anyone successfully changed this hose?

Well I can offer you one reason. My bugger kept leaking at the Reservoir connection. Loosened & rotated worm clamp about 90 degrees. Fixed it.


Worm drive clamps seem to have a spot on the drive that pushes onto the same spot. I think I also may have cut about 1/2" off the hose end to obtain a new spot after 20 years of operation
.
Your one could be a permnently indented spot on the Plastic In/out connection seeing as how you used new hoses.


Was fine & was ok until I got rid of her. Wish I had done it a few years ago.

Originally Posted by Collins

....
Has anyone successfully changed this hose?

Reservoir to pump: My D1 300 tdi success, my D2 V8 success.
D1 I just got a new hose for it straight up. pump had a very slight weep therefore a new pump went in, so why not new hoses.

D2(v8), I initially trimmed the end of the old hose to see if it helped, it did. So now knowing that the hose was old enough to cause leak, got a new hose for it too.

Thanks to those that have offered comments, appreciated.

Point of leakage is at the metal inlet spigot at the pump; new hose; and varied position of hose clamp, limited by having access to adjustment point.
I had previously fitted a good used hose with a screw clamp hose clip. Varied the position of the clip both in distance from pump base & the spigots circumference. The same process was followed with the new hose to no avail, hence the cry for HELP.
Intention now is to remove the pump from its mounting point & attach hose using a spring clip, then refit. Hopefully this process will remedy loss of fluid
NB Thinking is that the hose clamp may be twisting when tension applied on screw adjuster. Spring clip is narrower & fitting will be visible when pump out of vehicle.
Absolute pain having to use bus to travel to & fro picking up additional supply of PAS Fluid.

Pump has an Ally body doesn't it? Possible minute crack in the casting perchance?


Shirley it is driveable to pick up more PAS Fluid? So you lose a bit, the leak can't be all that bad can it? Maybe a few turns of tape around the joint to get you out of the **** until it can be be repaired permanently or tape a cloth around it. If you can't do this the leak must be more extreme than what you describe.

Hell, it is only a little bit of fluid you will lose. PAS systems can be noisy if the wheel is turned hard over to it's end stop. Maybe yours is normal?

Had to have a quick check, it seems that yours is a V8. V8 and Td5 pumps are different.
The V8 pump has an integrated hose spigot into the back half of the body.
(for the sake of completeness, the Td5 inlet hose spigot is a metal tube bolted to the pump body)
So with the v8 pump it could be that the seal for the two halves of the body is leaking near the hose spigot so it looks like it's leaking from the hose.
This would be hard to see with the pump in situ as the bulge in the front half wouldn't allow easy sight access.
There are 4 allen head bolts that hold the pump body together. On mine(spare) there's a green coloured seal(could be a seal, could be sealant .. hard to tell).

As I said, my V8 had a leak, and a trim of the hose stopped the leak, but new hose was then fitted later. But the pump made grindy noises(fluid ok, steering turned fine, no leaks now) and I don't like grindy noises!
Note that grindy noise = typical loud hydraulic whirr noise that equate to an impending problem.

I have a spare parts bomb, I pulled it's pump out got it rebuilt at the local trans place around the corner, everything hunky dory again. (oh! except that my D2 V8 isn't going .. for a while yet )

I'd reckon that, going by your issue, it will be the pump body seal that's leaking. You could try to just give the hex bolts a quick tighten up, but considering the work involved to pull the pump out, and refit it .. best part of an entire day! .. I'd recommend to get the pump rebuilt once you have it out.

From memory mine cost in the low 200's. New pumps seem to be the >$400 range.

Also, have to replaced the reservoir cap. Should have a seal, but hard to see it if you're not familiar. The seal is an o-ring type on the neck, close to the base of the flat(inside the cap). They can square off and allow fluid past. Damn near impossible to remove, and trying too will result in total damage. I can't tell you what size o-ring is needed .. caps are cheap(ish) so easier to just replace the cap. There is no 'flange type rubber seal' where you'd think there may be one. Also both of my reservoir caps had the twist stop tabs broken so you can't twsit lock the cap in place, and it just sits there. Be sure yours twists and locks into place too. if not definitely time for a new cap.

W

Originally Posted by 4bee

Pump has an Ally body doesn't it? Possible minute crack in the casting perchance?


Shirley it is driveable to pick up more PAS Fluid? So you lose a bit, the leak can't be all that bad can it? Maybe a few turns of tape around the joint to get you out of the **** until it can be be repaired permanently or tape a cloth around it. If you can't do this the leak must be more extreme than what you describe.

Hell, it is only a little bit of fluid you will lose. PAS systems can be noisy if the wheel is turned hard over to it's end stop. Maybe yours is normal?

The reservoir holds 500ml of fluid. Without engine running this volume is lost in approximately 10 minutes. I’m no longer nimble, attempting to wrap anything around the hose would be extremely difficult.

Intention as stated previously is to remove pump & fit hose ( so that it can be inspected) then refit pump. Possibly use some form of gasket cement on spigot also.

Z

Originally Posted by AK83

Had to have a quick check, it seems that yours is a V8. V8 and Td5 pumps are different.
The V8 pump has an integrated hose spigot into the back half of the body.
(for the sake of completeness, the Td5 inlet hose spigot is a metal tube bolted to the pump body)
So with the v8 pump it could be that the seal for the two halves of the body is leaking near the hose spigot so it looks like it's leaking from the hose.
This would be hard to see with the pump in situ as the bulge in the front half wouldn't allow easy sight access.
There are 4 allen head bolts that hold the pump body together. On mine(spare) there's a green coloured seal(could be a seal, could be sealant .. hard to tell).

As I said, my V8 had a leak, and a trim of the hose stopped the leak, but new hose was then fitted later. But the pump made grindy noises(fluid ok, steering turned fine, no leaks now) and I don't like grindy noises!
Note that grindy noise = typical loud hydraulic whirr noise that equate to an impending problem.

I have a spare parts bomb, I pulled it's pump out got it rebuilt at the local trans place around the corner, everything hunky dory again. (oh! except that my D2 V8 isn't going .. for a while yet )

I'd reckon that, going by your issue, it will be the pump body seal that's leaking. You could try to just give the hex bolts a quick tighten up, but considering the work involved to pull the pump out, and refit it .. best part of an entire day! .. I'd recommend to get the pump rebuilt once you have it out.

From memory mine cost in the low 200's. New pumps seem to be the >$400 range.

Also, have to replaced the reservoir cap. Should have a seal, but hard to see it if you're not familiar. The seal is an o-ring type on the neck, close to the base of the flat(inside the cap). They can square off and allow fluid past. Damn near impossible to remove, and trying too will result in total damage. I can't tell you what size o-ring is needed .. caps are cheap(ish) so easier to just replace the cap. There is no 'flange type rubber seal' where you'd think there may be one. Also both of my reservoir caps had the twist stop tabs broken so you can't twsit lock the cap in place, and it just sits there. Be sure yours twists and locks into place too. if not definitely time for a new cap.

It is difficult to say where the fluid is leaking from. It certainly appears to be from around the hose. I cleaned around the area with degreaser & did not notice leakage at the flange.

Cannot see an O ring on the neck off the cap. Will inspect closely later & attempt replacement if necessary. The cap fits quite snuggly, but seems to travel radically past a tight/high spot before bearing on the cap stops.

Slightly of topic, I have asked earlier whether anyone knows how the V8 PAS hose assembly differs from that of the TD5 but have not had a response. Part No’s differ, but illustrations of each appear the same. Are you aware of the difference if any?