How To Replace The Power Steering Line?

[bluesmuso]

I have noticed that people are fixing the connection into the power steering pump when it leaks by using a dremel/angle grinder to remove the circlip and offending o-ring for substantially less expense than buying a complete line from Ford spare parts at a ridiculous price.

But the instructions and details I've seen so far are too brief for me to attack my pride and joy with an angle grinder.

Does anyone have pictures with instructions on how to do this so I can replace the part without buying the entire line from ford? Until then I will keep the fluid topped up and degrease the areas affected by the leak so I don't kill the alternator etc. thanks in advance Bluesmuso

[Christiaan]

Hi mate

I just did this to my car. I had a whole workshop + hoist and it took me 2 hours.

Basically, you need to remove the high pressure line from the rack and the pump, then remove it from the car. There's an annoying rubber block that it gets mounted to half way down that was a pain in the arse to unclip..

Once you have the line removed, you have to carefully hacksaw the pump side fitting off, by slowly cutting around the hose until you can see/feel the hose on the inside of the fitting. I kept turning the hose slowly as I cut so to cut through the fitting the whole way around. If you cut too far here, you will pierce the hose and will have to buy a new on from ford ($400) or an aftermarket one from bursons ($97)

Once the fitting in in half, you have to cut horizontally accross the fitting. You can only cut so far here without damaging the hose. I used a small compressor powered hacksaw attachment and slowly cut through the fitting on each side, being careful not to nick the hose. Once I was almost through on one side, I was able to use a screwdriver and split the fitting (because the opposite side had already been half cut making it weak and easier to split)

I then used some wet and dry and sanded the pump end of the hose that I was just cutting around and got rid of any sharp edges.

Then I re-attached the new pump fitting from fraud ($11) and then slid the hose back up into it.

Reattach the hose at the rack, do up the rubber block again, and fill it up with fluid. Let the car run for a bit until the fluid drains back into the rack/hose, and add as neccessary. It'll gurgle a bit, then settle down once it's been idling for a bit. Turn the wheel while the cars running and make sure there's no noises. If there are there might be air in the system and you may need to perform further bleeding.

I was going to take pictures, but I never got round to it. Might make up some paint diagrams to show what I did..

Good luck mate

hqracer89 has some pics on when he did it to his..

as you can see by the above pic, you can see where he has cut 'around' the fitting (just where the thread meets to head...

Then he has cut 'horizontally' in two places on the head, then snapped it off the fitting.. (left hand side piece in this bottom pic shows this better)

As long as you don't damage the high pressure hose too much, you're new fitting should be fine, and the hose will push up and 'click' into place. Couldn't be easier.

Oh, and I removed the high pressure hose from the car and put it in a vice.. If you're good, you might be able to cut the fitting off while the hose is attached to the car, but there isn't much room in there....

[bluesmuso]

Thanks heaps Christiaan, I really appreciate the trouble you went to posting this along with pictures.

I was thinking of using a Dremil with a tiny metal cutting wheel on it so I can remove the fitting without removing the entire hose from the car. I wonder if the circlip (which makes the fitting impossible to remove)

can be removed so that it is a two way fitting? Probably not, but afaik the circlip simply holds the pipe in place for quick assembly at the production line, I don't think it does much else, the O-ring and bush would be what seals the join, but since the circlip is internal I think it is there to stay. Thanks heaps Christiaan once again. Bluesmuso

[turtl3tim]

ok this may sound silly, but couldnt you just use internal cir-clip pliers once the hose is off?

Edited 21/05/09 12:41 AM by turtl3tim

[Christiaan]

you might be able to use some sort of tool.. I didn't have anything at my disposal so I couldn't exactly use anything else other than the neumatic hacksaw and hand held hacksaw..

Hope it works out for you,

good luck!

[bluesmuso]

ok this may sound silly, but couldnt you just use internal cir-clip pliers once the hose is off?

You mean on the new fitting? It looks pretty tight in there but with the right tool you may be able to.

[bluesmuso]

I have just been having a closer look at the fitting, I think if the circlip was removed it would not attach to the pump housing and fail to seal, so I can assume that removal of the internal circlip would render the replacement fitting useless.

Edited 21/05/09 06:01 AM by bluesmuso

[bluesmuso]

I split the nut with a small dremil using a 30mm cut off wheel, I did a pretty good job and didn't touch the pipe at all, only to find that some previous owner had tried the same trick with an angle grinder and had scored a deep cut along the pipe.

Plan B: I phoned a different Repco store and got an after market complete pipe with nuts, o-rings and instructions with 24 month warranty for $89.00 and it can be removed and replaced easily with another after market one. Unlike Ford's assembly line one way circlip fitting this one has a more conventional flared end with removeable o-ring......much better. And $89.00 Repco versus Fraud's $347.00.

NB: It pays to phone around because a guy from another Repco store told me that there is not an after market one available and that I would have to buy the Ford genuine part, which is why I tried the replacement nut coupling thing first.

For those in S.A. Repco south rd. St Marys=good store and open Sat and Sunday.

Tomorrow AM I will fit the new hose assembly, it seems pretty straight forward. Thanks everyone Bluesmuso

Edited 23/05/09 09:43 AM by bluesmuso

[bluesmuso]

Did the job, not as easy as I thought working under the car without a hoist never is, problem all fixed no leaks until 3 bloody days later it started leaking again, I must have damaged the little o-ring, I'll replace that and see if that helps.

[bluesmuso]

I think the Repco after market one is simply a generic replacement item for generic BA's (non turbo)

The Repco one pushes up hard against my intercooler duct whcih would not be there in a non turbo BA.

It only leaks when I drive it harder, if I take it easy it never leaks at all.

I think that the section of pipe with the sensor on it is being pushed by the torque of my engine when I accelerate hard causing it to spray out (which explains why I have not been able to get it to leak whilst looking under the bonnet and having someone turn the wheel from lefte to right etc)

I compared my car with another XR6T in a yard today, the original Ford one just clears the intercooler pipe and also has a degree of movement, but my replacement Repco hose butts up hard in a rigid fashion against the intercooler pipe and has no movement.........unless I drive it under boost

I could try bending it so that it clears the intercooler pipe but I am afraid of crimping or perforating the line if I try this.

Has anyone else had problems with after market power steering hoses for XR6T's?

The guy at Repco said this would fit my car, when I compared the Repco one to my original it looked the same to me but clearly the turbo one would have a sharper bend where the sensor is to clear the intercooler duct.

I don't know of any other after market hoses available and still don't wish to pay $347 for a ford one which may need fixing again within a couple of years.

[iTec]

we did mine today and whilst it is an absolute *beep* of a job to do $14 as apposed to $90 or let alone $200 means its worth it, and still probably easyer then replacing the whole line would be sans hoist.

[XF Falcon]

A mate bought a fitting from Enzed or somewhere, and what he did was unscrew the factory fitting/hose from the pump, screw in this fitting he purchased, and then screwed it all back together (ie. the fitting has a female thread at one end, and the male fitting at the other end).

He said it stopped his leak, and it sounds like a real simple solution.

[davidald]

I have done 3 of these now using the fork tool designed for undoing trim studs. U have to get the hose and fitting in a vice, get the fork square and hit it with a mallet. It damages the inside of the small fitting but that's the cheap part u replace anywho. The old hose then snaps straight into the new fitting.

[PSYCHO XRT]

Just saw this thread today after replacing my Power Steering lines yesterady. lol

The genuine lines inc the return line cost me $240 and took me under 2 hrs to replace..

She's all sweet and no more fluid leaks on the Alternator which I think should happily live longer.

Edited 11/07/09 02:06 AM by Varaitch

[Christiaan]

The method I mentioned above has worked well so far for me, no leaks.

And it was a nice and cheap fix

[GR8XR6]

A mate bought a fitting from Enzed or somewhere, and what he did was unscrew the factory fitting/hose from the pump, screw in this fitting he purchased, and then screwed it all back together (ie. the fitting has a female thread at one end, and the male fitting at the other end).

He said it stopped his leak, and it sounds like a real simple solution.

Interested in this easier solution. Any more info?

[Full Monty]

I used a $88 repco hose. Nizpro fitted it for me at my last service, and its been sweet for 3 months, touch wood. no signs of weeping.

Just an alternative if you dont want to have a go at cutting the fitting off, as If you nic the pipe, you need to replace it.

[XF Falcon]

Im going to attempt the method where you use a dremel and cut off the end, and replace it with the new piece from Ford.

Has anyone done this mod, and then STILL have it leak afterwards? I'd hate to do it all, only to have it leak again afterwards.

Cheers.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've done three Mikey, the oring that leaks is replaced as part of the fitting you cut off.

Be very very careful to avoid knicking the p/steer pipe when you cut the nut of.

I prefer to cut 2/3rds of the way through then give it a gentle nudge with a small chisel to split the nut rather than cutting all the way.

Be mindful of the metal swarf that you will generate when you cut the fitting. Plug the pipe before you start and clean up the area with solvent before refitting. I would also give the seal surface a once over with a bit of wet and dry to remove any metal that could knick the new o-ring.

Fit the fitting to the pump, lube up the pipe with a little bit of clean p/steer fluid, Slide the pipe in and roberts your mother brother.

[XF Falcon]

Sounds good. I've got the fitting just waiting for the right day to do it on.

My only concern is, mine doesn't seem to leak from the fitting or that line, however it seems to get onto the back of the pulley and that pulley spray it around in a circular spray under the engine bay.

Does that mean its probably not the main fitting that I'm intending on replacing? And its more the main seal around the bearing or something?

[berzerker]

Ive got a leaking line now. Anyone know if this one will do?

Ford Falcon BA BF Power Steering Rack HighPressure Hose - eBay, Other Car Parts, Accessories, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 31-Jan-10 01:27:05 AEDST)

[F6RD]

I fixed mine by dremeling the nut off, but found that the rubber O ring was perished and squashed after I finished.I reckon it only needed a new rubber O ring.

Should try that first before grinding the nut off. The nut only cost $10 with a rubber O ring. Just my 2 pence.

[XF Falcon]

But is the rubber O ring easily accessible and replaceable once you unscrew the line from the power steering reservoir?

[F6RD]

yep its just on the end of the thread that screws into the reservoir. And for mine the nut was exactly the same and the rubber O ring is the weakiest link not the nut.

Edited 07/09/10 10:43 AM by F6RD

[XF Falcon]

Well I've purchased one of the nuts and have it sitting in a drawer, do you reckon I should just remove the O-ring from the new nut and install it into my current nut which is on the line at the moment? (removing the old O-ring first obviously) ?