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Major power steering leak

D

DrHutch

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2015
Location
Quantico, VA
https://imgur.com/gallery/LLlxEjv

So I changed out the steering rack boots, they had a rip in it, and I thought that would solve the leaking problem. I feel like it's worse now. The only thing I can think that it's coming from is this area here. This hose set up looks pretty slapped together. I took it off and there is about a 2 inch gap from hard-line to fitting.

Is this suppose to be connected, or was it suppose to be vented? It looks like there was some gasket sealer is that the correct thing to be there.


Thanks for all of your help.
 
Have you looked at it while idling? Maybe put some dye in there so you can see a path of leakage? That is certainly cobbled together there. You may need a clamp on either side of where that hose is. That way it can seal both to the pipe and hopefully there is enough pipe near the bolt to seal it wth a clamp.
 
Your picture looks like the vent hose on a ZF rack? The hose just allows air to go from bellows to bellows as you turn. Otherwise, one bellows would be blowing out air past the boot, and the other would be sucking it in. There shouldn't be and significant amount of fluid in it unless your tie rod seals are leaking. You could try removing the big end of the bellows and see if fluid dribbles out while idling.
 
bobxyz said:
There shouldn't be and significant amount of fluid in it unless your tie rod seals are leaking. You could try removing the big end of the bellows and see if fluid dribbles out while idling.
Click to expand...

That is the answer. If fluid was leaking out of the rip in the boot, then it is still leaking into the new boot.
 
I still haven't looked into it yet, hurricane, but what you're saying is that there shouldn't be anything coming out of those vents and more than likely I ripped another hole into the new boot when installing? So does it transfer air from one side to the other or should it be direct to atmosphere?

Thanks for the help guys I really appreciate it.
 
They're saying that the image in the pic is for venting air and should not be a source of a fluid leak.

Loosen up / remove one of the accordion like rubber bellows at the end of the rack, where the tie rod is attached to the rack, to see if any fluid is present.

If so, that is the area / source of the fluid leak.

FWIW, it's best to toss the old one and buy a remanufactured one as opposed to a used one, as many of us have had problems with substituting used racks.
 
Those should be DUST boots, purely to keep road grime off the moving tie rod shafts. There should be NO fluid in the boots, or maybe just a little seepage over many weeks. If you're seeing more fluid, and especially if it's enough fluid so that it starts to drip, then the shaft seals on the steering rack are leaking, and you need a replacement rack.

The air should go side-to-side. If it's drawing in air from outside, then it can also draw in dirt. Dirt inside the boots will accelerate seal/shaft wearout.
 
Ok, fully understand it now. Thanks. Yes, the passenger side boot is leaking the whole reservoir in 10 miles. I'll start looking into a rack now.
 
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