cutlassgal

Another girl question.... What is this? Is it the power steering pump? Hope you can see; it's leaking around the threads. All wet there. How can I fix this?? Should I try to tighten that nut? I didn't mess with it. Wanted to ask first. Thanks guys.

powersteeringpump001.jpg

powersteeringpump003.jpg

m455sx

that is a steering gear box not the pump the pump is connected to the motor at the other end of those hoses. the power steering lines are not seated correctly. please use a special line wrench to tighten.

cutlassgal

I knew I didn't know what that was, lol! Thank you! Did those lines just move by themselves? I've never messed with them...

MDchanic

You may be able to reduce the leak by tightening the nuts, BUT...

"They all do that."

(And, yes, all of you with perfect cars can now proceed to tell us how yours have never leaked a drop in 100,000 miles. Nonetheless, most did leak throughout their entire service lives.)

- Eric

Lady72nRob71

Yep, try to snug em with a line wrench. It is possible they were moved long ago and never snugged enough. Over time the seal lost compression and they started to leak.

cutlassgal

LOL!! They all leak? I never noticed it before, and as much as I'm under her hood cleaning, I should have. Should I worry? That is power steering fluid leaking, isn't it? I haven't checked the level yet.

MDchanic

Welllll... That's why you check the fluid levels from time to time.
If they never leaked, you'd never have to.

And a drip is different from an ooze.
Those are just oozing a tiny bit right now.
If you can get a flare nut wrench on them and snug them up firmly, and clean up the oil residue with some thinner, and they stop leaking, then great.

Otherwise, that sort of slight oozing is why everything in the engine compartment turns black and sticky after a number of years.

- Eric

cutlassgal

Thanks Eric. I do check the levels of things. I meant I didn't check the ps level tonight after I saw this leak. I'll have to ask Larry if he has a line wrench that size.

MDchanic

I wouldn't worry about the P/S level, at least not because of that particular leak. You haven't lost enough from there to notice.

Basically, don't sweat it .

- Eric

cutlassgal

Ok! I always worry when it comes to Teepo!! Hey Blue...... got a line wrench?

Allan R

He will have the right wrench Sandy - I think it's 9/16 or 5/8. BTW that's not very much of a leak, just an annoyance. I'm one of those guys who can say that my PS lines never leaked with over 120,000 miles. Interestingly it's your return line that's leaking. Glad it's not the pressure line or it would probably be spraying fluid all over the place. If you look at the pressure line the threads are completely dry.

The fluid? It's not corrosive if that's what you were worried about. Power steering fluid is the same as Transmission fluid. So you can use that. In fact look in your 72 owners manual and it will tell you to use Trans fluid in your PS pump. BTW when was the last time you checked Teepos tranny fluid???

That suspension looks like you need to do a front end overhaul The rag joint, steering shaft, PS pump and gearbox are easy to take out and clean up....you know you 'might as well' do it or you'll just be letting Teepo look clean on the surface..

Now I'll go do what you're thinking of saying but can't type here

Bluevista

I never touched those lines when I did the engine, don't blame me!!

My GTO would leak stuff in a few places in the winter, the cold does things, after I put heat in the garage it all stopped.
Larry should put a garage door into your living room.
I heard you have new carpeting so that's good, Teepo wouldn't like parking on that old carpeting you had with all the raccoon and possum damage.

Just get a pair of vise grips, some gnarly gouges and a rounded off fitting never hurt anybody. Just make sure the vise-grips aren't metric or they won't work, righty-tighty lefty-loosey.

I was only kidding!
Remember when Maxwell Smart would tell Heimy the Robot to jump to it and after that he would hop everywhere?

Larry should have a line wrench, don't all guys carry a few sizes of them in their pocket for emergency situations??

cutlassgal

Oh Lord!!!!!! Well I'll try to tighten the line and not worry about it much. I just panic when I see something that wasn't there before, lol!! So that leak doesn't mean the gear box is bad or anything, does it??

Rickman48

No - just a little leak from middle-age!!

Allan R

Allan??? Zat you Allan??? I missed you.... Started to wonder if you were a filament (bright spot) of my imagination..
That your new ride in the avatar? I LIKE it.

You gonna fill us in on your sabatical? Learn any new languages, visit some exotic places, watch Mr. Dressup a lot??

Good to see you back, and I mean it with all sincerity.

Allan R

Naww
....but if it keeps leaking and starts acting bad you can smarten it right up by telling it you're going to replace it with a 710 thingy. (I never get tired of saying that to you girl) Makes me happy when you give me $hit!

Kajun442

Looking at the picture it appears the high pressure hose is rubbing a hole in the top of the low pressure hose. If no damage is done to the hoses, at least loosen the low pressure hose and reposition. Clamp looks wet in the picture. The leak might be at the rub point.

Lady72nRob71

Looks like we might have the longest "tighten the nut" thread in CO history...

On the other hand, this is a good observation. The return hose should not have been twisted like that from the start - it should point more towards the front of the car to avoid contact with the other hose and to avoid sharp turns like that.

If the hose has a hole in it, cut the clamp off, push the hose down another inch or so and put a new worm drive clamp above the damaged piece. That is the return side so pressure is low there.

cutlassgal

Allan R...... you're just a shi* tonight, now aren't you??

Kajun.... I didn't even notice that - thanks! I'll check that tomorrow. What kind of clamp is that on the hose?

Rob..... my threads always turn in to long ones for some reason, lol!

Kajun442

Crimp type hose clamp. Not really necessary unless you want a factory look and special pliers are needed to crimp.

Jim

cutlassgal

Well, yeah.... she has to have the "correct" type of clamps! So..... where do I find one of these what did Rob call it? Worm drive clamps?? Blue.... do you have any? Fusicks? I have a whole bag of tower clamps, lol, but none of those other kind!

ah64pilot

Gal, the seep looks like it is coming up from inside the nut and then running back down the outside of the nut to the threads. I believe tightening it should do the trick. If tightening things up doesn't stop the seep then take the fitting off and put some teflon tape on the threads. Whatever does get by the NPT flare won't get by the teflon.

MDchanic

Sorry to be contradictory, but NO.

Do NOT put teflon tape on flare fittings.

The seal occurs at the inside of the tubing where it is flared and is pressed against the opposite surface by the nut. Putting tape on the threads will not reduce the leak, it will only make it harder to fully seat the flared end, and make the leak worse.

There is actually a special type of paste sealant that you CAN use, that goes right at the flared end, which DOES work, and also makes them easier to remove later.

- Eric

Allan R

Sandy, worm drive clamps are the most common of the common. They look like this:

As you turn the screw, it turns a knurled worm gear inside the housing pulls the clamp tight as it grabs each of those slots cut in the band.

ah64pilot

I see your point...but I've done it on mine, it doesn't leak and the fitting gets tight. I guess if you have new / good fittings you wouldn't need to use tape or sealer but if there is any abnormality of the flared surfaces it seems to me that it would help. I don't know...all I'm saying is that it's worked for me and if tightening the nut doesn't work it can be done.

Jamesbo

Sandy,

Ecce de line wrench.

Bluevista

Thanks Allan R., it's really me, my evil twin Redgoat is around too.
I really like the Custom Cruiser, I wish I still had the Vista Cruiser but things happened beyond my control, I'll be getting another something someday. She really came through for me and has a good home in a private European sports car collection in New England now...don't ask.

I do have a couple of those original type power steering hose clamps and you're welcome to them Sandy but I'd try tightening the fitting first. I don't have the crimp tool for them either.
I have line wrenches if Larry doesn't but with all the machines he has at his shop you'd think he would, they may all be huge sizes though.
I had to go buy metric wrenches and those strange shaped sockets and drivers to work on the Custom Cruiser. I've felt dirty ever since and no matter how many showers I take it won't wash off.
You should get that million piece mechanic's tool set from Snears Sandy, a good set of tools could open up a whole new and wonderful world for you, and then I could borrow them too.
999,950 of the pieces in those sets are individual Allen wrenches BTW.

rustyroger

I don't think this has been mentioned, but slacken the fitting a little before retightening, and this has been said, but x2 on making sure the hoses are properly aligned too.

Btw how chauvanistic are we on this forum?, a lady asks for help and she gets a massive response. Lets not forget the men who have bitten the bullet and admitted they don't know everything about cars.

Roger.

MDchanic

I can't argue with success , but I would classify this as a last-ditch that may not work, so as not to cause confusion.

- Eric

Paul dodd

Wow Cutlassgal your leaky pipe has created alot of interest, and now from thousands of miles away in the U.K. Just to let you know my power steering has had a small leak at one of the pipes for years but it takes ages for the level to drop. So you have nothing to worry about just nip it up as the others have suggested, if it was that bad you would soon know about it as the pump would start to make noises and your steering stiffen up. Now as I know you love a Cutlass here is oneMopar Nats 2006 033.jpg more of my 72 Supreme, cheers, Paul.

Allan R

You gotta know by now that I don't follow instructions too well. WHY???? PM me; I'll keep your secret....you know how blackmail works right?

BTW, welcome to the metric world. Whattaya need? I gots lots of metric and standards up here

We aren't chauvinistic at all! In fact we are being outright 'gentlemen' helping Sandy. A chauvinist would would flaunt their superiority in knowledge and gender. We, on the other hand are offering our beloved colleague help as a valued member of our group. Izzzn't that right Sandy? Dearheart? Go get me another beer ok? Oh, and run out and buy some pizza for the Superbowl later? I gots the boys comin over.....Yer so sweet!

Paul, sometimes these little leaks take time to travel across the pond and find a nice Oldsmobile to live in

On a serious note. Sandy - your PS hoses are 40 years old now. Last year when I rebuilt my front steering/suspension and brakes I looked seriously at the PS hoses. As you know - one is the pressure line (up to 1100psi or more) at times, and the other is the return line.

When I looked at the hose condition, I thought they were 'just fine'. However, others who will remain nameless (Rob, Eric, Brion etc) strongly encouraged me to replace them as they could be a 'ticking bomb' waiting to go off. Based on a safety philosophy I hold dearly (protect your a$$ at all costs) I spent the $$$ on new hoses and replaced them. It's really not that expensive. A little under 100.00 for peace of mind. In pic 5 you can see the hoses better. They LOOK good, but they were starting to get somewhat brittle. When I cut them open, the inside rubber LOOKED not bad but how do you know exactly where the hose has developed a weak spot? You and Blue or Darryl could change out the hoses easy in about 1/2 hour. Just disconnect the pump first and let it drain into a container. You will be amazed at what comes out. The lines into the gearbox are a snap because they are from the top. (now I had my inner liners out when I did this so it was suuuper easy. Might take a little more effort with them in).

The other thing I did was replace the PS fluid with all new. If you do that, it means either taking off the pump or draining it with a turkey baster. You have to take off the gearbox to drain it. Do not dry turn the steering with no fluid in the pump or gearbox. You should have seen how "dirty black' the fluid was that came out of mine. I'm glad I did this mtce - something that most people don't do. (Bonus? You also have the parts off the car that you might want to clean up for even more trophy's at the shows you go to)

Not saying that you can't get by with the old ones. Just to consider a little light mtce that often gets overlooked. BTW if you do take off the Gearbox and Pump for servicing? That is the PERFECT time to take out the steery intermediate shaft/ragjoint. They are so easy to take apart and refinish even I had no issues doing it.
See?

BOOWAH

I had mine replaced on my 89 Caprice Classic a few years ago. It was forming a drop where the line bends around at it's low point! I didn't do the work and I'm glad I didn't! The mechanic had a hell of a time breaking the nut loose that goes into the steering box! He had to put a breaker bar over the wrench just to move it!

Allan R

Actually the lines to the steering box were the easy ones. The one that was a PITA was on the back of the pump. But it got persuaded to let go. It was very rewarding to do the work myself. Felt a sense of accomplishment and me and the car 'bonded' even more.

cutlassgal

Thanks for all the input, guys. I appreciate it! Maybe I'll have Don Sitts replace the lines this spring. Where would I get the correct ones, and clamps?? Fusicks??

Allan R

Correct ones? You mean as close as possible to OEM look. Well Fusicks does sell them for 76.50 (page 42) but they aren't exactly right. Pretty darn close though.

Personally I'd look seriously at the ones from In Line Tube (55.00/set) and they look exactly like the originals. http://www.inlinetube.com/PDF%20cata...dsmobile05.pdf Page 74 of this catalogue link


Pn# - OCE7102 $55.00 set

I have had very good dealings with ILT and recommend them highly. Shipping is usually very quick and fairly priced.

cutlassgal

Thank you Allan R! I did look at Fusicks earlier. I can't tell from that picture, but do you think they have the red and yellow stripe on them like they should?

Allan R

Highly unlikely that any repop will have those markings. On the bright side though you can stripe the rubber hoses yourself or have Blue do it if you absolutely must have them. IMO it's just not that important because although Teepo is a gorgeous car, she is not 'concours'. There are striping kits made by Buegler http://www.tcpglobal.com/pinstriperdepot/psdbeudel.aspx but that's some serious coin to put a stripe on a hose, and wouldn't be economical unless you were in the business. I don't think you're going to find any hoses with striping unless you run into an OEM NOS set. Then it's going to be stupid money.
Did you look at the ones from ILT? I personally think they are a better deal. They have a toll free number you can call and ask if the hoses have striping. The caption under the hoses reads Fusicks says that 70-72 are correct reproductions. But I've found that means very little nowadays.

cutlassgal

Yes, I looked at Inline Tube. That's the pic I was talking about, lol. I should have mentioned that. I like the sounds of those hoses. I'll have to think about it. Thanks!!

Allan R

Have you called them to ask? I would REALLY like to know what their interpretation of 'councourse correct' means. I would think 'concourse' means EXACTLY like the OEM, including stripes. Make the call and let us know ok? It's toll free number.

Bluevista

I checked them out and those hoses look good to me. Their cars are always winning the top awards for original restos so they must know something.
I took my Vista Cruiser to a concours d'elegance and the only thing that really counted was how well you knew the guys on the judging team and if you were a member of the club that sponsored the event, as usual.

"The Inline Tube power steering hoses have the correct tin-coated tube and gold or yellow zinc fittings. The hoses also have the correct pinch clamps and red stripe. Many hoses on these cars have ribs in the rubber or stripes to keep the routing clear for the line workers."

ps hoses.JPG

BTW Sandy, in exchange for all this "guy" info could you come over and vacuum the carpeting in my house and do some laundry for me?