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Power steering leak, please help.

DBFIU

New CEG'er
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
13
Location
South Florida
Hey guys.

I have a power steering leak that started about 2 months ago and has gotten progressively worse. I just took off the Y pipe and looked under there, power steering fluid everywhere under the car and all over the subframe.

I noticed that when I view the engine from the top, under the hood, there is zero power steering fluid remnance and I cannot locate the leak from up there even with a flood light. I go under the car and dripping from everywhere.

A few ways I tried and pinpoint this issue, when the car is on and idling, no fluid seems to leak. When the steering wheel is turned it begins to leak and drips all over the exhaust and starts to smoke. I think the leak is coming from the pressure side of the power steering pump. or one of the pressure lines, it is not coming from the power steering cooler towards the front of the engine. It is all over the subframe.

No fluid is observed coming from the pump area either, it is dry, the pump itself is not leaking.

I cannot really see the rack because it is above the subframe. I am hoping it is not the rack because it is impossible to get to.

I can say lastly, that the alternator has power steering fluid dripping from it, which means only one thing, the fluid is dripping down from atop the alternator and that the leak is not coming from the rack. Because the rack is below the alternator and the leak cannot magically go upward to the alternator.

What else could it be? What is above or near the alternator area that is causing the leak?
 
Power steering rack leaking from tie rod seal.

Power steering rack leaking from tie rod seal.

Hi, I found my leak. It is leaking from the tie rod main seal in the rack.

I took the dust boot off and I can see fluid leaking out of that area (piston area). Does anyone know of any way to rebuild this area (new seal) without having to remove the rack???

Thank you
 
Maybe passenger side but no way on driver, it's gotta come out. If the driver seal inside the rack case no way to do driver either even then, new rack time.
 
I have the same issue with my e0 and have a low mileag replacement if you'd like to buy it. I picked up a newer e1 and no longer need it.
 
When the same seal blew on my rack on my old car I only had spring break to fix it, so I just bought a reman rack. If it's an SVT then it may be worth it, but with all the work it is to take the rack out of the car, typically it's worth it in time and effort alone to just replace it. I highly doubt you can get to either seal with the rack in the car, and taking it out is terrible.

I had to go from the top for every single bolt (7 or 8) holding that heat shield/plate on top of the rack using long extensions I dropped it through and then lined it up with my fingers from underneath then going back to the top and removing, repeat many times, the lines are at such a strange angle you have to be extremely careful removing so you don't strip them and there is almost no room to work on the drivers side. The bolt holding the steering column to the input shaft is an SAE allen head and stripped immediately on my because no matter how much to turn it, it never faces you straight on, which left the "cage" and extension on the rack forcing me to remove the drivers side rear subframe bolt and sit on an old Model A driveshaft in order to spin/pull the rack out by the firewall.

I had to do mine in my driveway in the snow so it took me about 4 days total and the most progress I made at one time was when Alex (xtascox) was able to come over and help, there was no way I was chancing putting anything but a new (well, reman) rack in the car. Honestly the easiest part was removing the 2 rack mounting bolts, everything else was a struggle.
 
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