Power Steering leak

Thorpower1988

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Well this Sat I will R&R my power steering pump. Not sure where the actual leak is but I have an OEM power steering pump. In addition, I'm replacing my A/C compressor with an OEM Ford part. Anybody have any tips for me some I can have a smooth repair. I'll be at Lackland AFB San Antonio, TX auto hobby center using a lift. I know I have to remove the a/c compressor and I have done that before. It'll be my first time replacing the power steering pump.
 
I haven’t had to tackle either on my ’02, so I’m no help.
But what I’ve done over the years, before working on a car/engine I’m not familiar with, is study the service manual and look for any videos and/or pictures for all similar years and models.
I will then have at least a slight idea of what I’m getting involved in.
Having a lift will make your job a lot easier.

Good luck, let us know how you make out.
 
Well FlaOkie, not so well on my repair. I had to button everything back up.
1. Reservoir to pwr steering pump hose wouldn't come off. 2x bolts holding reservoir to coolant reservoir were stripped. (got around that problem)
2. a/c compressor came off without a hitch. Exposing leaking power steering fluid problem to be coming from units weep hole and metal fitting from pump going to steering rack. BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM. We (the mechanics there and other bystanders), could not figure how to remove the pressure hose from pump to steering rack.

It takes a 18mm, but because of the location and pulley, only open wrench, crows foot wrench, or stubby open end wrench would fit. None of those methods worked. Final suggestion was to break/cut metal hose fitting close to pump, then use deep well 18mm socket.
 
Ran out of time. Reinstalled my old a/c compressor and had it recharged. Still leaking and $148 out of pocket now. I'm going to try again next weekend. Here's a picture of the hose end. Cutting the tube and sticking deep well socket over it seems viable.

power steering hose.jpg
 
BTW, here's my '02 with the double din Pioneer NEX system. I downloaded a lincoln splash screen like my forum picture.

20170125_201007.jpg
 
Again, I’m not familiar with the setup or location, but if the situation allows, some penetrating oil, some heat, and if possible, a piece of pipe on the wrench might get it loose.
Don’t just try to turn the nut out. Also try to tighten it in a bit. Then loosen it a bit.

The radio (or whatever it is) installation looks like it came that way from the factory – well done.
 
UNBELIEVABLE!! It has been a disastrous repair for the power steering pump. Before I get into details on that, I had to get my Conti towed to a repair shop and this is one of their repair advisement to me "Replaced thermostat and gasket. Continue with overheating diagnosis. Performed block test on cooling system and found vehicle has blown head gaskets. Recommend replacing head gaskets and reevaluating." My car has 173,400 miles on it and never showed any sign of overheating. I've been proud to drive it in the Texas heat (101+ temp daily) and it runs cool at highway speeds. Just recently came back from Grand Canyon, no problem. But this repair shop told me that head gasket repair on the Conti is worthless for the miles I have. Suggest I replace the motor. I don't believe them. My T-Bird has over 380,000 miles, no problem. Same motor.

Do I have to pull the motor to change the head gasket? BTW, my conti showed no sign of head gasket problem. The repair shop was completing the repairs I couldn't finish and because I installed a new thermostat, they suggested it was bad, they installed theirs, it still gets hot but not as fast.
 
so you went into a shop with no overheating issues and now they found out you have to replace the head gaskets.. sounds fishy to me..
 
Yes. But now my back is against the wall. I need my car, so I advised I will pay for what repairs they did $$$ and look into my head gasket issue later. They state that the car hasn't been test driven on the road but does start to heat up sitting on idle.
 
Why was it towed to the shop in the first place?
Was it overheating??
I understand you put in a new thermostat.
If it was overheating, keep in mind there are a few other things that can cause it.

You said they recommended replacing the head gaskets, then said a head gasket repair would be “worthless” for the miles on it.??????

I’m not a Ford expert, but from what I’ve read, head gaskets are not a common problem on these engines that routinely go over 300000 miles.
Of course if you cook it enough anything can happen.
Not knowing the complete story, I would find another shop before they touch another thing on the car, even if it has to be towed.

I don’t know if Fords are this way, but some cars have thermostats that have a small bleed hole in them that has to be installed in the proper position.
 
So here's the whole story. My '02 Conti was leaking power steering fluid. After looking around on a lift, location of leak was at the power steering pump. So I bought a OEM remanufactured Motorcraft P/S pump. You have to remove the A/C compressor to access the P/S pump, and I had put a inferior A/C compressor when my compressor failed when I was at Wichita Falls, TX in 2013. So I also bought an OEM remanufactured Motocraft A/C compressor, P/S high pressure hose, P/S reservoir hose (ebay).

So, on a weekend I went to our base's auto hobby center and started the repair. 1st problem after I removed the A/C compressor was I couldn't remove the high pressure hose on the P/S pump. Solution: Cut the hose with dremel tool and use 18mm deep well socket. Problem solved. Now here's the downfall. I had to remove the pulley off the old pump and transfer to the new pump. The auto hobby center had a pulley puller/installer but was missing key components to do this action correctly, yet I allow the guys there to "rig up" the pulley puller to work. Well, they stripped the threads in the new pump so I couldn't put the pulley on the new pump. So I had to go to O'Reilly parts store and order another P/S pump with pulley. So after I received the new aftermarket pump I was able to install it.
 
So now it's time to button everything back up. So to make removal of parts easy, I removed the bottom radiator hose and thermostat housing. Almost complete.......one major block......i bought a new serpentine and could not get it on after I cut off the old one. I TRIED....TRIED....and TRIED..but couldn't get that belt on. Lotsa of people around me couldn't figure out either to get it on. It was a tight squeeze from the crankshaft pulley and camshaft pulley. So anyways I had my car towed to a "good" repair shop to just installed the serpentine belt. So now while the Conti was at the repair shop, the service adviser asked me since some hoses and levels needing topping off, do I want them to do it. Well, if after they're done, I just drive off, I said "go ahead".

So I get a call from the service advisor saying that when they ran the engine, the P/S pump was wobbling. States I probably got a bad P/S pump. (Keep in mind I'm now working in Austin, TX and my car was in San Antonio, TX). So they have to remove the P/S pump. They were able to put my OEM P/S pump on! But he stated that there is an A/C leak b/c the suction test failed before they recharged the A/C. Problem solved. The A/C manifold connection was loose (I don't think so). Then he tells me that the car now overheats. Says the suction test on the cooling system has a leak. Says no flow from the bottom after the thermostat. I told them it's a new "fail-safe" thermostat, but suggest it's another bad part. So they installed theirs and now there's cooland flow, however, stills overheats.
 
My car has never had ANY overheat issues at ALL! NONE. But I think because they saw how dirty the engine bay was from the P/S leak, plus I have 173K miles, they assumed the car wasn't maintained. So the next call I got from the service adviser was after they did a block test, the result were either a blown head gasket or cracked head. Then he had the nerve to say to repair the head gasket wasn't worth it for how many miles I had on the car and suggested I just get another motor.
 

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