Power steering hose issue

[wtucker]

Ok, so I got the relay module ordeal ironed out, and now I have a power steering fluid leek. I've found the leak, but I'm totally surprised at the routing of this line. Maybe it's not the correct one for this car, but for sure it needs to be corrected.
This line runs from, or to, not sure which, but it goes from a small radiator type box, maybe 4 or 5 inches square, mounted right behind the radiator on the drivers side of the car and lines run to and from the pump and then back to the rack assy. The line I'm referring to is metal and rubber hose assy, along the back of the engine (drivers side visible just looking at the engine, there's 2 of them) and at this point is metal, runs from this box, back to a module mounted on the rack assy. The metal portion of this tube is run from the module, makes a loop of about 10 to 12 inches towards the center of the car, actually rests ON THE EXHAUST PIPE running down to one of the converters. This is where my leak is. The exhaust has distorted the metal line so much it is flat, and has a crack in it.
Is this normal routing for a 92 conti with a 3.8 liter engine??? Is ther a sheild that may be missing or is this just a wrong part installed???

Will

 

[MichiganTeddyBear]

ok.. since my 91 is buried in snow, I am going from memory on this one.

the hose's are routed close to the exhaust manifold and pipe.. but should NOT touch it. On mine, they are zipp tied together and then to something (don't remember what) to hold them away from the hot stuff....

That definatly is NOT right. I don't know if the hose is right or not, but there shouldn't be anything touching the hot stuff!

if you can wait a couple days (probably weekend), I will unbury my 91 and see what is what and maybe get a pic....

 

[wtucker]

ok.. since my 91 is buried in snow, I am going from memory on this one.

the hose's are routed close to the exhaust manifold and pipe.. but should NOT touch it. On mine, they are zipp tied together and then to something (don't remember what) to hold them away from the hot stuff....

That definatly is NOT right. I don't know if the hose is right or not, but there shouldn't be anything touching the hot stuff!

if you can wait a couple days (probably weekend), I will unbury my 91 and see what is what and maybe get a pic....

That would be great. I talked with a dealership today, and there is suppose to be a heat barrier between them. It is suppose to be like aluminum foil on the outside, and something like insulation in your walls of the house between them. About 1/2 inch or so thick. Sounds like a real crappy design to me. I don't know why there is the need for such a large loop in the line. Makes me wonder if you couldn't just make a hose yourself using high pressure fittings and hose and not run it close to the exhaust..

Will

 

[MichiganTeddyBear]

ok... tried to get pic of the hoses.. didn't come out..

but, on mine, the 2 power steering hoses are both tie wrapped to one of the 'hard' AC lines from the compressor (I think, it was pretty tough seeing in there, not to mention the eternal snowfall we get up here). The hoses were some distance (at least an inch or so) from the exhaust manifold, and didn't seem to be anywhere near the exhaust pipe. The part they were tiewrapped to went down towards bottom of radiator towards driver side (about middle of rad) before I couldn't see it anymore.

Hope this helps route the lines away. There should be enough flex and movement in the hoses to get them tiewrapped to something solid and out of the way of the exhaust.

 

[jbsavage]

mine is leaking from the same location maybe i'll fix it one of these days