New to wrenching: Have question about Power Steering Leak.

[JasonT]

Hi guys,

Im kinda new to wrenching but my power steering leak is just killing me here so I was wondering if anyone could give me a hand solving this.

My truck is a 1969 GMC with a 350/4spd and is 2 wheel drive.

Basically there is a fair amount of fluid leaking and it seems to be coming from the cylinder in the wheel well (sorry I dont know what its called) on the driver side of the truck. The hoses leading up to it seem to be dry but the cylinder itself is just covered in fluid.

Any thoughts or advice on if its a simple seel or if I need a new part please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

-Jason

[shifty]

if the "cylinder" looks like this picture, it's you're power steering gearbox. Does it look like it's leaking where the hoses screw into the box? Can you trace the fluid back to any spot on the box in paritcular? like, if you wipe it clean, then fire up the truck and run the steering wheel back and forth once or twice, shut off and look for new fluid leak?

[JasonT]

yes thats exactly what I am talking about. It looks to me to be leaking from right at the top of the gearbox in your picture. (Im sorry I posted before searching newbie mistake as this has been discussed at length.) Is it better/easier to get a new unit or to try and replace the seels?

[shifty]

new unit (after core) will cost you about $200. I don't know much about gearboxes, never rebuilt one, so i can't say how easy the seals are to replace. others will probably need you to be more specific. there is a lot of places it can leak from "at the top". when you say "at the top", do you mean:

- at the top, in the front by the hose connection?
- at the top, in the middle from the plate with the four bolts on it?
- at the top, from the nipple in the middle of that four-bolt plate?

if you can take pictures or even right-click that picture, "save as", mark it up with Microsoft Paint to show where the leak is, someone can surely help. right now it is *very* hard to understand what you're trying to say - even if you don't know what it's called, a good, solid description will usually help others understand what you mean.

[JasonT]

sorry by top I ment top of the picture. It looks to me like the part closest to the driver is what is leaking.

[truckdude239]

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=255&ptset=A you can get a reman with life time free replacement for 133.99 with 75 buxs core charge

[Old Yeller 1970]

Get the reman. I've rebuilt PS gear boxes before and if you are new at wrenching it's not something you want to tackle. I've been wrenching for years and it's not even something I like to tackle.

[truckdude239]

i've done one on a checy 1500 1989 power steering seals went out took me 3 days and one manual to figure it out and then it lasted 3 months lol

[shifty]

you'll also need to get a pitman arm puller - cheap one goes for about $12 at most parts store chains. might want to replace the rag joint while at it...cost about $8 in the "Help!" aisle at auto parts chain store (in a red box).

[Chevrolet4x4s]

$75 bucks at the J/Y for my 85s steering gearbox been on a couple of years no no problems....I didn't even know that you could rebuild them.
Shane

[Old Yeller 1970]

You can also get a pitman arm puller from Autozone's loan a tool program too.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Welcome to the board from West Virginia

[pocoloco71]

I did replace my steering gear box fairly recently. Here are a few things I learned. My truck is fairly low so i had to jack it up to get to the 4 bolts
holding the gear box on. I use air wrench but box-end ranch will do. Use may
have to use a "cheater pipe" for leaverage if you go this route. I took the
front tires off so I could grease stuff, look around better etc. Also this helps
get to the pressure and return lines from the pump so you can remove
them. You can tie them out of the way or remove them from the resovoir.
This holds your power steering fluid. Replacing the rag joint as stated earlier,
should be done. The shaft coming from the steering wheel can be move
back enough so you have room. If you have no one to help, lining up the
gear box and starting the bolts can be trying. There is a product called
anti-seize( use some on the 4 bolt holding the steering gear box on. Connect
steering shaft with new rag joint installed to gear box. They will tell you how
to drain you resevoir and run new fluid thru your pressure and return lines so
you don't contaminate your new gear box, so buy some new fluid.
The return line is low pressure so it is the one with the gates clamps. LMC
trucks has a great blow up of this if you have their catalogue. The pittman
arm is bolted to the bottom of the gear box and has a cotter pin in it. Use
a new one when you bolt it back on. Also if you do jack your truck up get
tires line up before bolting the pittman arm on. Just don't let the wheels
get turned way to left or right. I had never done this before at all, but
I did a lot of research on this site and others and now I have a nice
non leaking power steering system. Oh yeah that fluid will blow every
where underneath your truck when your going down the road and will
eat up rubber bushings, etc plus make it a sloppy mess to crawl under and
work on. I apologize for the length, and I'm sure I forgot something. Oh yeah
i did, I bought some of this stuff from LMC, I wouldn't recommend them at alll
I wound up going to bumper to bumper and they made me some hoses with
compression fittings that I used, Any way hope this helps.