Power steering leak, and it's raining.

68c

68c

Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Posts
1,964
Likes collected
3,105
Location
Southampton
Funster No
65,959
MH
2001 Pilote 270
Exp
Since 2004
So here we are for a week lurking around Dorset. First day steering gets heavy, no oil in reservoir. Topped it with 10/30 as that's what I had and carried on. Reversed into a a supermarket car park in Shaftesbury, the drops of oil looked really pretty with the rainbow patterns in the rain soaked tarmac. Three top ups later parked up at Norden's at Corfe. Rain pissing down so walked to the Greyhound pub for a pint to drown sorrows. Leak appears to be on the LH side so assume it's a seal blown. Anyone changed a 2001 Peugeot Boxer power steering ram?
 
So sorry to hear of your problems. As it’s fairly late there won’t be so many funsters around to help but hopefully someone will be able to assist . I wish you the best of luck in resolving the problem and enjoying the rest of the trip 👍🏻
 
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Yeah, always best to post once you have got back from the pub.
 
You could try a leak stopper in it they work by making the seals expand. Cheap ones have alcohol in them are only tempory and can damage seals, can't remember what's in the better quality ones but they tend to do a perminant fix. I used to sell them but the ones I sold are no longer imported so no pont in mentioning them.
 
Changed one on a car once and it was a bit of a pain.

Normally you have to change the whole rack as you can’t get the individual parts.

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Have you checked to see what's actually leaking? if its just a pipe you could call hydroquip and they will come and repair it on site
 
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Yup, get your waterproofs on and have a roll around underneath it. My money's on a corroded pipe !
 
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denisejoe said:
I don’t think Engine oil shouldn’t be used should be proper fluid
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You are right but only oil I had with me. Should be auto transmission fluid, both are mineral oil though. Will flush it out later. Parked on a grass pitch at the moment so not happy go up on ramps and crawl underneath. About forty miles to home on Sunday will try to limp home.
 
I would think very carefully about driving home. If the fluid completely runs out how will the pump cope with being run dry. As you know you can steer without it all be it heavy.
A friend of mine drove his Landrover home after topping up with engine oil untill it ran out. He then took the drive belt off the pump. I am not sure if that’s possible with you’re engine. The belt may drive other things like the alternator etc.

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jockaneezer said:
Yup, get your waterproofs on and have a roll around underneath it. My money's on a corroded pipe !
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Finally dry enough to crawl around underneath. Yes as suggested it is a corroded steel pipeline. Drops about twice a minute.
Grummyb said:
Have you checked to see what's actually leaking? if its just a pipe you could call hydroquip and they will come and repair it on site
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Interesting, I will give them a call in the morning. May talk to the RAC to see if they can help, only worry is if I set off home without a repair they may refuse recovery should I have another unrelated fault en route.
 
Might work, I am not certain but assume the pipe, one of two, is under pressure steering one way and the return line turning the other way.
Will run home to Southampton on Sunday. If wished I could disclose my intended route and timing so other Funsters can avoid us.
 
The two pipes are feed and return. You will notice one is larger than the other. The larger pipe is the return and under very little pressure. The smaller is high pressure supply pipe.
It would be possible to 'bodge' a repair on the return pipe with tape, if you can even get to the leak, It would be a waste of time trying to repair the high pressure pipe, nothing will resist the oil pressure.
I recently repaired my Daughters Ford Focus, which she had been driving without power steering for several months. I repaired the leak and all is fine now. The pump will tolerate quite a bit of running without full oil supply, as long as it has a bit of oil for lubrication.

Geoff
 
If it's a longish steel pipe that returns back on itself, it may just be a primitive oil cooler and will be under minimal pressure ? Dare you start the engine and work the steering from lock to lock to see if the drop rate increases, then you'll know that its a pressurised line ?
68c said:
Finally dry enough to crawl around underneath. Yes as suggested it is a corroded steel pipeline. Drops about twice a minute.
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Jubilee clip with a piece of rubber under.
As others have said if you can disconnect pump you can steer albeit heavy, once all oil is out of the rack
 
A few years ago my power steering let go in Premier motorhomes carpark(sorry about the spilt fluid!) called the aa, who bodged a split pipe for me to get back to Essex, and get it repaired, so would be worth calling the rac out.
 
as above, a jubilee clip and a piece of bike inner tube will get you home. Just don't overtighten the clamp on a rusty pipe
 
It looks like the drip is coming from about half way along the steel pipe that goes to a fitting on the LH side of the ram. See photo below if I have succeeded in posting it. I think it is both a pressure and return pipe depending on which way I am turning. The photo shows a black clamp on the pipe about where the leak is, nothing an my pipe so may have fallen off and allowed rust to start.
images.jpeg
 
You really should be getting RAC out
Leaving a trail of oil behind you is not a great idea

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If it was me with the problem, I would have placed 'nappies' under the leaking pipe to prevent oil dripping on the road.
I also ride a motorcycle and do not like riding on oil slick roads.

Geoff
 
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To be fair, only dripped every hundred yards or so. My old Royal Oilfield could beat that.
 
As I suspected...... No ram, at least its internal with the rack
Could be one of the pipes from pump to rack is leaking.
Both pipes available on ebay around £50 the pair.

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Yes, it has the ram inside the rack body. I managed to order both pipes for £39.
 
Just to update in case anyone finds this thread in the future.
Pipes fitted OK. Only problem was both pipes so corroded that the pipes twisted while loosening the ferrules. Good thing in a way as I then cut the pipes off flush and used a six sided socket which got a good grip on the corroded ferrules. New pipes fitted well, a moment of doubt when unsure which way round the pipes went, should have taken a photo LOL. Being a good fit it became obvious. Filled with correct power steering fluid, did a couple of full lock turns while still on axle stands and topped up reservoir again. Will go for a drive then syphon out the fluid and refill to get the engine oil/power steering fluid mix out and refill. Job done.

For info, the removed pipes had 12mm spanner size ferrules, the replacement were 11mm. The pipes ended in a double swaged end like a brake pioe.

jockaneezer wins the bet, it was a corroded pipe.
 
We have the exact same problem, with our Peugot Boxer, reading your post, thinking maybe a split hose too. Is it safe to drive though?
 

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