Power steering fluid leak

[Herman8r]

gfresh--my box is leaking only at the bottom at the pitman arm.



I did the power steering cap mod and now I do not have any built up pressure in the reservoir.



As sent to me by "diesellady"---



This includes a picture at the link to the diesel truck resource forum.

I will pass this on to Bob too.

And it WILL solve your problem.

Take cap off and wash it with soap and water.

Put stem in mouth, seal top part of the stem with lips and pressurize. Air should pass through the cap. Pull a vacuum on it, air should NOT pass.



If abnormal, use a flat screwdriver, gently pry the cap from the stem at the slots to take it apart. see link for pic. Use soap and water to clean everything again.



Use a Dremel to grind down the center part of the cap that puts pressure on the seal. Take just a little off at a time and snap it back together to get the correct amount of pressure on the seal to make it pass pressure. The final result is about 1/16" of material left in the bore and air passing as described above.

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/attachment.php?attachmentid=21763&d=1209321914

 

[100 Proof]

If your steering box is wet, don't forget to check the "O" ring between the pump and reservoir. It is cheap and easy to fix. Follow the link below for what I did.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/3rd-generation-ram-forum-no-engine-transmission-discussions-faq/175633-power-steering-o-ring-repair-documented.html



Good Luck!



100 Proof

 

[Herman8r]

A big thanks to Bob4x4 for the referal to "dieselady" for instructions on venting the cap. It works.



Per "deiselady" -- view photo at http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/attachment.php?attachmentid=21763&d=1209321914



"Take cap off and wash it with soap and water.

Put stem in mouth, seal top part of the stem with lips and pressurize. Air should pass through the cap. Pull a vacuum on it, air should NOT pass.



If abnormal, use a flat screwdriver, gently pry the cap from the stem at the slots to take it apart. see link for pic. Use soap and water to clean everything again.



Use a Dremel to grind down the center part of the cap that puts pressure on the seal. Take just a little off at a time and snap it back together to get the correct amount of pressure on the seal to make it pass pressure. The final result is about 1/16" of material left in the bore and air passing as described above. "







I performed this 2 weeks ago & no leaks.



Thanks again TDR & all the folks who take their time to help out.



HJR

 

[ScottLewis]

My '06 recently developed a similar leak, soon after having it serviced at the dealer. I initially thought it was transmission fluid and took it back in. They agreed that it was leaking at the transmission cooler line and put a new line on at no cost. That wasn't it, it still leaked. I checked more closely and it seemed that it was the PS. I suspected it was overfilled.



When I removed the cap, it popped out with pressure buildup. The truck hadn't been driven in a week. I searched this site and saw the cap fix so I checked. Sure enough, it was not venting pressure out even though it is designed to do so.



I tore into it and ground the cap as instructed. It now lets the pressure out. I'll know more about the leak after I drive the truck but suspect that was the trouble. Sure hope so.



Dan

 

[Herman8r]

Danavilla: I did the dye test with the black light. It shows all the leaks. No guessing involved. I thing the dye was called "tracer" to the best of my knowledge.

 

[BHanna]

Mine is leaking too. I actually had to have it replaced about 15K miles ago. The original one cracked and pumped fluid all over everything. The new one is just damp - not dripping yet. I haven't quite gotten ambitious enough to really try to figure out where it's coming from. I'll try to get around to it soon and report if I can find anything.