Power steering lines wasted

[formula]

Went and started up the '93 this weekend. Fired on the first turn of the crank



Turned the steering wheel and a big white cloud shot out from the driver's front wheelwell. Turn wheel again and another big white cloud. So, turns out that the metal lines that run into the top of the steering box are rotted through. Guess it's good that now the outside is coated with oil so it should be soaking into the retainer nuts Got some new ones on order today.



Do these usually put up a fight when trying remove 'em? Guess I should be prepared to perform some rusted-nut voodoo and such. Anything else that's worth checking when replacing the lines?



Sean

 

[Philip]

Scrounge up some "good" line wrenches. Most of the time they come loose pretty easy.



If they do round off. Then its time for vice grips.

 

[ARhine]

Line wrenches might work for ya.



Or what I will do since I am replacing the line anyway is take one of those mini tubing cutters (or a saw if not enough clearance, just be sure to get all fillings out) and just cut it off so I can use a regular 6 sided socket or end wrench on it.

 

[JLEONARD]

Mine came right out with a tubing wrench, but of course the line twisted the rest of the way apart during the process.

It's true that rust never sleeps.

 

[Paychk]

The ultimate tool for frozen flare nuts:

 

[RWWinslow]

Assuming you mean the lines into and out of the gear box . . . . . they are sealed by bottoming out on an O-ring - make sure you remove whatever remains. . . . . normally these fittings use an 18 mm wrench and they are a 16 thread compression fitting. If anyone knows where to find new ones, let me know - my local hydraulic hose store cannot source any. . . . .



Thanks.

 

[formula]

Thanks all Hope to have it fixed up this weekend



Sean

 

[BHiggins]

I just changed my steering box and had to change both hoses to the pump along with it. The nuts weren't rusted in the box, but they wouldn't spin on the line. Easier to replace them than anything else. I tried the heat wrench first but they wouldn't budge and I didn't want to start a fire trying to save two lines that were replaced for less than $50. 00.

 

[RWWinslow]

Where did you get your steering lines?

 

[BHiggins]

I got them from a local parts house here on Long Island, he got them from his supplier in the Bronx. They weren't too hard to find, are you having a problem locating them? If so, let me know.

 

[JLEONARD]

I got mine from the local NAPA. Delivered that day so they must have been in stock.

Jay

 

[WyattEarp]

THATS WHAT HAPPENED TO MINE TODAY!!!

The return line split right at the nut, they were froze solid, im going to try and heat the pressure line one tomorrow and see if i can get it unstuck, because it is froze on the back side of the ps pump resevoir, i had to simply spin the old steering gear around and around to get it to thread out ... . Now i can't get that dam pitman arm off and i have a puller, rust, if there was ever a Nasty word!!!!

 

[keimmmo]

I feel for you guys up in the rust belt! I lived up in Illinois until 18 years ago, so I have fought rust problems as well. I owned a muffler shop and had to deal with rusted down exhaust studs on a daily basis!



I am in the process of painting the old '92. It is pretty well stripped to get a good job. It has visited the States, but has never seen salt. Every bolt unscrewed out of the bed without a problem. Even the screws around the wheelwell mouldings unscrewed without a fight! That truck is as rust free as the day I bought it new!!!



You guys have my sympathy. It is tough seeing your baby slowly die from rust!



Steve Keim

 

[WyattEarp]

well i thought i was in good shape today ended up ordering the high pressure line as i was never able to get the end loose, i heated it and tried everything, it will be at the store in the morning, lets hope i don't run into anything else lol, wisheful thinking right.