Power steering leak
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From: minnesota
Power steering leak
My 1982 vette has been leaking power steering fluid for a while now and I'm thinking of a short term solution to fix it. I'm worried that running the pump without fluid will break it (if it isn't already worn out now), or worse still cause it to heat up an catch on fire!!
Rather than fixing it - because I'm currently in the Bay Area without good access to tools and a place to work - I was thinking of just taking the belt off so nothing is driving the pump. Would anyone advise against this?!?! And if so, why?
Much obliged, and if anyone is in the Bay Area and wants a coffee with a fellow C3 owner I'd love to meet up!
Thanks
Rather than fixing it - because I'm currently in the Bay Area without good access to tools and a place to work - I was thinking of just taking the belt off so nothing is driving the pump. Would anyone advise against this?!?! And if so, why?
Much obliged, and if anyone is in the Bay Area and wants a coffee with a fellow C3 owner I'd love to meet up!
Thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
Without the pump running the steering wheel might be slow coming back to center after a turn. Also, a power steering car w/o the power steering functioning will be a bear to turn.
Gary
Gary
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Saint Louis MO
Driving a car that has power steering, without the belt or without fluid can put a great deal of force on the steering column (at slow speeds) which could break any number of parts inside the steering column. Ask me how I know! I would suggest to keep adding fluid or get it fix. I drove mine for about 2 months with no fluid, it did not hurt the power steering pump, but I did break a shaft inside the steering column, it had to be rebuilt.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 403
From: Nashville TN
St. Jude Donor '09
Try some of the Stop Leak stuff. I'm in the same boat, I plan to rebuild all the steering for my winter project this year, but tired of it leaking. I went to AZ and picked up some PS fluid with a stop leak additive in it. So far, so good. I think it was Prestone, but don't remember. I looked at some of the other product like Lucas, but thought I'd try the pre-mixed stuff first. Now I can drive without worrying about having to constantly add, and even worse, get fluid all over my new suspension. 
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
My 1982 vette has been leaking power steering fluid for a while now and I'm thinking of a short term solution to fix it. I'm worried that running the pump without fluid will break it (if it isn't already worn out now), or worse still cause it to heat up an catch on fire!!
Rather than fixing it - because I'm currently in the Bay Area without good access to tools and a place to work - I was thinking of just taking the belt off so nothing is driving the pump. Would anyone advise against this?!?! And if so, why?
Much obliged, and if anyone is in the Bay Area and wants a coffee with a fellow C3 owner I'd love to meet up!
Thanks
Rather than fixing it - because I'm currently in the Bay Area without good access to tools and a place to work - I was thinking of just taking the belt off so nothing is driving the pump. Would anyone advise against this?!?! And if so, why?
Much obliged, and if anyone is in the Bay Area and wants a coffee with a fellow C3 owner I'd love to meet up!
Thanks
I’m going to be in the Bay area in two weeks but my wife did not plan any house calls. . .
Seriously, try to find out what is leaking and repair it. As mentioned above the stress on the column will be a load not to mention how hard it will be to park or turn the car! “No Lumbard Street for You”.
If the leak is the valve rebuild it! You won’t need that many special tools to do this, a pickle fork, jack, some wrenches, and a kit. Be sure to use the centering instructions on our site if you do rebuild, they are the GM instructions.
If the leak is in the hoses again nothing special required and the hose kits are cheap too!
If the cylinder is the leak it would be in your best interest to purchase new over rebuilt! The shafts on the old cylinders are chrome plated and the seals cut wear patterns in them. Having a successful rebuild is slim if the wear grooves are present. Again not hard to install but a few buck for the new cylinder.
If the pump is bad, it can be a PITA to replace and you might want to keep topping off until you have the time to replace it.
I’m not a big fan of stop leak and not because it works but because of the residual long term affects it will have on the internal components of the system.
IMHO,
Willcox. Inc.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
"Stop leak" fluids actually have an additive that attacks rubber parts and make them swell. This swelling does act to seal up very small defects, cracks, or wear. It can even make the sealing lips on something like a driveshaft seal swell to stop a leak - for a while.
Jim
Jim
