Trouble with leaking Power Steering hoses
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 208
Likes: 4
From: Wichita Kansas
Trouble with leaking Power Steering hoses
The hoses are leaking at the fittings on the back of the pump and on the Power Steering Control Valve on return fitting (just a drip, but steady drips). The hoses are new and "seats" where clean. I'm have tightened them to the point that I'm afraid to tighten them any more. Not cross threaded, USA made hoses.
Any ideas on how to stop the leak.
Thank you for your help.
John
Any ideas on how to stop the leak.
Thank you for your help.
John
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,632
Likes: 112
From: Great Plains Iowa
The hoses are leaking at the fittings on the back of the pump and on the Power Steering Control Valve on return fitting (just a drip, but steady drips). The hoses are new and "seats" where clean. I'm have tightened them to the point that I'm afraid to tighten them any more. Not cross threaded, USA made hoses.
Any ideas on how to stop the leak.
Thank you for your help.
John
Any ideas on how to stop the leak.
Thank you for your help.
John
Assuming the brass seats aren't damage it sounds like you just need to tighten them more until their double flares conform to the seats.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,755
Likes: 721
From: Lafayette Louisiana
Had the same problem....
Had the same problem on my 76, new hoses, but reused control valve, pump and cylinder. So while I cleaned the reused parts seats, I am sure they were not perfect like the new hose seats. This is likely a bubba fix, 
, but I put a very light or very thin film of permatex 2B on the hose side seat face and then made up the connections. All the leaks stopped. My theory is the 2B filled in the slight imperfections of the machined faces of the reused parts. Hope this might help. Also I took a lot of extra care that the hoses mated up square and were not cross threaded. Good luck.
, but I put a very light or very thin film of permatex 2B on the hose side seat face and then made up the connections. All the leaks stopped. My theory is the 2B filled in the slight imperfections of the machined faces of the reused parts. Hope this might help. Also I took a lot of extra care that the hoses mated up square and were not cross threaded. Good luck.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 208
Likes: 4
From: Wichita Kansas
The seats looked good when I had everything out to rebuild. I hope I didn't damage them going back together.
I will try to loosen and re-torque to see if I can get the drips stopped.
Thanks for your responses.
John
I will try to loosen and re-torque to see if I can get the drips stopped.
Thanks for your responses.
John
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
You should be able to inspect the brass inserts in your control valve. There should be a thin circular indentation where the pipe flare seats against the brass seat. If the indentation is interupted that would be the area of the leak. I would try to just loosen the nut; wiggle the pipe to try to square it up; and tighten again.
WARNING: It is true that tightening a 45 degree flare fitting is typically the way to make them seal better. HOWEVER, I would not go much over the AIM specs for the various fittings. You can actually crack the housing ports on the valve by overtightening the nut.
NOTE that the cylinder line pipes are only 1/4 inch OD and have special 7/16-24 nuts. So their torque specs are much lower than the typical 3/8 inch OD pipes.
From the Corvette AIM
Cylinder lines to cylinder and valve - 7 to 8.75 ft-lbs
Pressure line to pump - 20 to 30 ft-lbs
Return Line to valve - 20-30 ft-lbs
Pressure Line to valve - 7 to 10 ft-lbs
Jim
WARNING: It is true that tightening a 45 degree flare fitting is typically the way to make them seal better. HOWEVER, I would not go much over the AIM specs for the various fittings. You can actually crack the housing ports on the valve by overtightening the nut.
NOTE that the cylinder line pipes are only 1/4 inch OD and have special 7/16-24 nuts. So their torque specs are much lower than the typical 3/8 inch OD pipes.
From the Corvette AIM
Cylinder lines to cylinder and valve - 7 to 8.75 ft-lbs
Pressure line to pump - 20 to 30 ft-lbs
Return Line to valve - 20-30 ft-lbs
Pressure Line to valve - 7 to 10 ft-lbs
Jim
