Hey guys. So I had some fun this weekend and did a rear brake job on my 84 Z51. I jacked up one side at a time. First the passenger (nothing on the floor other then the typical 1 or two tiny fluid drops), then the driver. I put the car back down and to my horror, I had a huge pool of power steering fluid. I checked the reservoir and it was down to the min line. I've been debating on replacing the rack for some time since I'm pretty sure its had a drip on the passenger side.

So here's where it gets weird, the whole frame support where the rack sits is dripping so can't pin point the location of the leak where the pool of fluid recently occurred. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that it's with a failed seal on the rack that it would leak if jacked up like it did. The last thing I want to go is grab a Z51 rack and put it in if its a hose or something else that I'm just not seeing. The car was not started prior to noticing the leak if that helps.

If I do indeed do the rack, how hard of a job is it to do yourself? I had 2 local shops quote the labor at about 500 + alignment. Is it possible to get it out, without having to get under the car? Like put it up, wheels off, and loosen all the fittings/bolts top side and through the wheel well, and pull it through the wheel well? I can source a part for mid 2's or get the original rebuilt if I do the work myself. Its going to be hard to drop 800 in parts and labor if I go the shop route. The wife is already complaining its a money pit.

 

If you spend the $800 and get a warranty, if you never done one before, you have to flush out the new rack and check your tie rods inter and outer then when fished get it alined, the shop covers all that for $800 I would let them do it rite. That is just my opinion others might not agree.

 

I was sort of thinking the same thing. I can do a lot myself, but I only want to do this once.

 

Did jack create this problem, like hit the cooling lines or the cooler? You could wash this area and check for leak location before replacing the rack, could be a line or fitting.

 

Unfortunately nothing has come in contact with that area since I've owned it. I had jacked the rear of the car up only. I degreased engine area about a month ago in hopes of locating any rouge leaks. I can confirm nothing was coming from the hose fittings on the rack. I degreased the garage floor and the rack/front of the engine and frame again today. I would love for it to be something a but less expensive and more serviceable than the rack. I'll keep an better eye on the other fittings and lines though I didn't see anything before jacking the car up.

 

Stock the 84 never had a power steering cooler.
but one could have been added.

If the rack was leaking it would come out of the ends, where the tierod ends are.

Could be a line, etc.

De-grease your engine, top off the fluid watch to see where it's coming from...

If you do have a cooler, it's possible it was crushed by the jack?

​and i had turnone rebuild my rack, they did a fantastic job, however my rack had to be sleeved...

 

Nah, no cooler. My dad owned it since 96 too but it was driven no more than 2000 miles since then. I've see a very small dribble from the passenger side boot.

My buddy at work thinks the seal was busted and when I jacked up the left rear it came out the boot. I've felt the boot and can't feel any noticeable fluid. Odd thing is that I've been keeping an eye on the fluid since eive got it. My dad had to fill the reservoir prior to putting it on the car transportor which shocked him. The fluid did not drop dramatically (it did slowly drop though) for the past month I've had it here in Florida. It wasn't till she got jacked up, from the rear of the driver side, that I had a pool form and the reservoir down to the min mark. It's odd that it was on the support where the rack sits though which has me wondering.

 

Hello,

From the sounds of the situation, the rack has an internal leak and it is going to have to be rebuilt. If you remove your rack and send it into us, we can take a look at it for you. Visit our website at https://www.turnone-steering.com/pag...lding-services for more information or give us a call at 1-877-GO-TURN1.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you,
Jeff
President of Turn One

 

Have you cleaned the area and filled the P.S. reservoir and checked the area to see where it's coming from to verify a rack rebuild is needed or other issue?

 

When the end seals leak, they tend to fill up the boots with hydraulic oil. That's invisible until something causes the fluid to leak out.

 

I would degrease the rack and the frame area and make sure its dry. Then start the engine and turn the steering wheel a few times and see if you can coax out some seepage. You can go as far as getting some dye and a U.V. light with yellow glasses to se if its just seepage or more of a leak. Its possible that one of the seals has started to fail causing a buildup of power steering fluid in the boot that covers the inner tie rod. It's also possible that a line has started to leak. Make sure you diagnose it properly before jumping into a repair.

The rack isn't terrible to do yourself if you understand the basic concept of replacing a steering rack and making sure its centered before installation and know a few trick to remove the steering shaft from the rack.

 

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I did do a decent job of degreasing of the lines, fittings, and frame on Monday. I was chatting up my dad and he does remember the last trusted shop he took it to said he was starting to see a leak in the rack and that he needed to "start driving the damn thing instead of looking at it in the garage or the seals will shrinkup" according to his old mechanic. Needless to say that with 2 back surgeries under my fathers belt, an 84 Z51 vette is not the best on a busted back (which is why its in my possession now).

I will give it a good once over and make sure the fittings and hoses are as close to spotless as I can get them, fire it up and turn the wheels a bit with some clean cardboard under it. I'll try to pinpoint and verify the leak better. I won't be able to do this till closer to the weekend for personal reasons so the red sled will have to wait.

 

I recently had a power steering leak fixed. (about two weeks ago). I had the rack replaced with a rebuilt one about 5 years ago so I was hoping and did not think it was the rack again, but as much as I looked and checked I could not figure out what was leaking. First guy I took it to said the power steering motor which is original (1988 Vette) was leaking and needs to be replaced. he was sincere, but not 100% sure so I took it somewhere else and this guy said he was almost sure it was the return hose and to replace it and see what happens. Took about a few days (Amazon) to get the hose, but he replaced it from underneath, no big job and it is now bone dry and fixed. $20 hose. Thats one big job avoided thankfully.!! : ) Not sure about an 84, but it may take a few days to find/get the proper hoses, it did for me. Hope yours is an easy job, good luck.!!

 

First I have to say that I know there are no bottles that have mechanics in them, Last summer the lady next door said her steering was making a whining noise so i checked the power steering reservoir and it was almost dry, she said there was red oil on the garage floor, so I put the jeep on my lift and it was leaking from the input shaft seal, she said she has no money to fix I told her I'll be right back, went to Auto Zone got a Qt. Lucas power steering stop leak and put about 12 oz. in it and told her to save up some money and fix asap. Well last week she asked me to check and add some air to her tires and I asked her did she get the steering fixed, she said no and there are no more oil puddle on garage floor, I checked the P. S. reservoir and added about 2 oz. more Lucas and seams to have worked for her. I said your a lucky girl keep an eye on it.

 

One thing to watch out for in the early years is what they call "morning sickness"

Pretty much it feels like the power steering pump is not working 100% and it's hard to turn until everything warms up.

My car started off small, mild morning sickness, later i noticed my ps fluid was grey (aluminum), then it got worse, super hard to turn when cold, flushing the fluid would help a little for a short while...

Issue as i understand it, no power steering cooler.

if you end up like that, turnone is the place to send the rack.

I also had a 2.0 ratio Z51 rack that i wanted to keep, at the time there were no rebuilt 2.0 racks available from any parts place...

My rack has now been sleved with stainess steel if i understood them correctly, and it's flawless.

Hardest part was getting a box to ship it in, i ended up making my own box out of a mattress box and lots of tape...

That's one service i wish they offered, having a box shipped to me. (hint hint)

 

So I had a about an hour yesterday so I recleaned EVERYTHING in the front. I actually had it so clean I could strategically slide some folder over paper towels by the boots and just under the (on the frame) pump/hoses and fittings. I fired it up and did some full cranks on the wheel back and forth up and down the alley. I let it sit for an hour after and it looked like I had a tiny bit of fluid from both boots, nothing from the pump/hoses, and the fittings on the rack itself where spotless. I pulled the towels and replaced.

This morning I took it out for a good hour before work and got everything up to temp and zig zagged through my neighborhood making sure to put the rack through its paces. I'll check when I get home and verify any drips.

I have used steering fluid with seal conditioner/stop leak when I topped off the fluid after it came off the the car carrier and after the puddle occurred so I've burned that option already to delay things. The car also needs an alignment as it tracks to the right, even on level road/parking lot.

I also intend to complete the full brake job I intended on doing last weekend, which is when the monster leak occurred. Its the fronts so I'll be up close to the boots when the car is lifted and lowered as thats when this appeared leak the worst.

So from the looks of it.. Its the rack.

 

I can confirm it's is the rack.. the while passengers side boot is wet.