The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Explain this......leak.

Back about March 2011 I put a new power steering pump on my panel as I put it all together.
I started the panel, drove it up and down the road and then parked it in my shop until August 2011. At that time I took it to my nephews to put in the wiring harness. Its been there in his shop since.
THEN....about 4 or 5 weeks ago ALL the power steering fluid drained out of it. Well, last week I poured the reservoir full and then watched it for an hour. No drip what so ever. After 5 days still no drip.
All that to ask how do you explain that. It was a new pump, I put the "back plug" in with new O'rings and used new hoses ect. What gives that it leaked once but hasn't since?
Your thoughts.

My uneducated guess is you just filled the reservoir. Did you start the truck and turn the steering to load the system?
Roy

Did the fluid puddle on the floor, or just sort of disappear? I've seen a pump reservoir overflow if the steering gear was turned to near the limits of its travel with the engine off, like when pushing a car in and out of the shop.
Jerry

Yes, I had "purged" the system back when I put it on and had driven it up and down the road, parked it in my shop and continued the restoration. No leaks what so ever.
After trailering it to my nephews it sat in his shop for a while and no leak....until a 4 or 5 weeks ago.

Jerry, it puddled on the floor right under it. HOWEVER, you may be onto something but not sure...... a week or so before that I had pulled the tie rod ends off and put on the new modern type....BUT as I think about it I did NOT turn the wheels. I simply took the bolts off the steering arms and took the tie rods and steering arms out together and then put them back on without turning the wheels. (thought for a minute we had it,Jerry.

I THOUGHT maybe it was just cold and the seals were some what dry due to not being driven very much at all. But, my nephews shop, while it gets cold, probably never got below 40 degrees this winter.....but it maybe the coldness, then the heat being on had some cause and effect on it.
I'm telling you guys, it just don't make sense and I talked to my nephew tonight and it still has not leaked!!

It had to come from the fill spout, the BIG nut screwed into the back of the reservoir, the "reducer" which screwed into the big nut, or where the High pressure line screwed into the "reducer" fitting. I will bet my last quarter it did not come from the front seal/shaft.

I'm still lost!

Alvin,,,,Go out and kick the cat.

Marty, the poor cat is all bruised up and I'm having pity on him till he heals and can fight back

....the more I think about this problem do you think it could be the rubber O'ring that goes in ahead of the "big bolt" could be "swelling and shrinking"?? ....but only once??

Jerry,come back, what you think?

Clearly your truck was abducted by Space Aliens. They sedated it and took it to thir mother ship where they inserted a power steering pump probe to see what they could learn. Expecting to find a limitless supply of Fanta soda (which aliens love by the way), they sadly found none and so returned the power steering fluid and your truck to its parking space. Your truck awoke in a drunken haze wondering if it had drempt the whole thing and feeling a bit queesey. Your truck subsequently vomited its power steering fluid all over the floor and has been too embarrassed to say anything to you since.

Just line every last square inch of the outside of your truck with tinfoil and it won't happen again.

Makes sense to me!!

Hey Alvin...refresh my memory on the pump and rack setup you have.
Also, was puddle directly under pump or could leak be in rack seal ?

Bruce, its still a straight axle with power steering. I'm running a small block with the V6 brackets/serpentine belt. The pump is a NEW pump and the steering box is a remanufactured 76 pickup saginaw box. The leak was directly under it so it HAD to drip from the front seal....or the bolt/fiting/hose where it goes into the back of the pump.
I just talked to my nephew tonight and its still not leaked a drop since I filled it back up.

I will pick the panel up Thursday and bring it back to my shop. So, after running it some, putting it on and off the trailer, I'll see what happens when I park it in my shop where I can watch it everyday!!
It just plain puzzles me.
Bruce, here is a couple pics..
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/picsforphotobucket031.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/grillerearend006.jpg

Ringleader, you may be on to something about the aliens. My wife was born in Roswell, New Mexico (really) and her kin folks are PO'd that I won't let her come home.

Ringleader, the aliens obviously don't know Alvin,he's a Pepsi guy!

Joking apart,Alvin I hope you get to the bottom of the problem soon!

I had the seals on the rack go bad three times in a row and lost all fluid. one only lasted 15 mins of idling. replace the reducer for a new one from jegs and have been driving it for 3 years with no problems.