I think I’ve got a leak at this fluid reservoir. Been tightening the the hose clamp, should I swap the hose out? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Threads
56
Messages
567
Location
Raleigh, NC
D6545169-0E22-4244-87D6-32B851A4F2CC.jpeg
I’ve been keeping an eye on this connection point on my 3FE and tightening it in an effort to stop the leak. Fluid still seems to be getting out, what should the torque specs be for a hose clamp? The line seems to be fine, but the connection isn’t.

I also am a little unclear what this dipstick/fluid reservoir is. I’ll be checking over a few engine diagrams to find out, but any help would be appreciated.
 
That is your power steering fluid reservoir. The rubber hose can lose its flexibility over time and if you can see fluid coming out at that spot it’s likely that no amount of clamp tightening will stop it.

you could try adding another clamp next to it as a cob fix. The longer term solution is to replace that line altogether.
what kind of fluid have you been filling it with?
 
Power steering pump.
Change the hose out, and by the looks of the hose behind it, you probably need to change out all your hoses.
 
more specifically ...that is the return line to the p.s. reservoir and is not under pressure. Probably old and cracked. Put a bucket under the hose, loosen the clamps, pull it off, and replace it with a new one. Top off the reservoir with ATF....done
 
You just reminded me to top it off with some power steering fluid. I’ve been hearing some steering groans and what I thought was just a cold system might’ve been low fluid. I’ll have these lines swapped out soon at the shop then.
 
I flushed mine just to get some crud out of the steering gear. I put a 5 gal bucket under the return hose, disc it from the reservoir and capped the reservoir return barb with a short piece of hose with a bolt clamped in it. Next jack the truck up and put it on jack stands to get the front tires off the ground. Open at least 2 qts of ATF and have them ready to pour in the reservoir. Have someone turn on the truck and start turning the wheel stop to stop while you quickly pour the fluid. Make sure they turn the truck off as soon as you get it filled the last time. Try not to let the fluid get too low in the reservoir or it will cavitate and draw in air...not a huge deal but not good for the pump. Reconnect the return hose and top off the reservoir. Turn the motor on and turn again from stop to stop to get any air bubbles out. I got plenty of metal crumbs out of my system and probably saved my steering gear for a few more years.
 
Realize if you do this the fluid will fly out violently. This is good for getting metal bits out of the system but you have to pour the fluid fast. A slower way would be to bump the ignition on and off or turn the crank of p.s. belt by hand but I don't think you'll get the same effect. Lastly you could just get a turkey baster and pull the fluid out of the reservoir and replace ...doing this a few time while running the truck in between refills.
 
You just reminded me to top it off with some power steering fluid. I’ve been hearing some steering groans and what I thought was just a cold system might’ve been low fluid. I’ll have these lines swapped out soon at the shop then.

yeah as @g-man has pointed out it says clearly in the top only to use dextron atf. I’m sure a lot of people miss this so your not the first.

You can also pull the belt off and spin the pump by hand
 
Thanks for the assistance all, I’ll try to locate the low pressure hose and get the high pressure lines ordered as well. Looks like the low pressure line is hard to find.
 
I flushed mine just to get some crud out of the steering gear. I put a 5 gal bucket under the return hose, disc it from the reservoir and capped the reservoir return barb with a short piece of hose with a bolt clamped in it. Next jack the truck up and put it on jack stands to get the front tires off the ground. Open at least 2 qts of ATF and have them ready to pour in the reservoir. Have someone turn on the truck and start turning the wheel stop to stop while you quickly pour the fluid. Make sure they turn the truck off as soon as you get it filled the last time. Try not to let the fluid get too low in the reservoir or it will cavitate and draw in air...not a huge deal but not good for the pump. Reconnect the return hose and top off the reservoir. Turn the motor on and turn again from stop to stop to get any air bubbles out. I got plenty of metal crumbs out of my system and probably saved my steering gear for a few more years.

Did mine the same way as above. Worked nice but need a helper for sure. If I had to do it again I prolly would take the belt off and turn the pump by hand to better control the flow of ATF. Not sure if it would be nearly as effective as the above procedure at getting junk out. With the engine running I found the procedure to be a bit frantic but it worked. Just have buckets ready. Procedure above is detailed in the FSM if memory serves.

Possible LP hose option:


I got a HP hose through NAPA. Mines a 2F so have not checked for yours. But maybe a possibility.

GL and HTH.

Edit: NM link shows disco'ed. Screw me.

Maybe try this one:

 
Last edited:
The low-pressure line is just standard 3/8" Power Steering Hose. Take off the old one, take it to a GOOD parts house and ask for some Gates hose to match. Get new PS calmps, too... Flush, then Fill with a HIGH-Quality Dex compatible Synthetic ATF. I used Amsoil and it works great, quiets the pump down, too and runs cooler when I checked with an IR gun.
 
If you're really into doing it right - Get a Magnefine (or equivalent) trans fluid filter and splice it into that return line to maximize the life of your pump. They should have the filter at the same place you buy the hose. Napa, Vatozone, O'Reilly's etc ...

1597622575685.png
 
@Spike Strip is there a drain on the steering box itself or does All the fluid have to get pumped out?
 
I pump it out (or most of it) by removing the Neg coil wire and just giving a few quick starter turns with the return line into a bucket. There's not much in there... There's no drain on the PS gearbox.

I like the suggestion above of just spinning the PS pump by hand. I may try that next time to see if it works to get most of the fluid out. I find with the Amsoil and Magnefine, fluid stays clean and bright a long time...
 
I pump it out (or most of it) by removing the Neg coil wire and just giving a few quick starter turns with the return line into a bucket. There's not much in there... There's no drain on the PS gearbox.

I like the suggestion above of just spinning the PS pump by hand. I may try that next time to see if it works to get most of the fluid out. I find with the Amsoil and Magnefine, fluid stays clean and bright a long time...

ive got an order of stuff coming from Matt and I’m swapping in my city racer pump and new line too. I’ll pull the belt this week and spin the pulley and see if that works as I remember it or if it needs more speed.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom