Thanks Tom!
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Power steering cooler upgrade
- Thread starter bjowett
- Start date
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tech: any thoughts on whether the placement of my install will approach or exceed too high for easy bleeding? hasn't proven to be an issue but I was wondering if lower would be a better if I were to do it again....
chat : Looks good...did you get a baseball hat too???
chat : Looks good...did you get a baseball hat too???
tech: any thoughts on whether the placement of my install will approach or exceed too high for easy bleeding? hasn't proven to be an issue but I was wondering if lower would be a better if I were to do it again....
chat : Looks good...did you get a baseball hat too???
Hadn't really thought about the placement making a flush difficult. I suppose it would just necessitate removal of the lower hose. Most folks don't drain/flush this system for the life of the truck anyway ;p
And yes...I did get the hat!
update on my solution....
x10 on the use hose specifically for ATF/power steering fluid.....One of my hoses failed (in my driveway ) and now I'm revisiting this in the cold dark Winter.....I must not have used an appropriate material for one of my hoses
x10 on the use hose specifically for ATF/power steering fluid.....One of my hoses failed (in my driveway ) and now I'm revisiting this in the cold dark Winter.....I must not have used an appropriate material for one of my hoses 
I have used fuel line for PS return hoses on many trucks - just plain non-EFI-grade Gates stuff from the auto parts store.
How did your hose fail - did it get soft and show clear signs of rot due to oil exposure?
How did your hose fail - did it get soft and show clear signs of rot due to oil exposure?
soft & itr seemed do be sort of delaminating betwenn layers then it sprung a laek in a section of hose with no exposure to abrasion etc....
This is a great thread, so I figured I'd add to it.
After I started to hear the steering whine, I found that my power steering fluid was leaking at the cooler. Mine was leaking in the, seemingly common, spot where metal cooling line passes over the crossmember.
Instead of replacing it with a $300 OEM cooler or installing an aftermarket cooler for $50 or so, I chose to cut out the leaky section and extend the flexible rubber hose that returns to the reservoir. Yes, this decreases the surface area of the cooler, but the section I removed lies mostly on top and behind the crossmember where cooling would be less effective anyhow. In addition, I live in New England and we don't see a lot of hot weather.
There are three pictures below:
First: A view from the front of the truck looking at the leaky cooling line (it's the line on the right). It doesn't look very leaky from here. This line is the output end that carries the cooled fluid back to the reservoir.
Second: This is a view from the backside of the crossmember (notice the radiator petcock). Now you can see the rusted cooler and the ATF weeping out.
Third: Per Landtank's advice, I chose to go with Mobil DTE 24 (McMaster-Carr part number 2158K11 $17.16 for a gallon) instead of the ATF. Also pictured is the Buna-N hose (McMaster-Carr part number 5394K22 $2.17 per foot).
After I started to hear the steering whine, I found that my power steering fluid was leaking at the cooler. Mine was leaking in the, seemingly common, spot where metal cooling line passes over the crossmember.
Instead of replacing it with a $300 OEM cooler or installing an aftermarket cooler for $50 or so, I chose to cut out the leaky section and extend the flexible rubber hose that returns to the reservoir. Yes, this decreases the surface area of the cooler, but the section I removed lies mostly on top and behind the crossmember where cooling would be less effective anyhow. In addition, I live in New England and we don't see a lot of hot weather.
There are three pictures below:
First: A view from the front of the truck looking at the leaky cooling line (it's the line on the right). It doesn't look very leaky from here. This line is the output end that carries the cooled fluid back to the reservoir.
Second: This is a view from the backside of the crossmember (notice the radiator petcock). Now you can see the rusted cooler and the ATF weeping out.
Third: Per Landtank's advice, I chose to go with Mobil DTE 24 (McMaster-Carr part number 2158K11 $17.16 for a gallon) instead of the ATF. Also pictured is the Buna-N hose (McMaster-Carr part number 5394K22 $2.17 per foot).
The next three pictures:
First: Cutting the line with a Dremel. It's surely messy, but I chose not to drain the fluid as I figured it may act as cutting fluid and carry the chips out and away as the fluid drained from the reservoir.
Second: The tubing 3/8" ID and 1/8" wall. It is not necessary to use high pressure hose, but I liked the abrasion resistance it offered.
Third: Pouring the Mobil DTE 24 through the system (front end on jack stands, engine off, slowly turning steering wheel from lock to lock to move the fluid through). Per RavenTai's advice, I extended the Buna-N hose with a clear section of tubing (the one that terminates in the water bottle). This was pretty cool to watch the old brownish ATF get pushed out by the new, clear DTE 24. In addition, it's nice to be able to watch the air bubbles stop appearing. Since I had a gallon of the DTE, I flushed the whole gallon through.
First: Cutting the line with a Dremel. It's surely messy, but I chose not to drain the fluid as I figured it may act as cutting fluid and carry the chips out and away as the fluid drained from the reservoir.
Second: The tubing 3/8" ID and 1/8" wall. It is not necessary to use high pressure hose, but I liked the abrasion resistance it offered.
Third: Pouring the Mobil DTE 24 through the system (front end on jack stands, engine off, slowly turning steering wheel from lock to lock to move the fluid through). Per RavenTai's advice, I extended the Buna-N hose with a clear section of tubing (the one that terminates in the water bottle). This was pretty cool to watch the old brownish ATF get pushed out by the new, clear DTE 24. In addition, it's nice to be able to watch the air bubbles stop appearing. Since I had a gallon of the DTE, I flushed the whole gallon through.
Last image is the Buna-N tubing attached to the reservoir with the system bled and buttoned up.
I may be my imagination, but I am pretty convinced that the steering takes less effort with the introduction of the Mobil DTE 24; good stuff.
It's been a week since the repair and there are no leaks or issues yet. This is the first time I haven't treated the rig "by the book" and I was just waiting for something to go drastically wrong (yes, just knocked on wood).
I may be my imagination, but I am pretty convinced that the steering takes less effort with the introduction of the Mobil DTE 24; good stuff.
It's been a week since the repair and there are no leaks or issues yet. This is the first time I haven't treated the rig "by the book" and I was just waiting for something to go drastically wrong (yes, just knocked on wood).
sandcruiser
....back in the saddle again....
here's another idea: could you run hardline down the framerail? Like the brake lines?
15 feet of hard line along the rail should throw off a good amount of heat, right?
Just thinking outside the box a little.... the cruiser budget is below zero so I don't get to do anything fun to it right now, but I can still bench wheel. (ok, I do get to wheel almost every day, I just can't spend any money on mods right now)
15 feet of hard line along the rail should throw off a good amount of heat, right?
Just thinking outside the box a little.... the cruiser budget is below zero so I don't get to do anything fun to it right now, but I can still bench wheel. (ok, I do get to wheel almost every day, I just can't spend any money on mods right now)
I used a second OEM ATF cooler for a power steering cooler: https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/343463-power-steering-cooler-install.html
