2002 XLT 4.6L passengers side power steering pressure hose bracket (picture request)

[LMHmedchem]

Hello,

The power steering pressure hose (going from the pump to the rack) is secured in three places. The hose fittings are secured into the rack by a plate that fits over a stud on the rack and is held down by a flange nut. There is also a bracket that attaches to a stud low down on the engine just to the drivers side of the harmonic balancer. This bracket is also secured with a flange nut. The final bracket connects to the U-shaped metal section in the middle of the hose and is secured with a M8 bolt. The bolt is threaded into the upper inside section of the cross-member on the passengers side, about half way up.

I have a question about the positioning of this last bracket that bolts to the cross-member.

The new hoses do not include these brackets, so I took them off of the old hose. For the bracket that bolts into the cross-member, I forgot to take a picture of how it is attached to the hose and the position is not entirely clear to me. The way in which the bracket is attached to the hose will determine how and where the host sits in the engine bay, so this is important. Also, there are three holes in the cross member at the area where the bracket attaches. One hole is in the center (front to back) and the other two holes are on either side. This creates allot of options for how the bracket can be attached.

Can someone take a picture of this bracket as attached to the hose and let me know which hole the bracket is bolted into? I think it should be visible from under the front looking to the passengers side of the rubber flap on the bottom part of the fan shroud. It may be visible from the top but I don't know. I have the fan, fan shroud, and radiator hoses out of mine and I can't tell if they would be in the way or not.

Please let me know if I have botched the explanation or if I could post pictures that would be helpful.

Thanks,

LMHmedchem

 

[LMHmedchem]

I think that the only reasonable way to get a picture of this would be to stick a phone down the hole between the radiator fan shroud and the air filter box. The radiator hose running from the bottom of the reservoir to the bottom of the radiator will be in the way, so you would have to get just below that. I think there should be enough room in there to get a shot. Otherwise I think a picture would have to be taken from behind the cross-member from underneath, which would mean getting it off the ground, at least for me (I definitely don't fit underneath). Maybe a selfie stick would work but I have never used one so I don't know.

LMHmedchem

 

[fordysenior]

Can you post any pictures to help? I just stuck a regular camera around the crossmember on both sides, but it's hard to get a good pic. I took about 12 pics, but I'm not sure if they'll help. And all I have is a flip phone. Maybe there's a video on YouTube that can help. And mine is an early model 4x4 if that matters. I have not had to have any repairs with the power steering so I'm not familiar with it.

 

[LMHmedchem]

Can you post any pictures to help? I just stuck a regular camera around the crossmember on both sides, but it's hard to get a good pic. I took about 12 pics, but I'm not sure if they'll help. And all I have is a flip phone. Maybe there's a video on YouTube that can help. And mine is an early model 4x4 if that matters. I have not had to have any repairs with the power steering so I'm not familiar with it.

This is a picture taken down into the engine bay. The fan and fan shroud have been removed so it is easy to see.

The red arrows point to the possible bracket mount holes. Only the forward most hole is visible in this picture. The large black hose is the hose that runs from the bottom of the coolant reservoir to the bottom of the radiator. You can see half of the harmonic balancer all the way to the right and the s-belt tensioner above the arrows. The visible hole at the end of the arrow is in the cross-member, but several inches up the curved portion. The flat part of the cross-member starts under the two pressure hoses about at the left end of the PS fluid cooler.

I also only carry a flip phone, so hopefully there is someone with long arms and newer technology who can help.

LMHmedchem

 

[fordysenior]

From last night--

 

[LMHmedchem]

From last night--

View attachment 342880

This is so annoying, you can see everything in this picture except how the bracket is attached to the cross-member. Thanks very much for giving it a shot.

Actually, I think I can get everything I need from this picture, even though you can't see more than the part of the bracket that is wrapped around the hose and grommet. That little part of the bracket shows which direction the bracket mounts to the hose (the bracket looks different on the other side so you can see which direction it is facing). You can also see where the hoses sit in the engine bay. The hoses actually sit much further back than I would have guessed. I would have thought that they were both sitting on the cross-member tucked between the cooler and the rack. This picture shows the top hose sitting over the rack. This means that the bracket is likely mounted in the furthest back hole, or in the center hole and the bracket is angled.

I can attached the brackets to my new hose and then see which mounting position will position the hoses in the engine bay according to this picture.

Thanks for the help, I think I can put it back together now. I will post some pictures of the installed parts.

LMHmedchem

 

[fordysenior]

Maybe.....

 

[LMHmedchem]

Thanks, that picture shows the positioning of the bracket I needed.

I should be able to reinstall the hoses now, though I am missing the o-ring for the lower hose pictured above. It just wasn't in the bag with the hose. I am putting high temperature thread sealant on the fitting that goes into the pump and also the fitting that connects the two hoses.

LMHmedchem

 

[fordysenior]

Best of luck to you -- and my pics show the vehicle as is from the factory.