Power Steering lost- HELP! ASAP!

[bowtiered]

I normally don't ask these questions, but it's important and i'm not to proud to admit i don't know. I was driving a 2002 ranger when i rit a rut with the front tries and it stapped the steering wheel back to center violently. immediately afterwards i lost power steering unless i revved to about 3000. I checked and saw it was pissing fluid from the power steering pump area. when i took the pump off the pressure hose seemed to be slightly loose, i was easily able to rotate the hose while the fitting remained VERY tight into the power steering pump. my question is- would this leak from the pressure hose be enough to cause a loss of power steering? or is it more likely that i blew some seals within the pump and the leak i saw was more likely coming from the pump itself? thank you very much for any input

 

[gmanpaint]

There is an O ring behind that fitting. It's most likely blown. There will be slop because of this. Replace the O ring and flush the system, and try to find that old seal if it got sucked into the system.

 

[bowtiered]

that would explain a lot- would you happen to know if i could buy just the o-ring? maybe it's a generic size?

 

[gmanpaint]

Should be able to get an O ring from just about any auto parts store. Most have a tray with an assortment.

 

[IZwack]

Find out exactly where the fluid escaped from. I mention this because, at least on the SOHC engine, the high-pressure line's fitting coming from the pump is normally allowed to swivel. So first try and identify exactly where the leak is coming from before throwing parts at it - could be the line, or it could be the pump.

 

[matt0248]

The o-rings are special teflon seals and are very very hard to find replacements for just the o-rings. They come with new hoses, pumps and racks, but to find them on their own is tough. I agree on pinpointing the leak first before replacing anything.

 

[gmanpaint]

my question is- would this leak from the pressure hose be enough to cause a loss of power steering? or is it more likely that i blew some seals within the pump and the leak i saw was more likely coming from the pump itself? thank you very much for any input

I responded to that question. The O-ring (if found) is a cheap inexpensive part(less than $1), so it's not like the OP is out a lot of $$ if it's not the problem.

You guys make it sound as if the OP will lose the farm if the O-ring wasn't the problem. :thumbdwn:

There is a seal inside the pump on the bottom, and if it shrinks up, it will drain the tank. Some Lucas power steering fluid has saved mine in the past as it swelled that seal back to shape. It's just under $10 for a bottle, but you should probably confirm it before you purchase it because spending $10 on a "Possible" fix might break the bank, and this might result in not having the funds for a NEW pump.