Power steering cooler

[hammermachine]

Part

Why go through all this to get a PS pressure hose that Schucks or Napa stock for the same price?

Near me none of the Pep Boys have it (special order item) and the nearest Advanced I refuse to go to anymore. The only store that might have closes before I get home.

 

[ryoken]

you have no Napa?

 

[hammermachine]

Hose leak

I will add just a bit of info into this thread to help out.

Line size is all important in power steering systems.

Make sure that as you add a cooler that the lines into the cooler are -8 which = 1/2". Then it also needs to be a free flowing cooler. Many times the coolers that you get from transmissions are -6 sized. The addition of the cooler adds restriction in the line and can starve the pump of fluid.

If you look at PSC, Howe etc. installs they all have -10 or 12 lines from a remote res. to the pump then -6 lines from the pump to the steering gear with a -8 line as the return.

Again watch line size and cooler restriction. It can hurt and even ruin a pump if these are not correct.

Also don't run ATF. GM power steering fluid is good as well as any of the synthetics. I ran GM fluid for 5+ years on the same pump in not so nice conditions and never had a problem.

Been having this issue since I installed the cooler. It's leaking slowly at the connection on the side that goes from the steering box to the cooler. I put two spring clamps but either I'm missing the gap or they can't hold the flow. I was thinking about drilling out the fitting to widen the flow.

 

[miniwally]

Been having this issue since I installed the cooler. It's leaking slowly at the connection on the side that goes from the steering box to the cooler. I put two spring clamps but either I'm missing the gap or they can't hold the flow. I was thinking about drilling out the fitting to widen the flow.

Spring Clamps? As in the ones you have to grab with a pair of pliers to "open" so you can remove them?

If so, Throw that **** as far away from the truck as you can and use some real hose clamps. Better yet use the right fittings and hose.

Push lock stuff and field repair fittings are not that expensive in the long run.

Sorry I tried three times to sugar coat that but it just didn't come out right.

 

[hammermachine]

My mistake I meant hose clamps, not spring clamps. The ones that came with the new return hose and with the cooler.

 

[miniwally]

My mistake I meant hose clamps, not spring clamps. The ones that came with the new return hose and with the cooler.

You can get that to seal. It is not uncommon to see two and even three hose clamps on the return lines.

Remember it's not flow, it's pressure. Even though the pressure isn't that great it is still there.

Fittings and hoses is one area that I was lucky enough to start into using the "right" fitting and hose for the job. I am to the point that hose clamps as a clamping method are the last resort.

If it were me I would look into parker pushlock type hose and fittings. If you actually step the whole system up to high pressure hose and field repair fittings then all you have to do is carry a section of hose to install in place of a failed hose. The fittings are still good and you just remove them and install on the new hose.

PSC seems to have a nice selection of fittings. You can use the blue push lock fittings on the low pressure stuff then the reusable fittings for the high pressure stuff. Carry one length of high pressure hose in the spares and you have what you need to fix either a high pressure line or return line.

http://www.pscmotorsports.com/hose-fittings-belts-fittings-c-127_154.html