Power Steering fluid leak at the pump after replacing hose.

[cloudrelic]

I bought a GT with no power steering and no power brakes. Thanks to the misguided suggestion of the seller, I have replaced the whole Hydroboost system before finding out it was just the power steering pump. I believe it broke because of a leak that had started where the hose connects to the pump (which seems to be a common problem) but after replacing both the pump and the hose with brand new parts from AutoZone, I'm still seeing leaks where the brand new parts connect to each other (circled in blue below).


There is a brand-new seal on the hose, but after tightening it down all the way, it's still leaking at a steady rate. After closer inspection by me and my dad, we noticed that the pump itself has an beveled connection point, while the hose has a flat connection point. Could that be the issue? This is the second hose and second pump I've ordered from AutoZone and they've all had their respective different connection points so I'm really lost as to where to go now.

It's entirely possible that during the installation of the new hydroboost system it was done incorrectly, so if anyone could identify if these hoses are connected correctly, I would appreciate it (power steering hose circled in red below)

 

[cobrajeff96]

Yea, that's the high pressure line going from pump to hydro.

Over the years and different iterations of the hydroboost system (namely from 96-98 & 99-04) certain things changed, most notably the hydroboost itself while 95 and below were vacuum boosted so they don't apply.

If for instance a 99+ hydroboost was installed the lines from a 96-98 donor are incompatible. Not saying that's the case with your situation, but just know that there are some incompatibilities.

You'd have to snap a pic of the connection interface inside the power steering pump as well as the mating side of the line connecting to it to be sure that what you will have actually works. And usually on the high pressure interface there is a PTFE or "Teflon" seal to stop the leaks, and a lot of people also apply thread sealant to that connection just to be sure.

 

[cloudrelic]

Do you have any ideas on how to stop the leak itself? There's a brand new hose and seal in there and it just.. didn't work. I've heard a few times that applying thread sealant is a good idea and a few times that it's a bad idea

 

[cobrajeff96]

It's an OEM hose, yes?

It could be something as simple as a torn o-ring that lays into the face of that connection, a torn teflon seal, or just the wrong hose connection.

If it's already leaking, there's no harm now in disassembling it for inspection.

 

[cloudrelic]

Alrighty, so here's what I have

Interior of the power steering pump

And the hose that goes into it.

 

[cobrajeff96]

See how the tip of the threaded connection (on the hardline) has that extended snout? Clean that up real good as it's supposed to mate with an identical recess within the pump connection. Not abrasive or anything but just make sure there's nothing on it. Use a scotch brite pad or sandpaper in >800 grit.

You will need a new white teflon o-ring which might've been the cause of the leak to begin with. You can't over-tighten those (not a lot of grunt is needed when cinching those connections down). You want to get the right replacement teflon o-ring, and it should be damn near impossible to get on the threads without first putting it in boiling water for a few minutes. I use curved picks to just dip the ring in the water and hold it there, or maybe a small flat tip.

Then you'd take the big feed or supply line off the pump (grab a bucket and some towels) to drain the pump overnight and let the connection you care about be free of ATF so you can clean it and make sure it's dry so that thread sealant can actually adhere when you put a little bit of it on the hardline connection.

These things always leak when over-tightened. The teflon o-ring is brittle and can easily crack or split.