Ok I have just about fixed every leak on this truck. The only thing I have left is the powersteering leak. I have replaced the pump so pretty sure it isn't that. Is it possible the steering gear is leaking and a gasket kit would fix that? What typically fails I guess?

 

I gotta suscribe to thsi thread.... camper got a nasty P/S leak, and I think it is the gear box.... made a hell of a mess under everywhere on the drivers side!

All rubber bushings on drivers side - gone


From what I can see, looks like it's leaking inside the frame rail where it bolts to it, and going everywhere from there!

 

my 91 did the same thing. got worse by the day until i was dumping in a pint of ps fluid every 50 miles. Never did figure out the problem unfortunalty, just ended up parting out the whole thing

 

A gear box is $144 from Autozone. I think the gasket kit is around $50. Or I wonder if new hoses would fix it or new o-rings in the hoses. I have managed to get all the oil leaks fixed except for the valve cover gaskets and I bought those, just waiting on a cooler day to put those in.

 

Clean everything off and find out where its leaking from. With the fan blowing, and wind from driving, the fluid could be coming from all kinds of places, the pump, hoses, gear, cooler (tube on engine crossmember).

 

Well guys it finally got worse. I was having to add to it almost every other day. I replaced the pressure hose coming off of the power steering pump. I believe where the metal tube connected to the rubber hose was leaking. So far so good, no noticible drips or leaks yet. It was only $20 at the autozone. I will probably change the low pressure or return hose also this weekend. I sprayed the heck out of it with engine degreaser. It was little use. I need something powerful to eat all the oil and crud away, but not so powerful that it eats through my hoses.

 

Sounds good on the leak...Problem with little gearboxes like our trucks have, they aren't very repairable. I have resealed countless Sheppards, and TRW's on big trucks and dump trucks. Our little gear boxes are usually junk by the time they start to leak. Parts to fix them are higher then a reman box. I have even gone through the trouble of making new bushings for some of these little guys and it wasn't worth it.

 

When I got my truck it was leaking from the pump, the box, and the pressure hose. It leaked so bad that the previous owner kept his used motor oil in jugs in the bed and every morning he filled the PS pump up with the used oil. He was kind enough to include some used oil with the truck to make sure I got home safely! The brakes went out on the way home and I went 45 mph through a busy intersection, but that's another story. Not long after I started driving it, the steering gearbox would no longer give power assist when turning right. This is probably valve failure from months or years of running used oil. I replaced the pump with a junkyard pump, I put on a junkyard steering box, and I replaced the pressure hose with a new one. I also added some lucas stop leak. Now I only add fluid every few weeks, and the truck turns good. My new JY box has some slack though and it wanders around in the wind. Oh well. It seems the steering system on these trucks will go south in a hurry when abused.

 

My replacement steering box has too much play in it, I am looking to get one from ford to see if that brings my good steering back.

 

I was refilling the PS on my 94 f150 every couple days, couldn't locate a leak, I dumped in 1 1/2 qts of walmart's brand of PS leak stop fluid and haven't had to add fluid for over a year.

 

You can adjust the bolt that sticks out of the steering box and I believe remove some of the play. Other places where play can exist are the tie rod ends, rag joint, and where the column extends is a joint that can loosen up with time. Also, if the rest of your front suspension is loose, that could show up as loose steering (like bad ball joints, lack of trac-bar, etc...)

 

I remember reading that somewhere but I couldn't find a bolt on mine...maybe I should look again. New moog steering links from box to hub. Ball joints seemed fine when I checked them.

 

If the bolt is there (and id should be...) It sticks right out the the top of the box. Loosen the nut, screw the bolt in a little bit, retighten the nut. It provides a preload to the sector shaft. I think there is an official way to adjust it. I want to say it has something to do with how much torque it takes to turn the steering wheel past straight ahead in both directions, but can't remember off the top of my head. Its in the service manual though.

I did notice the slip joint in the steering shaft was messed up on my truck and that seemed to be causing some play.

 

Ok, I'll check the top, maybe thats why I didn't see it.