In my 1988 f150 I got a power steering leak. Where is the most common place the fluid leaks from?

 

The C2 pump, being the sad excuse for a hydraulic pump that it is, likes to leak from the o-ring seal between the reservoir and pump body and also from the pressure control valve where it threads into the pump body. If that's the case, head over to AutoZone and ask for a seal kit. It's less than $10 and beats the tar out of buying a new or reman pump. You'll need the pulley tool to take off and reinstall the pulley, which you can buy at Harbor Freight or rent from AZ while you're there.

The other leaks are usually from that goofed-up fitting that threads into the pump discharge port. It uses a teflon seal on the outside diameter of it where it threads into the pressure control valve on the pump and ALSO has an internal o-ring that allows the line to swivel for some stupid reason. This internal seal can't be replaced so if it blows it's time to replace the line.

Other than that, the last usual leak is when the pitman arm shaft seal blows on the steering box. But you'll know it if that goes, it's pretty obvious and it don't happen often as far as I know.

Of course anything else can leak too, but those are the most common. Best bet is to hit everything with brake cleaner (the GOOD stuff with chlorine in it, the other crap is weak) and watch for it to start leaking. Should be able to see where it's coming from pretty easy, just remember that the radiator fan will blow oil back towards the firewall, so keep that in mind when looking for the actual leak.

 

My 93 was leaking from the pressure line, where it mounts to the pump its self. Clean off the unit and turn the truck on. Have someone move the wheel and check for leaks. Luckily mine was right up top