My 1990 E350 UHaul runs just fine. It was non of for 5 years.

I will post each problem separately to avoid confusion. First, the power steering issue.



It's leaking power steering fluid from somewhere. See images.

My best guess, it's coming from here. It's the highest point of where it seems wet.

This is all under the drivers side.



This is directly under where I suspect the leak is coming from.

 

I don't know what this is, but it's next to the drive shaft


What kind of fluid does this require? And what is this part called? Does it seem like a serious leak?

 

This is where the drive shaft connects to the transmission.

 

This is some kind of on filter. Located by the transmission.






This thing looks like it's never been changed.

 

Hoe serious do these leaks look?

I want to take care of the most important ones first since I'm low on money.

The power steering leaks quickly...

Thank you for reading. Any help will help at this point

 

the power steering could be a loose connection, a leaking hose, or a cracked housing. the only was to really tell is to clean it off, fire it up, and see what is leaking once it is clean.

the canister next to the driveshaft could be anything, you need to follow the hoses to see where they go. but if i had to guess i would have to say it may be a vacuum canister.
the filter may be a fuel filter, or an external trans filter. same thing, follow the lines. they will give you an idea what it is for.
the trans to driveshaft leak looks like the tailshaft seal is leaking. how often do you have to add trans fluid?
mine drips every now and then, but i only have to add a quart every 5-6000 miles, so i don't bother with it.

 

This is an auxiliary oil reservoir. If you follow the lines you will see that one connects to the rear half of the oil cooler unit under the driver side exhaust manifold. This canister is what gives U-Haul vans a 16 qt oil capacity. There are several threads floating around on the topic, but here is one. The leak most likely is coming from the hydraulic lines or fittings.


U-Haul 1990 E-350, 7.3 IDI - Diesel Forum - TheDieselStop.com

 

problem #1,
as posted, it can be leaking from anywhere.
if the powersteering feels good, i would suspect a return line failure.
this is a super cheap fix. get transmission fluid grade rubber line and replace it.
these hoses have factory crimped straps.
they can be pulled off, replaced with the correct rubber line and hose clamped.
cost: 5-6 dollars.
but while youre there, i would replace the pressure line also
usually under $30.

#2 aux oil res. in your picture the feed and return lines are dry.
i would suspect that the canister has failed.
dont think this one will be a cheap fix.
maybe it can be bypassed. but IMO i would replace when cash permits.

#3 is a pretty easy cheap fix, and one that i would address first if you leak large amounts of trans fluid.
pull the driveshaft out, and replace the seal, and inspect the outter diameter of the slip yoke for damage.
the seal is under 10 bucks.
but could easily escalate from there if you find bad u-joints. or maybe a carrier bearing.
any vibration from either point can destroy a tail shaft seal.

#4 may be a degraded hose issue. or a connection issue.
it does look like the most rearward line (the closest one in the picture) is leaking from a connection.
the front one i cant see.
this is going to have to come apart, pull the lines off, wherever they are connected to, trans?
get the filter off, pull the entire filter mount off the frame, pull the fittings out and re-seal the fittings with a liquid thread sealer, not loc-tite

the hoses are an AN style line, if they are leaking you have 1 or 2 issues.
1, the lines are not tight.
2, you have failed lines.
lets hope they are just loose.


clean everything thoroughly, and youll get a better idea.
you should spend some intimate time with your E series and a pressure washer

 

Is there by chance a drain on the rear of that canister? Perhaps the plug is loose, or needs a new washer (just guessing as I've never seen one in person). As mentioned that appears to be the auxiliary oil reservoir that Uhaul added. I remember seeing them on the uhaul parts website and/or their ebay listings.

That filter is most likely an additional oil filter going to the oil canister. My guess is its setup like a bypass filter design, but thats a guess. Basically what everyone else has said, check all the connections.

I agree cleaning up the undercarriage would help you pinpoint exactly what is leaking, and how much its leaking. Like Tom mentioned, a tiny leak isn't always worth fixing, and is giving your truck some corrosion protection at the same time.

 

The aux oil reservoir should have a drain on it. It is supposed to be emptied at each oil change.

 

Check to make sure that's oil on the oil reservoir, that could be P/S fluid blowing back, those hoses are dry and with all that oil on the bottom of the tank I doubt it rusted out. You have to start with the worst leaks first and that for me is the P/S. If the hoses are dry, throw in a reman. steering box, only if all the hoses are dry, and see if it has a cooler for the steering fluid, looks mostly to be on the frame, trace the hoses, from reservoir to cooler, pump, hydra boost if it has it than the box. A good hot water pressure washing would help too. Remember trans fluid is thin and has a tendancy to go everywhere while driving on the highway. Double check, save some money from replacing parts that aren't bad.

 

hey guys. I've been busy working so I have not had time to reply I just got back under the truck. Here is a picture of the oil reservoir canister. it seems that there is a drain

. does this look like it's coming from the drain or under the canister

 

Posting pictures as I'm under this thing

 

 

Looks like that thin gone is also leaking