OK - brief history - 2004 v10 with lots of miles and more rust than I know what to do with. Got home vacation and there is a puddle of steering fluid in the driveway. Diagnosis - rusted steering line up front.

So wife wanted to ditch the truck and basically I refused - so my project for the next week is to replace the steering lines and the steering box. Ordered the redhead steering box from the group buy. Won't be here til mid week.

Today I plan to remove as much as I can. Got the truck up on my rhino ramps.

Went to work and I already have two questions

1 - when I moved the truck had awful steering noise - it took about 2 minute to get the truck up. Could I have damaged the pump in that amount of time (this is just a theoretical question - I am not going to replace it unless I have to)

2 - and this is my real question - how do you get to the front end of the lines behind the radiator? I can't see the end. Point me to a DIY? Remove the front bumper? Remove the cross brace thing underneath?

One step at a time here, but I want to get the lines off by noon so I can get to the dealership and order new lines.

 

OK - I should retitle this post how not to change a power steering line.

So recap - leaking line. I establish this is the line that goes from the cooler to the reservoir. I figure at the same time I can change all the lines and also the gear box. Wife says we should get rid of the truck. So I order a new steering box and start dis-assembly today when she is at work.

Step 1 - can not see where the line attaches to the cooler. So remove the front bumper

Step 2 - remove the reservoir bolts so I can get to the line on the bottom. Realize I even with the bolts removed can't get to the bottom.

Step 3 - remove air cleaner, both ends

Step 4 - remove the thing in front of the reservoir - maybe a vacuum thing for the brakes?

Step 5 - remove the line and realize it is not the one that was leaking. The leaking one goes from the steering box to the the cooler

Step 6 - break the line at the steering box and remove it.

Step 7 - go to autozone and they have the correct line I need in stock and get two quarts of fluid (with my $20 on my autozone card total is $16)

Step 8 - put back on line that was not leaking

Step 9 put back on line that was leaking

Step 10 - put back on vacuum thing and air cleaner

step 11 - put back on power steering resrvoir.

Step 12 - put in fluid and leave cap off and start truck. Move steering wheel lock to lock to get air out

Step 13 - realize you should not ever do that without the cap on. there is fluid everywhere.

Step 14 - clean up fluid

Step 15 - bleed system again

Step 16 - inspect for leaks and still leaking at reservoir.

Step 17 - check fittings and find out I did not put the clamp back up on the connection for the line that I took off - the line that was not leaking

Step 18 - spend 10 minutes trying to get clip back up without taking anything apart

Step 19 - remove air cleaner and vacuum thing

Step 20 - fasten line to reservoir correctly

Step 21 - put back on vacuum thing and air cleaner

Step 22 - put back on bumper

So for 3 hours of time and $16 the Ex is back to life

Still have the gear box coming but now no rush to do it. Overall did not go as bad as a lot of things I have attempted.

 

Look in the Tech folder. Christina did a write up with pics.