Wire gauge to gp
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Wire gauge to gp
What guage wires should I use from my solenoid to my gp's? The fuseible links don't work worth a d#$!. what amp fuse can i put inline aafter the solenoid but before the gp's? Should a 6.9 be able to start cold in 70* weather w/o the gps? Also is the power steering fluid light consistency and adrk brown? Lighter than engine oil, but heavier than washer fluid. It doesn't really smell and is dripping off the blasted pitman arm...thanks
Post Fiend
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From: Manitoba
What year controller do you have pre 87 or post 87.........
Post 87 6.9/7.3 uses 10 ga wires with 14ga fusible links to the relay. The 2 relay to GPs wires are 10 ga also.
Post 87 6.9/7.3 uses 10 ga wires with 14ga fusible links to the relay. The 2 relay to GPs wires are 10 ga also.
Last edited by PLC7.3; Apr 1, 2006 at 11:26 PM.
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solid state I'm pretty sure. Motor was built may of 1987 however. The harness in there right now that is shot has bullet connectors. The harness i made of totally of fusible links lights a lamp at the gp, but the gp doesnt' heat... Could i just use 10 ga all the way and be fine or do i need a fuse? The fusible links are driving me nuts.
Post Fiend
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From: Nutter Fort, WV
Pre 87 is 1 - 10AWG to each bank of glow plugs.
Fuse would have to be in the 100 amp range.
Power steering fluid is clear and about the weight of auto transmission fluid.
No real smell to it in my opinion, but my smeller don't work very well either.
When it is warm I usually give mine a couple of seconds of glow plug heat for the first start of the day so it is easier on the starter. After it has fired and run for a couple minutes I never use them for the rest of the day. But I usually am driving somewhere at least once every four hours or so.
You may need new seals on the pitman arm shaft, but the steering box is cheap enough that it may be a better option to replace the steering box. No worn parts to worry about that way.
Also check the hose connections on the power steering pump. A leak there will drop on the steering box and then drip off the bottom of it. I had to replace my hoses a couple of years ago when I thought it was the steering box leaking.
Fuse would have to be in the 100 amp range.
Power steering fluid is clear and about the weight of auto transmission fluid.
No real smell to it in my opinion, but my smeller don't work very well either.
When it is warm I usually give mine a couple of seconds of glow plug heat for the first start of the day so it is easier on the starter. After it has fired and run for a couple minutes I never use them for the rest of the day. But I usually am driving somewhere at least once every four hours or so.
You may need new seals on the pitman arm shaft, but the steering box is cheap enough that it may be a better option to replace the steering box. No worn parts to worry about that way.
Also check the hose connections on the power steering pump. A leak there will drop on the steering box and then drip off the bottom of it. I had to replace my hoses a couple of years ago when I thought it was the steering box leaking.
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^ thanks alot. Will check the hoses tomorrow. It just suddenly started leaking after i took it through the 'undercarriage' wash at the carwash. Left a small puddle, but stopped since... So i can use 10 gauge from the battery to the solenoid, and from the solenoid to the plugs? If they dont' work then, it must be the plugs.... A fuse should be in-line correct? but from the battery to the solenoid? or Solenoid to GPS? Thanks.....hopefully the darnded things will work.
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^ thanks for that. Have to get the power steering pump replaced now though. It took a dump on the way home. Never knew it could be so noisy. What all should i replace and how should i go about it? Looks kinda hard to do... Pump is cheap from autozone at like $55 or so. Any special tools?? thanks!
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If you have a/c it can be a little tricky but if you dont it is very simple, check your return line to the power steering pump, they some times rub up against inner fender causing the leak. The hardest part of re & re the ps pump is the pressure line, it can be a pain getting it back on! If it is the return line, run the new line thru heater hose for extra protection. Hope this helps. PS sounds like you ran the pump dry so you have to get the air out of the lines [even if you dont install a new pump], with the the cap off the pump. keep turning steering wheel left to right [or right to left if you prefer]. This will work the air out of the system. LOL
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Well, I ended up replacing the lower pitman arm seal on the steering gearbox. Tightened the gear mesh up a bit and it drives better now. Although, i drove about 2 blocks thinking the air from draining the steering box would get out of the system, only to pull over and find the pump reservoir empty. How quick do these get damaged? Filled it and although the fluid is a bit aerated, everything works great. I had to take the tie rods off the pitman arm and was curious if the castle nut needs just to be snug with the pin in it or if it needs a special amount of torque. With the pin I'd imagine I don't need to worry about the tie rods working their way loose, but i used the old pins. Is that something that needs to be replaced everytime they are removed?? I wonder how the seal failed though. Kinda started leaking slow then the next day just started spraying everything.
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