Power steering fluid leak

[Annie T]

Hi guys
while on the tunnel run my Tuscan mk 1 started losing steering fluid. Could not park (all guys thought this was down to female driving)! Steering very heavy.
Got home thanks to other TVR mates (thank you). Noticed that steering gaiter is soaked in fluid. It seems to be inside the gaiter, but it is v difficult to see where it is coming from. Is it the steering rack?
Any response, ideas?

[Tokyosi]

Sounds like the steering rack seals have gone - happened to me a few months back.

[Annie T]

Thanks for this, I suppose this means the steering rack has to be taken out and a reconditioned unit put in??

[Macey]

Hi Annie,

I must admit that I was one of the guy's thinking that you could not park.

I'm afraid to say that it is the seals inside the gaiter, will be the rack out for either replacement or re-furb. Happened to me as well.

Steve

[Tokyosi]

I was fortunate that it just required the seals being replaced , though that is still a rack out job , hopefully that will be the case for you.

[S6 Devil]

Annie T said:

Thanks for this, I suppose this means the steering rack has to be taken out and a reconditioned unit put in??

I had my mechanic remove my rack, he posted it off to:
M &P steering, Unit 22, Pier Road Ind Estate, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1RZ. 01634-576654.

I phoned them a few days before so they could get the parts in.
They had it back to me in three days at the princely sum of £140 with a years warranty.

They were recommended by a fellow PH.

Touch wood, six months down the road, no problems and no leaks.

[Arapo]

I have a minor leak from the steering rack on my car too. It's been there for quite some time - in fact, it's even stated on an MOT report from 3 years ago (well before I bought the car...).

Last week when I had the last MOT done, it was pointed out again. However, I don't seem to be missing too much fluid in the reservoir, so waiting until it packs it...

£140 for the rebuild seems very reasonable. How much would be the labour though if you don't want to get your hands dirty??

[Mustang Baz]

Apologies if this is a regular issue as the broken search function is not really enabling me to trawl back historically

After a decent drive yesterday and when parking up the Tusc, she suddenly dumped the contents of her power steering fluid all over the road with a suddeness which caught me by surprise. Steering almost instantly went incredibly firm with fluid going all over the front drivers side wheel/ground and so I don't think it is a steering col/seals issue which tends to be more progressive and gradual (I know this from experience!).

If this is, as I suspect, a broken or disconnected power steering hose, is the car driveable to the garage for a fix? It is heavy, but if I cannot negotiate around basic corners, it looks like a flat bed....

[fairclp]

Just had my braided hose replaced as I've been losing fluid for the last few years and it was getting worse. It was found that when the steering was on full lock it would squirt out of a hole in the hose.

Suggest you pull the PAS relay so it is not trying to pump if you decide to drive. A while back, the PAS fuse blew and I drove 25 miles without PAS with no problem.

[Mustang Baz]

fairclp said:

Suggest you pull the PAS relay so it is not trying to pump if you decide to drive. A while back, the PAS fuse blew and I drove 25 miles without PAS with no problem.

Thanks Paul; apologies, but is this a case of pulling the appropriate fuse from the fuse box? Am not necessarily that mechanically minded

[fairclp]

Mustang Baz said:

fairclp said:

Suggest you pull the PAS relay so it is not trying to pump if you decide to drive. A while back, the PAS fuse blew and I drove 25 miles without PAS with no problem.

Thanks Paul; apologies, but is this a case of pulling the appropriate fuse from the fuse box? Am not necessarily that mechanically minded

There's a grey relay in the engine compartment for the PAS. There's a pic on G's Sag site: http://www.varleyhyd.com/FJ062.asp#Power%20Steer - click on the word relay for pic.

[BliarOut]

If the rack needs a rebuild use Kiley Clinton in Birmingham, I could tell you a thing or two about so called 'specialists'!

[dvs_dave]

The Mk1 doesn't have electric power steering like the Mk2 so no fuses to pull. The PAS pump is driven by the engine. Not sure how long a PAS pump can run safely without any fluid in it though?

[BliarOut]

Not long as the fluid lubes the pump bearing.