Power steering fluid leak...

[MA70-3.0GT]

Gahhh, more proof that cars hate standing out of use... Only had the supra in regular service for a week or so after a lay up & now it's using more dexron II than petrol!!!

It looks like it's coming from the high pressure hose from the PAS pump to the rack (not sure if it's relevant but it's the progressive type PAS).

I had hoped it was a split in the low pressure return hose since it seemed worse when the fluid was hot but after changing those yesterday & running up to temp. the inner wing & I/C pipework are again drenched.
Anyway just a couple of Q's for anyone that's swapped the pipes.

First off, is it even possible to remove/replace the high pressure feed hose from pump to rack without dropping the rack or stripping half the turbo system out? I've only had a cursory glance over it but is seems very tight for access.

Second, what grade/pressure rating should the hose be? I'm planning to take the thing to our local hydraulic hose specialist as they're only a 5min bike ride from home, and have them fit new hose to the original hard lines & end fittings, but the hose doesn't seem to have any ratings on it (possibly the ink was destroyed by soaking in dexron) so I could do with finding out to avoid buying something that will go "pop" during hard cornering!

Third & final thing, Has anyone else experienced the same issue of gradual PAS fluid loss getting worse when hot & steadily getting worse in general? and if so was it the actual H/P hose, just wondering if I'm missing something else since the pipes are covered in that nasty spongy stuff that soaks up & then drips the fluid everywhere making it very hard to define exactly where the leak is from.

Cheers for any help guys.

[My88isGREAT]

Hey, to replace the high pressure side power steering hose, you will need to loosen or take off the two motor mount nuts, and jack up the front of the motor a few inches then you can weave the hose through there and get it repositioned in the brackets and bolted back up. Its not a big deal and should not take too long. About the PSI rating, it should be all in the brand you buy. I got mine from horsepowerfreaks.com, but you can probably get one from Toyota or Advanced auto. The other skinny lines are just return lines and don't need any special power rating. As for your messy situation, I sent my rack off to be rebuilt because I did not want to buy one that was made in china (or rebuilt in china) from a retailer. Hope this helps!!

[cre]

Originally Posted by MA70-3.0GT

Second, what grade/pressure rating should the hose be? I'm planning to take the thing to our local hydraulic hose specialist as they're only a 5min bike ride from home, and have them fit new hose to the original hard lines & end fittings, but the hose doesn't seem to have any ratings on it (possibly the ink was destroyed by soaking in dexron) so I could do with finding out to avoid buying something that will go "pop" during hard cornering!

The folks at the hydraulic shop should know what specs and what chemical tolerances they need to meet for this line.

Originally Posted by MA70-3.0GT

Third & final thing, Has anyone else experienced the same issue of gradual PAS fluid loss getting worse when hot & steadily getting worse in general?

All leaks are like this in nature.... sometimes the progression is too quick for us to notice or too slow.