Power steering problems

[Jared]

Hi JEC, I've had my 1988 V12 since July. The car is in pretty good shape, however I did note that the PAS fluid needed regular topping up, could not quite see where it was leaking from but it has been leaking whilst parked. After a run last Sunday I was backing the car into my garage, with the steering on hard lock all the fluid leaked out the system resulting in heavy steering and the PAS pump making a protesting noise. I've not yet put the car on ramps to see where the leak is coming from (later in the week). Can any members advise if this is a steering rack problem or hydraulic lines? There does not seem to be much leakage from around the pump, seems mostly to come from where the steering rack is I think (I'm still finding my way around the car).
Also do any members recomend changing the steering rack bushes for better nylon ones?

[Brakebuster]

on the V12 there is a power steering fluid cooler mounted on the front subframe,

check there first, as the cooling coils can rust out ,

it can also come out of the top of the ' tower ' on the valve section of the rack ,

BB

[davidr]

I would agree with BB about likely causes of leaks - could be the cooling coils, hoses, pinion seal etc etc - they have many ways of leaking!
In answer to your question about rack bushes I would go for the poybush type. They improve the feel and make the steering more positive and less prone to wandering but don't make the feedback harsh. I have them on my V12 and they are a great improvement.
Regards
David

[ptjs1]

Yes, as David says, 'urethane rack bushes every time!

Paul

[PaulGover]

A counter-argument - if you have the sports-pack bushes, I'd leave them, assuming they're not falling apart, of course. There's very little difference in the amount of free movement, and they're not easy to remove.

I believe even the standard bushings are OK, provided you replace the rubber-faced thrust washers if they're showing signs of wear or decay. There should be only a small amount of free movement, but in many cases the bushes and thrust washers have been attacked by oil leaks, and that reduces everything to jelly.

Of course, if your bushes are on their way out, it's easiest to replace with plastic, and they won't decay.

If you do replace them, have a bag of washers to fill the gaps between the bushes and the mounting horns on the subframe. I've seen recommendations to bend the horns to remove the play, which strikes me as very dangerous on a safety-related item. The bushes should be shimmed to a comfortable close fit to the mountings; you should not be applying significant bending force to take out the slack. My genuine Jaguar replacement subframe had a lot of slack in the left hand mounting.

[Jared]

Thanks for advice chaps, I managed to jack the car up this evening after I'd run the engine and the fluid to leak. I could not find the PAS oil cooler but took a shot of where the leaking fluid is coming from. Any suggestions?

[ng4xjs]

Can anyone help mw please? Just had a hose made up from me using the existing ends. Problem is that the hose company put another connector just behind the right angle bend in front of the pump. Stopped the hose from leaking and dripping fluid over the hot exhaust which is good. Problem is that try as I might I just cannot get their re-engineered joint to stop weeping. Looking for a new hose if anyone has or knows of one for sale. Much appreciated.

Thanks
Nick