will not having power steering hurt anything?

8

89_cougarxr7

Guest
Hey guys, i was just wondering if not having my power steering hooked up hurt anything in the long run? also would i be able to replace the line that runs right behind the oil filter by myself? and if so where would i get that line? thanx

--joel--
 
As a cheap fix you could cut out the section thats leaking and put in a length of hydraulic tubing and some high compression fittings
I did that with my '89 and it has lasted for over 8 years now.
Just make sure you tighten the fittings as tight as you possibly can.
 
these cars are extremely tight with no power steering. much tighter than any car i've driven. an emergency manuver is almost imposible. unless your big daddy deisel. i changed mine when i had my engine out so i'm not sure if it can be changed without lifting your engine. you should change it for safety reasons.
joe
 
Thrty5thSC said:
these cars are extremely tight with no power steering. much tighter than any car i've driven. an emergency manuver is almost imposible. unless your big daddy deisel. i changed mine when i had my engine out so i'm not sure if it can be changed without lifting your engine. you should change it for safety reasons.
joe


well, i am 6'3" and i bench 350 so turning the wheel isnt a problem i was just wondering if anything is gonna get messed up, mechanical wise? anything you can think of would be much appreciated. thanx

--joel--
 
TBirdDriver said:
As a cheap fix you could cut out the section thats leaking and put in a length of hydraulic tubing and some high compression fittings
I did that with my '89 and it has lasted for over 8 years now.
Just make sure you tighten the fittings as tight as you possibly can.

sounds like a good idea to me. where would i pick these items up? thanx

--joel--
 
napa has them. the trick with those is not tightening them to tight. they will work.
good luck daddy deisel. lol.
joe
 
A new line is only like $50-60 at the parts store. Why not just replace it? You do not have to lift the engine to change it, but it will make it easier to change if you do remove the upper and lower IC tubes. You might want to check your motor mounts as they are probably collapsed and the real cause of your power steering line failure.
 
no matter what you can bench, you are still not gonna be able to make a quick evasive maneuver on a car designed to have power steering if it's not working. it is NOT the same as driving a car that didnt come with power steering!. Also how are you gonna 'disconnect' it? the same belt also runs the water pump and alternator. if you just disconnect the hose and let the pump continue to spin you will destroy the pump in short order since it will have no lubrication.
 
so i can get that line at a parts store? is that what im understanding? and what is it gonna take to replace it? besides taking off the IC tubes?

the pump isnt disconnected in any way, its just not working due to the hole in the line. what ive noticed while driving this thing without P/S since October is that when i attempt to turn the wheel hard and fast that the tires just like slip. they lose their grip for some reason. when i did have P/S they didnt do that.

thanx alot for your help guys, i really need it..lol.

take it easy.
--joel--
 
well if you have been driving it since october with the belt spinning the pump, but no fluid in the system due to a hole in the line, then you almost certainly have destroyed the pump. yes you can get the pump and the lines at Napa. i wouldn't even bother just replacing the lines, do the pump at the same time. most napa stores will loan you the pulley remover/installer if you leave a deposit (some charge a rental fee, the Napa i work at does not, just a deposit)
 
i had the the same leak because of bad mounts, and i drove like that with no p/s for 4 months and i just put the line on and the pump was fine. this was four years ago, i still have the same pump too. maybe i was just lucky because that is not good for the pump. just change the line first and see if the pump is still good. my brother in law is a manager at napa so i got mine for like 25 bucks. i don't even know if that was with his discount or not. it's definitly cuased by your engine mounts, don't buy them from napa. i went through three sets in two years and not alot of miles. fluid filled mounts are just junk. i baught the ones from mn12performance.com , they are 80 bucks. i got the em200 kit which has the solid (rubber) motor mounts and tranny mount for 100 bucks 110 shipped. they are 55 bucks a piece at napa for just the fluid filled e/m's at napa thats 110 for just motor mounts. i got the tranny mount too for the same price.
good luck bro,
joe
 
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power steering line?

Well, i think im gonna head over to the local NAPA parts store over here, but what should i ask for? is there a technical term for it? and how hard will it be to replace on my own?

thanx for everyones .02, i really appreciate it. take it easy

--joel--
 
the line that is usually leaking is the high pressure line. it's the one that loops over to the pass. side and then back to the driver side. high pressure p/s line.
good luck
joe
 
If you have trouble finding the exact replacement hose, or it's very expensive, you could just make a new hose - Aeroquip, Russel, and Earl's all make power steering hose and steel fittings. If all you needed was a foot of hose and a couple hose ends, it might be cheaper than the exact replacement.
 
aight, unfortunately its sunday and nothing is open so im gonna have to wait till tomorrow. is this something they're gonna have in stock or are they gonna have to order it? i hate waiting : P.

if the pump ends up being shot, how much do you think its gonna cost to have s shop install a new one, or would it be easier to do it myself? thanx for every thing guys. i'll let you know what happens tomorow. take it easy.

--joel--
 
they had mine in stock. if they have to order it should only take a day or two. napa gets stuff pretty quik, i never had to wait more than two days for anything. except for a chilton manual on cd rom. that took about a week. do the pump your self, otherwise they will rape you. the only special tools you need is a pully puller for the pump pully. i think your pump will be fine though. how long has the pump been dry? like i said i went four months with no fluid in it.
joe
 
cool, its been about 4 months or so. i dont remember the exact date. but i'll see what happens. how much did the section of line cost? and how much would it cost to rent a pully puller? thanx

--joel--
 
i paid 25 bucks for the line, my brother in law hooks me up so it may be a little more. i baught a puller from advance auto for 25 bucks, it's a three jaw puller for harmonic balancers. i think the same puller will work for the p/s pump. don't worry about the pump yet cause i think it will be fine. put the line on first and see if it's ok. i'm willing to bet it is. when you get the line on fill the pump then start the car and turn the wheel left to right only a little at a time, when you get some fluid in it it's gonna whine like crazy. when you turn it and the whine gets louder stop and turn the other way and keep turning the wheel farther in each direction each time. little to the left, little to the right, a little more to the left, a little more to the right... ect, till you can turn it end to end with no whine . you'll have to keep adding fluid till it's full, it will take more than you think. you can put atf transmission fluid in it. it's the same thing as p/s fluid and alot cheaper. let me know how you make out.
good luck
joe
 
Regular cost for us non hooked up folk will run $50-60. I would not however recommend a three jaw puller to pull the pulley off. You should be able to rent a p/s pulley puller made specifically for this job at most chain parts stores. Just tell them you need a p/s pulley puller for a Ford and they should know what you are talking about. The pulley on my pump was plastic and I would worry about cracking it with a 3 jaw. Also the p/s/ pulley puller also is used to reinstall the pulley when you are done. Normally a chain parts store will make you put a deposit down for the tool and then give it back to you when you return the tool (pretty good deal in my mind).
 
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