power steering hose leak

[Lee H]

Thanks for the follow up, interesting information. After 40 plus years and who knows how many owners I'm never surprised at what these trucks have been through. This site is one of the best I've seen. Lots of great folks more than willing to lend a hand. I'm sure most if not all problems have been solved at one time or another.

[Hack71]

I might have the same problem, I bought my truck and decided to put a crate engine in it, I thought might as well replace water pump belts hoses etc. while I have it tore down. I purchased all my items and while waiting for everything to arrive I pulled the engine and took everything apart. I threw away all my hoses belts etc. figuring I have new stuff on the way, My parts arrived and I got busy with other things, needless to say 6 weeks later I am putting together the truck, with crate engine and all the new parts, everything went together pretty good until I went to start the truck. I had power steering fluid everywhere, leaking from the pressure side on the gear fitting, tried to tighten it but couldn't get it tight enough, pulled the hose thought maybe it was cracked but it was still good. The inner fender well is in the way of looking at the gear box side of the fitting, thought I had the wrong hose but every where I looked it was the same. Never thought that someone changed out the gear box. I still don't have a fix yet, maybe a newer style hose or those adapters, the truck came with power steering so I "Assumed" that I needed that year part.

[cigar-]

Hack71,

I may have the solution to your situation. I have a 71 truck that someone had changed the steering gear on. They put in a later model gear that takes a hose different from the correct 1971 high pressure side hose. If you try to put the correct hose into that steering gear, you're going to have an endless leak.

The correct gear has a flared fitting in the orifices of the steering gear. Those flares fit the flared ends of the correct hose. If the orifices in your steering gear appear to be flat with a machines recess in them, you have a later model steering gear in your truck. The 1973 to 1984 steering gear looks identical to the correct one. In fact, the body is identical.

Solutions:

1 - change the steering gear to the correct one. I went to Lee Manufacturing in Sun Valley, CA. They are pros at these things. I mean they are PROS. This what they do.....rebuild with all new parts and guarantee the gear as long as you put in a new pump so as to not contaminate the new gear. If you do this the new hose will fit and not leak.

2 - if you have the gear with the flat machined orifices, keep the gear you have and use the later model hose that takes an o-ring under the fitting. It should thread into your pump and seal fine.

3 - get the aluminum inserts from Lee Manufacturing that pop into the orifices of the later model gear and then use the year correct hose. The inserts cost around $20.00. You will have to pop out the restrictor inserts that are in your later model steering gear to get the aluminum inserts to fit in. Lee Manufacturing can help you with instructions.

I opted to have a newly rebuilt steering gear from them and had them rebuild my pump. My truck steers like a champ and doesn't wander/oversteer/understeer like it used to. Lee isn't the cheapest but I can say they're the best!!!

[Hack71]

My Problem is solved!! I needed the flare fittings that sit between the hose and the gear. I purchased the fittings from Speedway and installed them, No Leaks. Thanks Everyone this site Rocks!!