bluesmuso

Sorry Craig for not replying sooner, I have not looked at this thread for a while because it was the pump and the leak is just a bad memory now, no problems at all, no leaks and clean engine bay. No I didn't have to remove the pulley, it is part of the pump, just remove the 3 bolts holding the pump on (the pulley has holes in it to access these bolts from the front) and remove and replace the pump, very easy access (love these inline engines) once the serpentine drive V belt is off it's easy. Off topic but, today I hit a sharp kerb and tore a chunk out of my F/L tyre and damaged the rim (18X8 speedy envy mk III) cosmetic only no flat spot in rim. Bloody councils if only they kept their kerbs in good repair, this one had almost an inch of sharp concrete sticking out where a join had moved, and it was a curving road so parking parallel was difficult, as I stopped to pick up my son bang it hit (I'll need a wheel alignment to but it needed one anyway) .........not a good day for me, I complained to the council but they were not particularly interested.

Day 2 and still no leaks.

I replaced the pump, quite an easy straight forward job, I'll keep you posted on how it goes. bluesmuso

Can anyone here tell me whether replacing the seals is a hard job or not? I am assuming that simply replacing the pump is the easier solution but replacing the seals is certainly the cheaper option.

Turbo Jet, the Ford genuine replacement hose is "non serviceable" due to an internal circlip which clicks holding the hose in place for rapid assembly on the production line, it is infact a serviceable replacement part (the nut is $14.00 from ford but you have to carefully split the old nut to remove it first, it is the nut which usually needs replacing (apparently the internal o-ring goes) unless the actual hose is damaged which would be more likely on higher mileage older vehicles. The replacement genuine hose from ford is an absolutely ridiculous $347.00 for the Turbo models, the Repco replacement hose is fine as long as the O-ring is up to it and costs $86 for an virtually identical hose, I doubt whether there would be a difference in high pressure ratings between the hoses, if the Repco one was not up to it surely they could not market and sell it, having seen both genuine and Repco hoses up close I didn't think that the O-rings on either were thick enough and looked as if they'd fail easily. But I see your point Turbo Jet once Ford has fixed it if it leaks afterward they have to warranty their work by rectifying post mechanical problems, it's a good point you made, but I really don't like mechanics buggering with my car unless I have no other choice. In retrospect I think my leak is from the pump seal behind the pulley (thanks mic)

Yes I thought of that but I'm scared of Ford replacing the hose again and then a new pump as well and although I will no longer have a power steering leak I will also have no money left for a flash tune. I think I'll either replace the pump or buy a pump seal kit (Repco do them about $20) but I think in spite of being far cheaper replacing the seals would be a far more difficult job than replacing the pump.

UPDATE: = Didn't have to wait very long.......Bloody fail, still leaks if I boot it too much! Adrian6T the reason I've been blaming the torque is because it only leaks when I get up it, last week I took it really easy (grandma style) and not a drop for two days, then I passed a parked bus and booted it in 1st to get past before the oncoming car got too close and then pulled over to check and power steering fluid everywhere. The torque probably creates a torsional (twisting) stress on the power steering line thus breaking the seal momentarily. But after today I am not so sure of my tenacious detective work because the power steering fluid is all over the underneath of the bonnet in perfect line with the pulley seal/bearing. I think I've been barking up the wrong tree! Mic I think you are right in that it is more than likely coming from a seal behind the pulley, if it was leaking from the 16mm nut under the pump like I've been suggesting how does the fluid end up under the bonnet? Is there only one pulley seal there? I think Ford do a pump seal kit for $$$$$$ And does it need a special tool to remove and replace it? First I'll have to figure out how to remove the drive belt but that shouldn't be too hard.

Ok, this morning I drained the reservoir and undid the 16mm nut and removed the hose. I had a good look at it with a mirror and bright torch, I could not see any evidence of a crack, but a smaller hairline crack would be very difficult to see even if the entire pump was pulled out. But what I did see was that the O-ring (which is new) was completely f****d. So I replaced the o-ring and also placed an o-ring from a tap spindle (which is a fatter tougher slightly larger o-ring on the other side of the flared end which butts up against the 16mm nut and outer part of the hole in the pump and then put some gas fitter's tape on it and put it all back together and re-filled the reservoir. I took it for a drive and once warmed up gave it a bit and when I got home found no evidence of any leaks. I'll see how long it lasts. The inner o-ring is very small and would not take much to break the seal (450nm @2000 rpm would not help) I am hoping the other larger o-ring from the tap spindle will help as this will form a direct seal between the 16mm nut and the face where it tightens up rather than the previous "metal on metal" situation, I am also hoping that the tap spindle o-ring (along with the gas fitter tape) will add some stability to prevent any sideways movement of the pipe which would break the seal with engine torque. (That's if the tap spindle o-ring will cope with high temp) It is obviously a poor design when you find yourself "retro fitting" to solve such problems. So far I'm GUARDEDLY optimistic, but it's too early to tell I will know within a few days if what I've done has remedied the issue, if not, out comes the pump for closer inspection (plan B) I'll keep you posted. Thanks heaps guys for your input so far, Bluesmuso. P.S. I'd rather 450nm and a power steering leak than 300nm and no leaks, but then again 450nm and no leaks would be great, we'll get there.

01txr did you find that yours only leaked when you hammered it, as I said earlier if I take it easy there is not a drop, but as soon as I drive it hard it sprays everywhere. Where can I get some of that Aviation goo? I might try a small amount of gas fitter's tape and see if it makes a difference. Did the BF also have this problem? I realise now I don't have to remove the pulley, just the serpentine belt, is removing the belt a difficult thing? With my old Late model camira V6 you just had to release the tensioner with an 18mm spanner and hold it whilst removing the belt.

PHANTMXR6 (nice colour) Good point, I think that will be the next thing I'll have to check, a fine crack in the thread would probably cause such a leak but only under certain conditions (kind of like a fine crack in a tooth hurting only when you bite on it). Do I have to pull the pump and pulley off to check this or can I check it with it on with a mirror and powerful light? I would only want to go to the trouble of pulling off the pump and pulley after I was certain that a crack was there and causing the leak. Is there a way of testing it (thread tape or something)? Although thread tape would more than likely open the crack up more, but at least if I put some in and it made some sort of difference I would know where the problem is and rectify it accordingly. I have heard that getting the pulley off is a pain and needs a special tool, perhaps if I loosen the 16mm nut slightly and see if that makes a difference, but I think you are in the right ball park and I would suspect a replacement pump would be the deal with a cracked thread.

Yeas I've checked the seal in the cap and was hoping that was the problem but the top part (the drip tray) is always dry. I replaced the coupling by removing the old one with a dremil and clicking the hose back into place ( the one way internal circlip holds it in) after installing the new coupling into the pump. Following that I replaced the entire hose from pump to steering rack with a Repco after market one which has a flared end with a replaceable o-ring unlike the 'unserviceable' ford unit. The ford replacement hose was $357.00 and the Repco replacement hose was $86.99 so I went for the Repco. The alternator is being degreased daily to help prevent the fluid from overheating and destroying it. This leak certainly is a mystery to me but I am certain it is a tortional issue. cheers for the reply David

I have posted previously on both Ford forums about this but in spite of all attempts to rectify it there is still an intermittent leak from high pressure line into power steering pump/reservoir which sprays fluid all over the alternator and everything else. 1:/ Replaced ford nut/coupling.......no good. 2:/ Replace entire power steering hose with Repco after market one.......no good. 3:/ Loosened and re-positioned line to ensure the intercooler duct does not push on it with engine torque.....no good. I have run out of options, the hose is fine, the O-rings are fine, there are no other leaks anywhere. But.......as soon as I give it a bit there will be power steering fluid sprayed all over the place again. I tested it by driving quietly for a couple of days (minimal boost) and there was not a drop of fluid anywhere, as clean as a whistle. Even with some boosting for overtaking etc, no problems, but today I turned a corner at a round about and the road was wet and there was some wheel spin and the traction control kicked in and when I got home there was power steering fluid sprayed everywhere again. It is very intermittent, no amount of engine revving or turning the steering wheel from L to R will ever produce any leaks, it is only following any situation where there has been wheel spin especially through corners which I don't do too often but you've only got to do it once and it will leak. I think that it is a tortional issue and something wrong causing excess movement (engine, trans steering rack mounts or something) which breaks the power steering line O-ring seal momentarily, I seldom have to top up the fluid. I am not ready to take it to a mechanic yet as they will more than likely try everything which I've already done and $500 later tell me they can't find anything. There is a mounting nut missing on the intercooler and the rubbers are all broken holding the cross over manifold on (post LI LPG conversion) other than that I cannot think of anything, it is very tight around the intercooler duct where the power steering hose screws into the pump and the Repco line has no play unlike the Ford one which had some play in it. Any ideas would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.

Welcome Tony, your car looks great, mine to is a blueprint Sept 2003 turbo, I love the blueprint to, your wheels look wicked, your car is probably a bit cleaner than mine but it was cheap and I got premium sound and with LPG LI it costs $25 a week to run and will be even better when I get the gas issues sorted, then I'll get her tuned. I don't know about you but when I bought this I realised that I've been driving boring cars all my life, I could never go back to something boring now. Here's a photo of mine anyway, not quite as pretty as yours but still pretty in my eyes.

I think the Repco after market one is simply a generic replacement item for generic BA's (non turbo) The Repco one pushes up hard against my intercooler duct whcih would not be there in a non turbo BA. It only leaks when I drive it harder, if I take it easy it never leaks at all. I think that the section of pipe with the sensor on it is being pushed by the torque of my engine when I accelerate hard causing it to spray out (which explains why I have not been able to get it to leak whilst looking under the bonnet and having someone turn the wheel from lefte to right etc) I compared my car with another XR6T in a yard today, the original Ford one just clears the intercooler pipe and also has a degree of movement, but my replacement Repco hose butts up hard in a rigid fashion against the intercooler pipe and has no movement.........unless I drive it under boost I could try bending it so that it clears the intercooler pipe but I am afraid of crimping or perforating the line if I try this. Has anyone else had problems with after market power steering hoses for XR6T's? The guy at Repco said this would fit my car, when I compared the Repco one to my original it looked the same to me but clearly the turbo one would have a sharper bend where the sensor is to clear the intercooler duct. I don't know of any other after market hoses available and still don't wish to pay $347 for a ford one which may need fixing again within a couple of years.

Vixen your taste in women is as good as your taste in cars

Did the job, not as easy as I thought working under the car without a hoist never is, problem all fixed no leaks until 3 bloody days later it started leaking again, I must have damaged the little o-ring, I'll replace that and see if that helps.

Yeah it looks like her

To answer my own question I just phoned Bridgestone and they said the tyre must be a 40 series if it's 18" or a 35 series if it's 19" and only the 17" can fit the 45 series profile, I should have phoned first, what a waste of thread space

Can 245/45R18 tyres fit on the XR6 or do you have to stay with the lower 40 profile? The 45 profile in 18" may be too large diameter. The tyres I have on it now are 235/40R18 but I do notice the extra bumps with the 40 profile rather than the 45 profile on the 17" stock rims and tyres.

The 9" wide rims look great and they do look better with 19" I Like the colour of the ute.

I split the nut with a small dremil using a 30mm cut off wheel, I did a pretty good job and didn't touch the pipe at all, only to find that some previous owner had tried the same trick with an angle grinder and had scored a deep cut along the pipe. Plan B: I phoned a different Repco store and got an after market complete pipe with nuts, o-rings and instructions with 24 month warranty for $89.00 and it can be removed and replaced easily with another after market one. Unlike Ford's assembly line one way circlip fitting this one has a more conventional flared end with removeable o-ring......much better. And $89.00 Repco versus Fraud's $347.00. NB: It pays to phone around because a guy from another Repco store told me that there is not an after market one available and that I would have to buy the Ford genuine part, which is why I tried the replacement nut coupling thing first. For those in S.A. Repco south rd. St Marys=good store and open Sat and Sunday. Tomorrow AM I will fit the new hose assembly, it seems pretty straight forward. Thanks everyone Bluesmuso

Hey vixen, I like your avatar, who's the awesome chick?

Thanks turbo.vixen, I'll check out Sprints or Repco, I think I'll have to pull out and dismantle the calipers to do it properly, then I've got to paint my stock intercooler silver fffffully sick

Thanks Howitzer, they look ok, but not as nice as yours, the Mk II has that lovely chrome rim and less rivets and being 19" that is a far more suitable size for the BA. I know it's not very original but I've seen people with Ba's and other cars paint their brake calipers red, I think it looks quite good on a tuff kind of car but on Hyundais? Please spare me the grief. I guess it matches the 6" chrome stormwater tail pipe lol. What kind of paint do people seem to use, acrylic laquer or enamel? I've heard of people brush painting them but I would assume the one's done properly are a spray pack enamel with good heat tolerance.

Here's another shot of my baby, this time I've cleaned the wheels properly, pity about the sun glare but it is still not a too bad shot. I think it does seem to have some "bling" with the rims on her, but 9" wide on the rears would really have hit the spot.