Here, the suggestion and definitive solution is to "change or replace" no "or patch to fix" some of these components.
Power Steering Pressure Hose Replace
* Where is all that power steering fluid going anyway? Inspect hoses and unions. Obvious leaking is easy to spot. Slower leaks are a bit trickier. Look for dirt gathered around one greasy spot.
* Determine which is the pressure hose and which is the return. The pressure hose will generally be the one that's leaking, and have threaded fittings on either end. The return hose will have hose clamps.
* Apply penetrating oil on the end fittings of the power steering pressure hose. These bolts have usually been in there for a while, and can be stubborn to remove.
* Place a drain or catch pan under the low point of the pressure hose. The law of gravity also applies to liquids. Use a flare nut wrench to break loose the hose fitting. Another trick is to use a plug on the hose end once removed to prevent leaking.
* Hose routing can either be simple or downright crafty. Remove and save all clamps and shields on the way to figuring it out. Loosen and remove the rack or steering box end of the power steering hose. Use a flare nut wrench! Chances of stripping the bolt are high with a standard box wrench.
* Tighten everything back up and add power steering fluid to the "cold" level in the reservoir. Start the vehicle and turn the wheel lock-to-lock a few times to bleed the system of air. Top off power steering fluid. Repeat until system is free of air.
Things You'll Need:
Instructions
1. Determine leak location:
You have established you do have a power steering hose leaking, you can turn the steering wheel with the engine running and power steering fluid will spray out the hole in the hose, you may need an assistant for that part. You may also need to jack up the vehicle to see where it is leaking from. Set parking brake and use blocks or jack stands for safety after lifting vehicle. You may have to add fluid to an empty power steering pump to locate the leak.
2. After you have determined where the leak is, then remove the bad spot in the hose. I happened to do my emergency repair in front of a NAPA store, I bought the parts from there and the store owner was kind enough to loan me a few tools to get the job done. He had a hose cutter that worked great to cut off the bad hose. We kept the bad spot of the hose for a vacation souvenir. The picture shows what I used for parts.
Install the hose clamps 2 on each side, and stagger them as shown in the picture. This allows you to get them closer together and have more clamping force on the splice. Slide in the brass coupling, install the hose clamps on the other end of the hose and slide the hose into the coupling. Make sure you slide it all the way on.
Tighten the clamps as tight as you can get them without stripping the clamps out, put the hose back into position in the vehicle. Fill the power steering tank and recheck for leaks, if you have made a successful repair the power steering will work and you won't lose a drop of fluid.
Disconnect the negative battery cable and lay it aside. Ensure that the cable is not in contact with any metal part of the car. Remove the intake air sensor from the intake air duct and the intake air tube from the throttle body. Using a Philips screw driver remove the screws of the air filter housing and remove the housing.
Raise the vehicle using the hydraulic lift and jack stands. Use a lug wrench to remove the front wheels and the front fender inner splashguard. Using a wrench, relieve the tension on the accessory belt tensioner. Slide the accessory drive belt off the crankshaft pulleys. Select the appropriate sized sockets from your set and remove the crankshaft pulley bolts. Remove the crankshaft pulleys.
Place the floor jack under the oil pan and slide the wooden board onto the jack. Jack up the board until it touches the oil pan so that the jack lifts up the engine. Using the appropriate socket remove the engine mount bracket and power steering hose bracket.
Turn the crankshaft clockwise using a socket attached to the center bolt of the crankshaft so that the timing marks on the crankshaft sprocket align the notch on the rear timing belt cover. The crankshaft sprocket timing marks should also align with the notches on the valve cover.
Use a wrench to loosen the bolt on the timing belt tensioner. Turn the tensioner clockwise and tighten the tensioner bolt. Slide the timing belt out. Slide the new timing belt in over the crankshaft pulleys. Loosen the tensioner bolt and turn the tensioner anti-clockwise using a wrench. When the tensioner pointer is aligned with the notch on the block tighten the tensioner bolt.
Using a sprocket turn the crankshaft twice in an anti-clockwise direction until the timing marks align as done in step 4. Reassemble the engine parts and lower the vehicle.
