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My rack and pinion is covered in grease and oil on my newer to me but older 1994 Toyota Camry. The power steering fluid reservoir is also empty and the pump is making a whining noise. Turns out my inner tie rod boots are filled with fluid. Assuming the rack is leaking I've heard of some people deleting ps by getting the old fluid out while leaving just a little bit in the rack and looping the high and low pressure lines. In fact my cousin did it because his rack was leaking and it didn't feel too bad.
I don't intend on fixing it anytime soon because I don't have the money so instead of investing in a new rack and pinion I was going to remove the power steering pump and get as much fluid out of the rack and loop the lines.
In the long run will this damage anything? Rack or steering column?
Well this is more a matter of opinion than a factual kind of thing personally if this were me I would start with blue devil stop leak (that stuff never ceases to amaze me!) Finally if that didn't work and I wasn't going to replace the rack I would just let the fluid leak out and once it leaked enough the pump would quite whining! And you would have manual steering (in my younger days I drove a Mitsubishi eclipse for years before fixing the leaking line and filling the ps pump back up and the rack and pump both worked like normal (I was shocked the pump wasn't bad)
I'm guessing that it's probably not good for the rack in the long run, as it's built to have pressurized fluid pumped through it for lube and cooling. But, that rack is toast anyway, so no big deal! :lol: I think the steering column will be just fine.
Is this the 2.2L engine? You can totally take the pump off if you want, but I figure removing the belt would be good enough? I don't recall those cars running that much caster, so steering effort probably isn't that bad... :huh:
Ben wrote: Well this is more a matter of opinion than a factual kind of thing personally if this were me I would start with blue devil stop leak (that stuff never ceases to amaze me!)
Wow, I didn't know Blue Devil made a PS stop leak. O_O Their head gasket sealer stuff really is amazing. Fixed a cracked Northstar block with it a few years ago.
Hmm. Im getting mixed opinions that a stop leak product may not work on a 20+ yr old car. No one says why...Guess I could just try it.
Its the 2.2l
If that doesn't work ill just loop the lines and call it a day.
Would keeping a little bit of fluid in it prevent it from totally failing? Or is pump pressurization needed?
Guess im just drawn to eliminating a potentially failing and antiquated piece of technology... fluid is messy and some newer cars seem to have electric power steering
Donnyten wrote: Hmm. Im getting mixed opinions that a stop leak product may not work on a 20+ yr old car. No one says why...Guess I could just try it.
Always a gamble, depending on the nature of the leak. The end seals on your rack may be too far gone at this point? Not much to lose at this point, IMO.
Would keeping a little bit of fluid in it prevent it from totally failing? Or is pump pressurization needed?
Can't hurt! Maybe brim the lines right before looping.
Guess im just drawn to eliminating a potentially failing and antiquated piece of technology... fluid is messy and some newer cars seem to have electric power steering
Yeah, Toyota got a lot of things right, but not hydraulic power steering. :lol: Even newer models have blown rack boots and leaking hoses.
Asian power steering systems of that era were designed for mineral based fluid , the seals shrink if filled with synthetic. Stop Leak might just get the seals soft and plumped up again.
Auto transmission Stop Leak worked a treat on my 25 year old trolley jack that was leaking from the pump.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
In my opinion, it's a lot of work for little gain.
If you're fine with not having power steering, pull the belt and call it a day.
Adding fluid to the rack is a moot point considering it's just going to leak out the seals anyway.
I would try that blue devil or some other stop leak product.
I had a Cherokee like the one that burnt up on Paul and the Pittman arm seal was so far gone that you couldn't add fluid with out it pouring out before you got in the truck!
Lucas stop leak would stay in the box for a couple weeks, but on cold winter mornings, filled with nothing but Lucas, she was a bear to drive to work!
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