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Hey guys, I have a leak from the middle line on the rack and pinion. I pulled the thing off and there is literally a finger nail crack in the line and now I have zero power steering. Thing is, I cannot find this replacement line anywhere. It's been discontinued. Any suggestions for a replacement?
The shorter metal line in the middle that runs to the passenger
Last edited by MoNoXSizzlE; 06-08-2016 at 05:42 PM.
Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to find the stock lines.
I replaced mine with Braided Lines with AN fittings. You can use these, even if you have the alternator in the stock location. This is what I'm using: http://onlinestore.modularturbo.com/...it-p/cbr45.htm
Whoah ^ for the cost of this, I'd just go get a junk unit from a salvage yard and take the pipe off the thing and clean it up!
true there's cheaper ways to skin the cat but I was so tired of these leaks killing my alternators that I just nuked the problem. Wont have to worry about leaks with these babies. They're a bit of a pain to install around the alternator though (because they're designed for an alternator relocation but still work with the alt in stock location). Also went with a Turn One power steering pump and a new rack too.. No more power steering leaks. (My car was losing fluid in about 3 - 4 days time.)
Last edited by Need4Camaro; 06-09-2016 at 08:43 AM.
true there's cheaper ways to skin the cat but I was so tired of these leaks killing my alternators that I just nuked the problem.
OK. This is a technical forum. Before you spread nasty internet rumors any further... What is the mechanism by which power steering fluid, or any fluid, or any other road contaminant, kills an alternator???
call either redheadsteering in Auburn Washington, or rackdoctor in south carolina.
that would be your greatest chance of getting just a replacement hard line on the rack, versus sending the whole thing in for a new (reman'd) rack. or you bite the bullet on the cheapest reman rack from a local store, take those hard lines off and put them on your original rack, and send your cracked lines back on the rack you just bought as the core (you'd be returning the new rack as the core, only the hard lines swapped).
i would not waste your time trying to repair the line, it'll be too thin. trying to solder it would not be strong enough- case in point new r410a refrigerant in AC units for your house runs up to 500 psi high side and they cannot silver solder those copper lines anymore they have to braze them because pressure is too high. i'm pretty sure the pressure in your power steering lines on the rack is over 500 psi. and tig welding it i don't see it being successful but that's my opinion, you'll never be able to clean out the oil inside the line well enough and heating the line will likely weaken it and cause it to fail elsewhere.
OK. This is a technical forum. Before you spread nasty internet rumors any further... What is the mechanism by which power steering fluid, or any fluid, or any other road contaminant, kills an alternator???
I know the coils in the alternator are coated, but I literally ate 3 of them in a matter of a few months before I replaced both the power steering pump and the lines. When I took off each one, they were soaked with steering fluid. Im sure Alternators can resist liquids of any sort but constant exposure to something as corrosive as power steering fluid is not good for them Im sure. On my replacement 3 month old alternator that was soaked in fluid, the one I removed when I replaced the power steering lines, when I removed it.. the bolt that holds the alternator cable in place was sealed to the assembly, literally, it would NOT come off.. I put so much torque into it trying to remove it that I broke the nut and the internals of the alternator and was forced to cut the cable off.
I know the coils in the alternator are coated, but I literally ate 3 of them in a matter of a few months before I replaced both the power steering pump and the lines. When I took off each one, they were soaked with steering fluid.
Lots of threads on this site with the same thing happening - but without P/S fluid. Alternator builds are notoriously bad and I've also been the victim of them. You can't draw a cause and effect from this.
My latest alternator took a bath in P/S fluid. I changed my P/S pump the day after putting the alternator in and drained an entire quart of fluid on it. 6 years later, it's perfect.
Originally Posted by Need4Camaro
Im sure Alternators can resist liquids of any sort but constant exposure to something as corrosive as power steering fluid is not good for them Im sure. On my replacement 3 month old alternator that was soaked in fluid, the one I removed when I replaced the power steering lines, when I removed it.. the bolt that holds the alternator cable in place was sealed to the assembly, literally, it would NOT come off.. I put so much torque into it trying to remove it that I broke the nut and the internals of the alternator and was forced to cut the cable off.
P/S fluid isn't corrosive. It's an oil. If it were corrosive, it would eat the insides of our cast iron P/S pump. The electronics on many alternators is cheap, though.
if your alternator gets a bath in power steering fluid, most likely the cause of the alternator then not working is because there's oil on the armature where the brushes ride == no electrical conductivity. easier said then done but if you pull the alternator apart and clean it out i would bet $1 it would work fine again.... specifically the copper area on the armature in pic below
06-08-2016, 05:37 PM
2 Metal Lines on rack and pinion/ power steering 
What is the mechanism by which power steering fluid, or any fluid, or any other road contaminant, kills an alternator??? 
