pam

Apparently my car is leaking power steering fluid (I've had the car for 2 weeks). It's not leaking out of the car but running under and leaving a mess. A friend cleaned it up thinking it was just an old leak, but today we noticed it's leaking and isn't old fluid.

He pulled the nut off and the copper gasket along with it, and it appears that the copper gasket has been flattened, allowing fluid to leak out of the nut.

We could not find another copper gasket. He tried to put some sealant around and it did not fix it. Power steering fluid shoots out as if out of a straw.

My friend is thinking that the nut that is there is not the correct type (a lot of nuts and bolts were replaced incorrectly). He feels a "closed nut" is the correct type.

So, to stop rambling, my question is does anyone have a photo of the original setup showing the right type of nut, and does anyone know where I can obtain that nut and a copper gasket? He tried putting a washer between the nut and gasket to flatten it out and prevent fluid from leaking but it did not work.

(There are no local 1967 Firebirds that I'm aware of, so there are no cars I can check to see their setup)

Thank you in advance.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

where is the leak coming from, the box (mounted on the frame) or the pump reservoir? And is it the return line or the pressure line (return line usually hooks to the pump reservoir with just a hose clamp while the pressure line has a metal line end with a nut on each end)

Derek

pam

I sent my friend an email but in the meantime I'll try to answer unofficially.

Standing on the driver's side of the engine bay (on the apron side and not in front) it's right in the middle next to the engine and "appears" to be bolted to the frame to me. I can see the silverish box and the nuts and the leak but haven't actually watched it leak while the wheel is turning (as he did while I turned the wheel).

(I got through that without calling anything a thingie one time)

The liquid is shooting out as if out of a straw, he mentioned a few times, but it's not leaking down to the ground but running on the frame and sticking to it, leaving a mess.

Hope that helps until he can return an email to me.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

Sounds like it's leaking from the box, and that means either one of 2 things:

The line isn't correct or has been damaged. If the box is a flare-style fitting (which it should be for models earlier than 1977) then check the flare on the line and make sure it is clean, doesn't have any burrs or is not a perfect circle shape. To my knowledge a flare-style box shouldn't use a gasket of any kind to seal the lines.

Derek

If the box is an o-ring style and you're using flare-style lines it will probably leak.

pam

Thanks, I'll pass this along to him.

Much of what we've seen under the hood isn't correct including nuts and bolts which I'm replacing as we notice them.

toplessHO

iTrader: (25)

Welcome
My guess is that PY forum is down?
get a pix of the leak area with a pointer showing it.
Ive got plenty of boxes but you might want to upgrade and get a high ratio one that already rebuilt.
Just about any GM and alot of Jeeps used that saginaw steering box in quite a few different ratios.
As for old cars if it aint one thing its a dozen.(Cammer-6)

pam

Down for the 2nd day from 3 different connections ... and here I am with a ton of questions! (It's ok, I'm learning a lot from other Firebird forums).

I love the car, more every day actually (Don't let my Mustang hear that!) but the more I look at it, the more I find wrong. The previous owners didn't have a clue and just stuck odd bolts, nuts and duct tape here and there. I don't want a show car but the correct size bolts are kinda important, ya know?!

I'll take pics tomorrow and then talk to you about another box. I'd rather replace than repair.

30thanniv

iTrader: (2)

Forget performance years, try www.classicalpontiac.com

My money is on a cracked PS resevoir.
Don't ask

good luck

pam

I've been on that site for hours on and off, reading and reading. (Found out how many '67 Firebirds were made that year but not how many had the column shifter).

Cracked reservoir? The thingie with the chrome cap? The one with the little doohickey showing 1/3 of the reservoir full and going down each day it leaks? (You have to love the technical terms women use, huh?)

Each forum has good and bad people, good and bad advice, good and bad formats. The only one I ever hated was the one with the male moderator who felt women belonged in the kitchen and not in a garage around classic cars and gave me a VERY hard time. He has since been removed.

pam

The kid who worked on my car says, and I quote --

"its coming from a stud/bolt thats on top of the power steering box. im sure someone messed with it aand thats why isn't been leaking even before you owned it." (I was right, I guess) and "all i know is the last owner of the car did something to make it leak. its not supposed to shoot out of that bolt."

So I'd say he hasn't a clue if it's flare styling or not ...

toplessHO

iTrader: (25)

without having the hose off you wont know
but all 67s used flare not o ring.

Im guessing your ps box has an internal problem and the leak is a secondary
problem.
Have you bought the shop manuals yet?
I think I still have some 67 Firebird supplements and owners manuals left from the group buy at FGF,
You will still need to get the main 67 PMD service manual too.These will help you with pictures diagrams of all those thingys. Its kinda like turning to page 9A-4 and looking at diagram,you will see the fluid flow and know why its leaking.
If you have a harbor freight nearby(I know I hate Chinese junk too) buy the assortment of copper washers and put one under the bolt I think youre describing and see if that fixes it.Most likely one of the 4 bolts that retains the cover on.

pam

I ordered the original service manual and supplemental manual but am still waiting for it to come in. (See, I do listen to y'all when you tell me what to do)

I was given the actual original manual with the car and read it yesterday when the kid was working on my car and gee, ya know it has some good information in it! Like -- the timing is right in there, duh. (You'll remember I asked for it elsewhere).

I decided rather than dick around with this and try to figure out why it's leaking, I'll just buy one from you. It's easier to replace than repair in my mind.

Doing research, though, shows I need to know if I need a 3/4 or a 7/16 box, right?

(You probably don't know this but with my Mustang, I bought it and it went to the restorer for a year .... so I never really had to deal with many issues. Then I bought the GTO and it's been at the restorer for 14 months so I should have no issues to deal with on that either. This is the first classic I bought I can actually drive after buying it ... or could if it would start and not stall)

30thanniv

iTrader: (2)

The stud protrudes from the inside of the little doo-hickey. The little doo-hickey is what the PS cap screws/pops onto.
The doo-hickey is made of plastic. If you overtighten the nut on that stud it cracks the plastic doo-hickey. Very common problem. Buy a new PS reservoir and swap the pump assuming it is good and it will not leak anymore. The pump I believe has 3 bolts. You can always just buy a whole new reservoir and pump assembly. Just make sure to match up the pump to the one you buy because there were some differences in the mounting over the years.

pam

LOL thanks for putting it into terms that I understood!

I don't think the reservoir is leaking, though, I think it's coming from the bolt on top of the steering gear box.

I'll take a pic tomorrow but the reservoir has the chrome cap, right? It's more toward the front of my engine bay, where the gear box is more toward the firewall, and the bolt on top is what is leaking.

pam

Still no photo but it's coming out of the bolt on top, one that needs an Allen wrench is what I was told yesterday.

It's so bad I'm putting in power steering fluid each time I drive it, or the wheel basically freezes up and you hear this horrid wheezing noise.

I have a new gear box on order (3/4 shaft) but won't have it until Friday, so am driving as little as possible until then.