Power steering leak

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Wookey
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Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
My Cars: Peugeot Expert 1.9D (Camper conversion) (2003-now)
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Power steering leak

Post by Wookey »

My trusty van (expert/dispatch) just took us to extredura (spain) and back (3497miles) with no problems except in the dunquerque wine-shopping carpark it weed a load of steering fluid. Level hasn't actually dropped below min yet and steering is still working fine but there is clearly a leak from the offside end - the gaiter is particularly wet, and the surroundings.

So, power steering is new-fangled to me so I'm rathyer vague about what can be done. My Russek book just says I can change gaiters or get a new/exchange one. Is that right, or are repairs possible really?

What is odd is that apart from the car-park incident I have only a very slow leak (leave s few drips, not a pool). On cleaning up the area I found a small hole in the gaiter, so I'm wondering if the gaiter filled up and then 'popped' allowing a lot of fluid to dripple out (although the hole is in the top)?

Do I need to take the gaiter off and confirm the leak position or is it irrelevant because the cure is always 'take it out and swap it for a recon one'? What sort of cost is such a thing, or one from the scrappy. How long should a rack last? (this van has done 87,000 miles). Can I just decide I don't care and let it degrade to non-power steering?

I have actually had a very slow leak from the power steering pipe for some time. It appears to be one long set of crimped pipes and hoses that goes all the way from the pump in the front corner, round the side of the engine bay to the rear middle, where there is a strange gratuitous loop of pipe under the floor that I assume is there for taking up expansion slack or something?

I have not yet replaced it as the bit was so long I decided to get it from a scrappy rather than peugeot. I will fix this whilst I have the system drained.

It's a bit of a faff taking the steering rack out so I'm wondering if there is any point doing so in order to pinpoint the fault or if I should just take it out and swap it? Anyone got a good one they want to get shot of?

TIA
Wookey
(2003-now:1997 Peugeot Expert stealth camper, 1991-2003:1987 C15)
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Post by Peter.N. »

If there is fluid leaking from the gaiter it must be leaking past the seals in the rack. So the only cure I am afraid, is a new rack. Unless anyone else knows different!
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