Question on Installing a Power steering Pump

[jfrank133]

I installed a power steering pump on my 87 chevy truck. Ever since I installed it, the pressure hose keeps linking the fluid, I have taken off several times, realign it and even used a sealant for when i tighten the line. Is there any special thing that i need to do to prevent it from leaking. Please help.

[Ivan D.]

what power steering did you use? The '70s ones require a double-flare pressure hose end, while the '80s ones use a slip-on and o-ring seal. If you mismatched the pump and the hose they will leak. Actually, now that I think of it, I don't think you can use '70s pump with '80s hose, you can however lose or forged to install the o-ring that seals the hose to the pump...

[69BBsuburban]

Newer pumps are metric if I remember....but you can remove the fitting from the pump and install it into the other to match the hose.....

[Mr79C10]

OH GREAT......... So how can you tell what year your pump was made? Im doing the same thing installing power steering on my ride. Only I have a L6 just got the brackets and I did get this pump (used) and the dude I got it from said late 70's early 80's pump..
Hmmmm,,?

[68GMC454]

well the one that we put into my 84 leaks from around the extra plug that srews in the back of it..but i got to pull the pump to get to it.. mine more or less sprays..but it has slowed way down when i bought some new power steeering fluid with a sealer conditioner in it... whne i pull the motor, i will fix it...im not gonna spend 4 hours or more tryitng to get it o out again,,just to pull the motor...the new pump leaked worse than the old one...

[Ivan D.]

Originally Posted by Mr79C10

OH GREAT......... So how can you tell what year your pump was made? Im doing the same thing installing power steering on my ride. Only I have a L6 just got the brackets and I did get this pump (used) and the dude I got it from said late 70's early 80's pump..
Hmmmm,,?

Have you ever noticed how double-flared brake line fittings look where the brake line attaches and seals to them? Well, them that's what you're looking for - look down the high-pressure port of the pump, if you see something that looks like a huge double-flare brake line fitting then you have a '70s pump. The '80s pumps look like the A/C radiator ports, they have a flat face and line actually slides in them and there's an o-ring that seals the step formed on the line to the fitting's face, then the nut just keeps everything pressed together tightly. Really tho, it ain't that big of a problem:

- if you have an '80s truck and a 70's pump then cut off the pump side of the pressure line and double flare, reuse the pump's original nut
- if you have a '70s truck with a an '80s pump then cut the steering box end of the pressure line and double-flare that, reuse steering box's original nut

No matter which situation you have you should always use an '80s pressure line, as its o-ringed end can be made into double-flared ends, but there ain't no way to make a double-flared end of a '70s pressure line into an o-ringed end for an '80s system component. In my truck I run a hydro-boost off an '80s 1-ton diesel, for that I had to cut and double-flare one end of both the line from the pump to the booster and the line from the booster to the steering box, worked well and I have no noticeable leaks.