Thank you for letting me join. I am pulling my hair out over this one and need some experienced/professional guidance. I have a 98 Ford F150 4.6L that we put a new/re-manufactured power steering pump on and new high pressure line. When everything was installed it was great but in just one day I started to see fluid on the drive way. Took it back to the mechanic, it was leaking where the high pressure line enters the pump, he cleaned and tightened the connection and no leak, next day started leaking again. I bought a new line thinking that was the issue and swapped it out, no leaks… two days later it starts leaking. Took it back to mechanic. Can not stop the leak and thinks it might be the threads of the pump itself. Pretty frustrated and looking for second opinions before I have to spend MORE money to swap out pumps. The new pump was a “Ultra-Power” brand pump from Rock Auto. Please, any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!
UPDATE: I would like to add that the pump does not seem to be working as good as I would have hoped. when the truck is still/not moving the steering is stiff requiring more muscling to turn the wheel but once moving it is pretty smooth. Could this too be a sign of a defective pump?
The pressure relief(control) valve may be holding the pressure too high. I doubt that your mechanic has the equipment to test my guess and I suggest you return the pump as defective and get another. If the pressure is too high the next leak will likely be the pressure hose itself and then the steering gear hydraulics.
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Maybe the sealing seat on the pump outlet fitting is damaged. 2 lines and both leak, leads me to believe the problem is the pump.
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Along with Red_Knox comments, on a 21 year old truck, is it possible other steering components are binding?
We sometimes relate stories from the Popular Science magazine series The Model Garage. Gus had a customer that kept breaking the power steering on his Chrysler. When Gus got the car he found the suspension and steering components had not been greased, putting undue stress on the power steering.
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Also, make sure they put the right p/s fluid in the system.You owners manual has this info.
So adding insult to injury it turns out that when my pulley came off of my power steering pump it must have struck my fan on the motor and broke the blades and in turn one of the pieces of the blade pierced my radiator so now I have to replace the power steering pump the high-pressure line, the fan, and last the radiator. Pretty much but then I will have an all new truck. LOL Good times. Thank you everyone for all the replies I do appreciate it