Per steering res cap

[Blacklabel88]

New power steering pump. Leaked immediately. Cap won't tighten. Looks like a new cap wouldn't fix this. Looks to be poor design. Any help would be appreciated

[sly]

Some have used the remote reservoir version, but I can't for the life of me remember which vehicle that came from. Also, the caps are pretty horrible and designed to leak if you overfill the reservoir. If the new pump did come with a new cap, make sure the fluid level has about 1.5 inches of space to the top on the lowest part of the lip IIRC. Otherwise it will overflow and there's nothing to stop it coming out. The cap is really just a splash guard.

[Blacklabel88]

Heck yea. Thank ya sly. You guys ever heard of a redhead steering box for broncos? It's the same ford mechanism but they took the steering play out. I put a big wooden grant steering wheel on mine so this might help it. Looks like it leaking at the fittings. Probly stripped it putting it in thinking he was tightening it. Those guys are rushed anyway.

[sly]

Yes, I think a couple of guys have redhead steering gears on here too. Kinds spendy, but they are guaranteed tight since they micrometer every ball bearing to put in all the same size (exactly the same size) ball bearings to keep things just right. They will rebuild your steering gear as well if they don't have any in stock.

[gadget73]

Not much to the cap, its got a vent hole in the middle and a big O ring around the outside. its really only there to keep fluid from sloshing out of the reservoir, it doesn't actually seal anything. If its leaking, its not from the cap unless there is some fault with the pump and its making a big foamy mess inside and puking out the top.

Only three leak points on the pump. front seal, reservoir to pump body, and at the outlet connection. There is an O ring between the large hex fitting and the reservoir, and on the high pressure line where it screws into that fitting is a teflon washer. The fitting is meant to swivel and its got some internal seal that cannot be replaced. Have to see where the leak is to figure out how to deal with it. Its easy to damage that teflon washer too, and if it doesn't come installed already its really easy to damage it trying to stretch the thing into position. Have done it with the rack end of the power steering lines on Fox cars. Same setup, same miserable process with trying to heat and stretch the thing without shredding it.

oh, and I suppose the return fitting is a possible leak point but its just a rubber hose. if that leaks you replace the hose.

I don't remember what the box era box end fittings look like. Double flare maybe? unless its the same swivel fitting with the teflon that the pump end has. whale era steering boxes use something else.