merely curious: power steering leak 'stopped'?

[BerniniCaCO3]

My sister's 1989 colony park developed a power steering leak. One day it was quite bad: the pump emptied out in 5 miles!

Well, for whatever reason, it's gone another 200 miles without dropping an eighth of an inch. So now my sister is thinking she doesn't need to do anything it's fixed itself

I doubt that very much... but I am curious, why might this happen? A very rapid leak, go away?


It was hard to tell; there was fluid everywhere and hanging in drops off the bottom of the steering box. I'm hoping it's not the box: it's the lowest point anyway, there at that big nut that bolts to the centerlink, so wherever it leaks it'll end up there anyway. But we cleaned it up as best we could -not that well- and while we couldn't get it to leak so rapidly while we were watching, it seems the hose going into the plastic reservoir started seeping at that intersection.
Just to be safe I'm thinking just to spring for the $50 on a new pump+reservoir, in addition to new hoses.

[atlantic3000]

Usually you can find the leak by momentarily holding the steering wheel all the way to the side. Most usual leak is hi pressure hose. If the leak is in the pump or box putting brake fluid in it will often fix the leak by swelling the seals.

[HiFiMerc]

Piece of debris plugging the hole maybe? A leaking intake gasket on my dad's '91 "fixed" itself like that.

[Mainemantom]

I had this type of problem on my Dad's Caddy. The problem was at the pulley. It occasionally moved itself outward from the pump causing a steady leak. Other times it would not leak. Pump had to be replaced.

[gadget73]

If it dumped its contents in 5 miles, thats a major leak. It won't have fixed itself for long.

[Tiggie]

Get it cleaned up good with some engine degreaser. That's how I found my leaks. It has to be clean to tell where the leak is coming from. Then get underneath and take a look while someone turns the wheel. Careful of the fan and belts while you're looking.
Mine has leaked from the shaft seal and also the o-ring on the reservoir on the pump. But they were both just drips. No gushes as you describe.

[BerniniCaCO3]

We figured screw it and finally replaced the pump and the high pressure hose today.

With the pump out and the pulley off, we found leaking around the shaft, and we found lateral play in the shaft. Shaft on new and old pump could go in and out 1/2mm, but old pump could also wiggle around too. Not good; glad it's fixed!

Btw, did you know that 1989 to 1990 they changed the pumps? The high pressure hose went from an o-ring to a single flare fitting! I ordered the high pressure hose for a 1990 because I was ordering other stuff for my other wagon on rock auto and knew that it wouldn't matter for that part... but it does. Oops. Wonder if putting a 1990 pump with its single flare fitting on the high pressure line into the 1989 wagon would be a modestly higher integrity seal? Too late now, not redoing it, just musing.

[gadget73]

hm, I could have sworn that used double flare, same sort of deal brake lines use. I changed my hose probably 8 years ago now, I really don't remember for sure.

[slack]

My 89 on the one side used the o-ring and flare fitting while the other end was an inverted flare fitting.

Parts page:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=983176&cc=1434353

[gadget73]

oh ok. That. Double flare into the box, bubble flare with O ring on the pump side.