I just went to take off out of the garage and I have no power steering or power brakes. What do y'all figure this is and what kinda $ am I looking at? Thanks...

 

Forgot to mention that I have me a nice little puddle on the floor...

 

Puddle of what? Power steering fluid or brake fluid?

Floyd

 

Think your problem is pretty obvious, you have a leak that needs fixing.

 

have a peak over your driver side fender at your power steering/brake pump. if it looks as if there is fluid coming out the top - that is your problem. turn the truck on and have someone step on the brakes - then put your head under the hood/over the fender and listen/look for gurgling fluid.

i had this problem two winters ago - in very cold weather the conventional fluid would become very thick and viscous and once the pump started turning it would gush out the cap as that was the spot with least resistance. i switched to a synthetic fluid (valvoline i believe) and have not had a problem since. i had the system flushed before topping up with synthetic.

has it been cold in your area?

hth, jason

 

Yeah, it has been colder lately but it never gets colder than 45 in my garage. Y'all think maybe the hydra boost could be the culprit?

 

1882,,, Both your steering and brakes work off pressure fron the power steering pump. It also has a link to the vacuum pump that is on back of the power steering pump. If you had some moisture in the line and it froze you would blow the rest out of the top, or you could have blown a seal or hose. In any case you have to spend some $ how much? Good luck but it is fixable.

 

It is the hydoboost in the cold, the oil in the acculminator(sp) is forced out of the hydroboost overfilling the powersteering resivor, Most (at least90%) get lucky and replacing the fluid with synthetic cures the problem, or never leave the truck in the cold.

 

Actually the only part of this post that is correct is that the PS Pump provides hyd pressure for both the Brakes and steering

1) the powersteering pump is driven by the vacuum pump, there is no link on the back of the PS pump
2) if there was moisture (frozen blockage)in the line, the pressure relief would open or it would blow a line(which is not likely to happen) or the PS pump would just pump away making lots of noise, it would NOT over flow the resivor. If there was that much moisture in the fluid likely the pump would sieze and snap the coupler that drives the PS pump

rant over

 

When it gets below 30F here my truck also groans. I did quite a lot of reading on here and it seems I may need to change to a synthetic fluid. Trouble is I have not seen any recomendations as to what brand of fluid. Nor have I seen any at the few places I have looked. Anyone care to recomend a fluid and a place to purchase it?

Is this a drain and refill process? Or do I need to go about it another way?

Jim

 

Jim, I used to switch folks who had noisy steering complaints over to Valvoline SynPower PS fluid until I discovered
LubeGard http://www.lubegard.com/automotive/p...rotectant.html
It's so much easier, cheaper and works just as well. My local Napa stocks it.
Guess that good because my understanding is the synthetic Valvoline is no longer availible.
If you're set on a full change use Royal Purple Max EZ http://www.royalpurple.com/power-steering-fluid.html
Most Napas stock it.

 

Amsoil now has syn powersteering fluid as well (I switched mine about a month ago (use a turkey baster, eng off, suck it dry, top up, restart truck next day repeat again)

 

I have similar troubles. I replaced the Powersteering Pump last winter, and had everything working fine. I have only driven my truck maybe 2000 miles all year, and drove during cold temps in November with zero troubles. Last Sunday, I had no PS or PB as I left to cut wood -- temp. dropping rapidly from 41 deg. down to 6. Brrr. PS came back to normal as I drove, and had no further troubles with it Sunday. We were expecting a terrible snow storm on Tuesday, so I decided to drive the truck in to work. Same thing, only now the steering won't come out of it. I can have a stiff Power Steering feel at approx. 1200 rpms, but it stiffens up if I step on the brakes. I have normal steering feel at 1500 rpms cruising down the highway, but that's not when I need it!!! As soon as I drop back to approx. 1000 rpms, there is minimal power assist to the steering, and it diminishes rapidly as I use the brakes. No puddles of PS fluid under the truck, and no fresh fluid stains on the PS housing to indicate foaming over. Level in the reservoir is normal also.


HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Could this be a problem with the steering box, or is it a dud pump?? I haven't seen any synthetic PS fluid around here, either. It was not a fun or easy job to replace the pump!! I do not relish the idea of doing it or the steering box...

 

Diagnose before you waste $$. Puddle on floor points to a leak (surprise?). It could be the seal on the gear box or seals in the vacuum pump/steering pump or lines etc. Fill the reservoir with cheap regular ps fluid so you don't waste expensive synthetic. Jack the front end up so you don't fubar your steering box bearings by turning the wheels without power assist. Put a pan where it's likely to leak. Turn the wheels lock to lock (without weight on the wheels or pitman arm disconnected - don't turn past 2 turns in each direction if pitman disconnected). Start truck & repeat. You should find the leak. My steering box dumped at at the pitman shaft seal. I'm trying to quit working on my truck & labor is expensive. Again, diagnose 1st.