Okay so my truck has a pretty nasty rack and pinion power steering leak (Haynes book calls it the "steering gear". It wont pass safety like this. I am strapped for money and need to make the Dak legal so I put a bottle of Lucas Power Steering stop leak in there 4 or 5 days ago (it's "guaranteed" to seal leaks" according to the label). Its still leaking, though it did slow down a little I think, but that could be my imagination.

I know I will eventually need to replace it but for now I need to to stop leaking on the cheap so I can get tags.

The label on Lucas's bottle said it will seal leaks after one or two bottles. Should I put another bottle in there and hope that does the trick, should I get a different brand of stop leak (I have always used Lucas products, I thought they were the best but apparently this **** is not working yet)?

My last ditch effort will be to clean it off really well with brake cleaner, see if I can determine exactly where on there the leak is, and attempt to seal it with red RTV. Very ghetto, but I am a poor Taco Bell employee.

I need ideas for stopping the leak cheaply because a new rack and pinion is about $140 that I don't have to spare.

 

I had a leak in the driver piston ram and used some kind of sealer. 3 weeks later I started the truck and turned the wheel to back out the driveway and it blew. Had a huge puddle of fluid under the truck and steering was like it was manual steering. If it were me, I wouldn't screw around with the steering system. Worse case scenario: you loose control and wreck.

 

Alright well im pretty much resigned to having to replace it. I am going junkyard hopping on tuesday, I will try and find a truck with one that doesn't look leaky. What years are compatible?

Also; and tips, tricks, ideas, advice, etc on changing the rack & pinion/steering gear out would be greatly apperciated. I know quite a bit about engine work, but I dont really know much about suspension, least of all a truck suspension (the only other truck I have owned was a 93 S10 and I rolled it before I had a chance to fix its many suspension issues). For example:

- are any special tools required to remove/install it? all i have is a basic tool set and as it is half my tools are missing out of it because I have had it for almost three years and the case is falling apart.

-how long would it normally take to remove the old one and install the new one? I dont have access to a lift so this will be getting done on a jack in a driveway/parking lot.

If someone could point me in the direction of a how-to that would be even better.

 

when you take the old one out lay it on a bench and lay the replacement one above or below it. line up the piston bodys so they are even then adjust the ends of the replacement unit so the are the same as the old one. you still will be out of alignment now for the poormans alignment. with the truck off the jacks and on the ground pick a tread in the tire close to center, front side of left and right tire. use a tape measure and measure the distance across from tread to tread then useing the same tread ( follow it around ) on the rear side of the tire measure across again. you want the front side to be about 1/8 inch less then the rear side. you need a small amount of toe in. make adjustments on the tie rod to get the above results. i have done this many times and for toe adjustments you can get it 95%.

 

Just be patient with doing a poor mans alignment. You will have to drive the truck a few times to dial the tires to center with the toe and rack pistons even measurements.

 

Midas inspectors are a bunch of lying pieces of ****. I had my truck checked out by Firestone today, and while the failed it for a few things, the rack and pinion/steering gear was not one of them. Firestone guy said its not leaking nearly bad enough to fail safety.

I have been going to that Midas for five years and they straight lied to me. Steer clear of MIDAS!!!!!!!!

 

the inspectors out here just check your lights and if it can stop when the brakes are pressed everything else the dont care about

 

That must be nice. MO safety inspection is no joke, unfortunately for us.

 

Why can't the seals be replaced? Anybody ever tried? Mine is a 1990 leaking out the top.

 

My gear box has seen better days. Actually replacing it this afternoon. There are rebuild kits available, i've rebuilt two before. But for what it's worth, for 150 you can buy a complete re manufactured gear box and arm. It's two bolts, and the tie rods. Go buy a haynes manual or even copy the pages at the library. A junkyard part could be a waste of time. Since it hasn't been moving fluid, the gaskets have not been getting wet. So they're probably dried out, so it's a short fix and a waste of time and money.