I have some questions about replacement of the power steering pressure line/hose on a 968. My car was already down for a heater control valve replacement and general tune up. At the same time I noticed my coolant had dumped, I also noticed a lack of steering fluid (ATF) in my reservoir. Didn't think too much of it, as the reservoir has leaked before...and I've heard these cars simply leak steering fluid. The clamps on the send and return hoses were tight (loose clamp on the send was the problem last time). Anyway, I was cleaning the car up (engine bay, and underneath) while I waited on some parts. As I was doing this, I noticed some weeping from the steering pressure hose. It looks like the rubber on one side has pulled back from some connections in the metal part of the hose (see pic below). Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I've seen a few threads on this topic, covering the 944, 928, and 968. It sounds like the line can be replaced without removing the steering rack, but I wanted to ask those who actually know...rather than making assumptions based on what I'm reading. Essentially, I am trying to decided if this is something I want to tackle or if I should just let a pro handle it.

I don't think it's leaking like crazy, but I thought I would go ahead and replace it if I could do it myself...I mean the car is already up on ramps and the belly guards are off. So, why not (if it's in my capacity).

Also, does anyone have experience with a remanufactured hose? It's about half the price of a new oem hose ($85 vs. $170). Just wondering if there's a difference that warrants the higher price for the new one.


Leaky pressure hose in the foreground

 

On a 944 you can swap that without taking the rack out, presuming the 968 is the same.

A remanufactured hose is fine, it’s basically a new hose fitted to the original factory fittings. Another option if you have a hydraulic shop nearby, you can take your old part and they can replace the worn hose and reuse the original fittings, probably save you even more.

Change the reservoir wyit, it contains a non-removable filter. Fill with fresh fluid and bleed (turn steering full lock to lock several times) then top off.

 

Yeah, it looks like removing the front wheel on the passenger side will make it easier to get to the pump side. It's the rack side that I'm worried about. Definitely glad to know someone has removed it without dropping the rack...though, if I have to, I suppose I could do that.

 

Some of the wrench access is a little fiddly but you should be able to get the line off without removing the rack. Of course, remember to replace the crush rings when you put everything back together. I don't think that there's anything about these systems that is inherently prone to leaking provided that appropriate maintenance and upkeep is done.

On my 928 I had the high pressure line rebuilt by Pirtek and they did a great job. They have facilities all over the world and, as such, are used to dealing with both SAE and metric lines and hoses (and probably other standards, as well).

Good luck

 

Thanks, I did order the washers too. It looked like there were 4 all together, 2 sizes.

Can you tell from my pic whether my evaluation of the hose is correct? Does it look like the rubber has pulled away from the metal joints it's supposed to cover? I've circled what I mean in the pic below.

 

I agree that things look pretty bad there and need to be addressed, but the situation is probably not from what you're thinking. That part of the hose has a secondary cover, like a fire sleeve, that is what I think you are seeing as being separated. That sleeve is not crimped. What I think you're seeing is the actual crimp, under the sleeve. Probably what's happening is a leak at the connection to the rack and fluid running down the connections to the part of the hose that you can see. I would still recommend replacing that line with a rebuilt hose, especially at the prices you're seeing. Once you do that, and replace the crush washers at the rack, things should improve considerably. Just to make sure though, see if there's any fluid in the rack boots and make sure that the leak isn't coming from the rack seals.

The area under the reservoir also looks to have seen some ATF leaking. Those hoses are not so pressure critical and you can fix those yourself via an inexpensive (relatively) replacement for the spiral wrapped one, and cutting the crimped fitting off the hard section that leads to the smaller of the nipples on the reservoir. I had a post somewhere that showed what I did on my S2; it involved a reducing barb and has worked great so far.

You may also want to take a look at your swaybar bushing. It's received some pretty unfriendly fluids for the rubber and probably needs some attention, as well, though it's not as safety critical as the other bits you're working on.

Cheers

 

The lines coming off the reservoir seem to be ok. You're right though, that bushing may need replacing. It is still intact for the most part, but the edge of one side looked like it had been cut...I imagine that's from super hot fluid hitting it over time?

 

The fluid itself will swell and degrade the rubber, hot fluid will just accelerate the degradation; it's not a terminal thing for steering but it's certainly the case that you're not getting the designed hardness from the bushing. It's probably giving you some sloppiness in feel as compared to a new part.

Cheers

 

I'm not going to be able to get the banjo bolt off at the rack. It's just too tight and the head of the bolt seems a bit rounded. Bizarre angle on that thing too.

So I guess I need to drop the rack. Thought it might not be too bad, but reading Clark's overview, sounds a little more involved than I hoped. I guess we'll see.

 

I've seen several folks mention the updated version of the steering hose's banjo bolt that you can get through dealers. Do you happen to know the part number or where I can pick them up? There are some currently listed on eBay, but that guy doesn't actually have them in stock.

Based on what folks had been saying, I thought the old allen head version (99913403201) had been replaced by a hex head. However, I ordered the part recently and was sent bolts identical to what was already on my car (i.e., with the allen head).

 

If you know the threading, Belmetric has some great options: https://www.belmetric.com/high-flow-...1041_854_1496/

I don't know the PN for the hex head version, though.

Cheers

 

This is great! I did not know about the belmetric site. I was corresponding with the folks at Pelican and they mentioned that N021-073-1 is the same size and thread pitch are (M12 by 1.e). So I might be able to use that. I don't know what the "1.e" means though. I can't find any information about thread pitch that shows the letter "e" next to the measure...so I'm wondering if it's a typo...or does it have to do with one of the many measures of the thread? I didn't realize the complexity of threads until I started looking this up. I came across several old government documents detailing the work of screw thread commissions and a bureau of standards...interesting stuff. Based on reading through those, I thought maybe "e" referred to the thread diameter?

For your reading enjoyment:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...fe8af50ac2.pdf

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...31f0221c3b.pdf

 

I would skip the Porsche bolt, same as this: https://www.belmetric.com/high-flow-...c-p-11457.html, but more expensive.

 

Since the original bolts have a bit of a shoulder at the bolt head, do I need to add a washer to this? Also, can I use some anti-seize on this bolt, or should it be dry?

 

You should be using a crush washer on either side of the banjo fitting, to avoid leaks. Belmetric has those, too, as does McMaster.

I wouldn't worry about anti seize on this bolt as it's pretty much drenched in ATF constantly. That said, a little wouldn't hurt things any.

Cheers