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Changing the Power Steering Line

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Old 06-14-2012, 02:28 PM
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bruce7
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Default Changing the Power Steering Line

Changing the Power Steering Line

This procedure documents how to change out the power steering pressure line in the engine bay.

Accompanying pictures can be found here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.c...38m_6C64v3owE#

Porsche Parts

993-347-447-26 Pressure line (note it comes with O-rings installed)
999-230-395-02 Banjo bolt (optional)
000-043-206-56 Pentosin power steering oil CHF 202

Procedure

0. Note mileage
1. Raise the car onto jackstands. Remove the right rear wheel.
2. Turn off the light in the engine lid by pressing down on the lid latch.
3. Remove the air box and breather hose to the clutch vent pipe.
4. Drain the power steering reservoir.
5. Place rags to collect fluid that will leak out during the disconnect. (See discussion at the end)
6. Remove the forward flare nut connection. Hold the 14mm nut steady and only turn the 17mm nut.
7. Remove the 19mm banjo bolt at the pump. Fluid will begin to leak out.
8. Remove the steering line from the pump and hang out over the bumper. Wrap with a rag.
9. Disconnect line at both support bracket clamps. Remove the plastic hex head nut in the bracket.
Insert small flat-blade screwdriver under the black clamp and twist to pop the clamp open.
Flip the clamp up and pull the line out.
10. Remove the line from the car.
11. Clean up the mess. (See discussion at the end)
12. Loosen hose clamp securing power steering reservoir and remove the cap.
13. Remove the oil fill cap.
14. Install the new power steering line:
  • Step 1 - Slip the line under the power steering return line.
  • Step 2 - Slip the line over the power steering reservoir and oil fill tube.
  • Step 3 - Slip the line over the fuel filter.
  • Step 4 - Insert the line into the forward support bracket and secure.
    Do the same for the rear support bracket.
  • Step 5 - Connect the steering line at the pump with a 19mm wrench.
    Note the locating pin on the pump and the hole in the bracket.
  • Step 6 - Tighten the forward flare nut connection. Hold the 14mm nut steady
    and turn the 17mm nut to tighten.
15. Tighten the hose clamp securing the reservoir.
16. Fill the power steering reservoir with fresh fluid to the top mark on the dipstick.
Leave the cap off for now.
17. Replace the oil fill cap.
18. Refit the air box.
19. Start the engine and immediately check the level in the reservior.
It should drop only slightly. Never allow the reservoir to empty.
Switch engine off immediately if fluid level drops out of sight and refill.
20. Let engine run at idle and check for leaks.
21. Turn steering wheel rapidly several times stop-to-stop to bleed air from the system.
Check fluid level in the reservoir and top-up if necessary.
22. With the engine at idle, turn wheel to full lock and keep it there for 10 seconds.
Return to center position and check all lines and connections for leaks.
Repeat by turning the steering wheel to the opposite lock and holding for 10 seconds and checking for leaks.
(It would also be a good idea to remove the front under-tray and check the steering rack connections for leaks
if you haven't seen it recently.)
23. Top-up reservoir to correct level with engine at idle and steering wheel centered.
24. Release the engine lid latch and close the engine lid.
25. Refit the right rear wheel and lower the car.
26. Test drive and recheck for leaks and fluid level.
27. Update log

This procedure will have used approximately 1/3 of a liter of fluid.

Since the power steering system uses a recirculating fluid design, the remainder of the fresh fluid can be used
to replace old fluid in the system by following a simple procedure:

After a few days of driving, draw off the fluid from the reservoir and refill.
Continue to do this until all the fresh fluid has been used.

Alternatively, you could disconnect the pressure and return lines at the steering rack and drain them before refilling
the reservoir. In that case you will need to start the engine several times and switch off immediately after start and refill
the reservoir. This enables the pump to bleed the air out of the system.

Fluid Spills

Spilling the power steering oil during disconnect is tough to avoid in this situation as there is not much room to put a large
enough catch can under the connection at the pump. I had no leakage from the forward connection following the steps outlined,
but had quite a bit come out at the pump end.

This raises a couple of issues: how to avoid spilling and how to clean up a spill.

If I were to do this again, I would seriously consider using a couple of Oil Sponge products (www.oilsponge.com).
One is an absorbent pad. The other is an absorbent cellulose fiber used on ground spills to soak up and eat up the oil using bacteria.
I priced the pads distributed by Phase III, Inc. and they are $52.35 for 200 count, each pad 15" x 17". They have an interesting video
on YouTube that describes the fiber product:
They say that 1.6 lbs of this product can absorb 1 qt. of oil. It is being used in hazardous waste cleanups on freeways.

As far as cleanup goes, I used Simple Green and Maguiars Super-Degreaser in the engine bay and down below and it seemed to
do the job very well. Have a variety of brushes on had to assist in the cleaning process.

-bruce
Old 06-14-2012, 02:51 PM
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SkiDan
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Bruce,

Wow! Excellent write up and very well illustrated by photos. Much appreciate your sharing this project. Would be an excellent addition to P-Car.com.
Old 06-15-2012, 02:31 PM
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bruce7
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Originally Posted by SkiDan
Bruce,

Wow! Excellent write up and very well illustrated by photos. Much appreciate your sharing this project. Would be an excellent addition to P-Car.com.
Thanks Dan!

I searched but could not find any writeup on how to change the power steering line so I thought it would be good to try it.

I've been thinking about how it might be possible to reduce the fluid spill I had and came up with an alternative set of steps. Of course it's too late for me to try but maybe someone else might have some input on this idea.

The difference in this next approach is 2 steps:

After draining the power steering reservoir, disconnect the hose clamp from the return line at the pump and drain the remaining fluid in the hose to the reservoir. This will reduce further pressure on the fluid that will be remaining in the pump.

Next, don't break the vacuum in the pressure line by loosening the forward flare nut connection until the pump end connection has been undone and the hose end is hanging out of the car. This should then limit the amount of fluid that comes out of the hose and pump.

Then with the hose end out of the car, disconnect the forward flare nut connection and drain the hose to a catch can.

I wish I had thought of this before. I'm sure this will result in less mess, but it needs to be tried and checked.

Thoughts on this idea anyone?

-bruce
Old 04-06-2016, 03:48 PM
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bruce7
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Default Updated with new link to photo album

New link to the Google photo album:

https://goo.gl/photos/Y9Lur9Q6KqpPpzaG8

-bruce7



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