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Leaking Power Steering Pump Union


micfitz

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I have the engine out of the car and replaced all the power steering lines, gear and pump. The high pressure line connects to a short pipe that in turn connects to the pump. This union is leaking the part is not available from my Ford dealer.

 

If I could find a source for the union that screws into the pump then I might be able to service the connection by carefully machining off the old union and replacing it with a new one. I know these unions are still in production but I don't know where to get one and I have spent a lot of time searching online.

 

Does anyone know where I can get the part I need?

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Why ptfe the threads? The workshop manual says to replace the white 0-ring using a special tool. Shouldn't that be enough to seal the union without taping the threads. But I think the internal seal in the union has failed. What now? Any suggestions? Thanks for your advice.

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  • 2 months later...

Terry, I appreciate your advice but it did not solve my problem so for the benefit of others who might follow this thread here is one solution to this problem. Firstly, taping the threads of the HP union did nothing to stop the leak which was caused by failure of the internal o-ring in the union. Secondly, it is not possible to buy a replacement full hose assembly, pump to rack. They are just not available from Ford or anywhere else. I bought a union pipe fitting from Mazda made for the year 2000 MTV. This does not fit the Ford Contour but it does have a union that is identical to the Ford union and it doesn't have a pipe installed in it. This is a stroke of luck and just what is needed to make the repair. I carefully machined the old union off the leaking Ford pipe, then completed the repair by pushing the Ford pipe into the Mazda union (after discarding the Mazda pipe}. Once installed these parts cannot be separated! Finally, I fitted a new white o-ring to the union to pump joint. Tape on this joint might work but I doubt it would be as effective or reliable as a new o-ring.

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I use the Ford Escape pumps as a replacement for the Contour/Mystique and Cougar when they fail. The pipe is similar and needs a small tweak to work.

 

-Dom

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  • 3 months later...

Can you elaborate on the Escape pump/hose tweak?

 

My '00 started leaking a few months ago after a shop replaced the alternator. It was a very small leak at first - now I am filling the power steering reservoir about as often as I fill the gas tank.

 

The shop says that the power steering pump is leaking where the hose connects, and the high pressure hose is leaking at the sweated on fitting (their words) - sounds a lot like the leaks associated with the union, listed above. They quote about $1000 to fix it because the Motor manual specs 6+ hours labor to drop the K-member/engine to get at the high pressure hose. Is this all necessary?

 

Last year I started using a shop for the first time in my life - I thought I found a really good one. I believe they will use alternate parts if I tell them what to order, and they'll do the work with alternate labor methods if I show them what they can do vs. the Motor manual. (Or, if it's the work of an afternoon in a driveway, I will just do it myself!).

 

SoCal00

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  • 1 year later...

Resurrecting an old thread -

 

I gather that there is an internal, non serviceable O-ring between the tube nut and the pressure line, and also an external Teflon seal or ring at the outside of the threads.  I gather that Terry is saying that Teflon tape can completely replace the external seal??

 

I'm pulling my engine to do a diff replacement.  Car also has a power steering leak, looks to be at the high pressure line to pump junction.  I noticed when removing the pressure line that there were a few shreds of Teflon tape but no O-ring.  I wish now that I'd looked harder at this leak before starting to take things apart.  If it's the internal O-ring I guess the whole pipe assy needs replacing - and it also appears that hose assys are now available at Rock Auto and not terribly expensive.  And presumably easy to replace with engine out!

 

So I guess my question is - is my leak at all likely to be from the internal O-rings?  If so it sure would seem smart to replace the pressure hose with the engine out......

Edited by 2000SVTC
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If the leak is between the tube and the union then it's the o rings,if between the threads of the union and the mup body then it is the large white Teflon seal ,that type of leak may be cured by the ptfe tape on the union threads...if the O rings then I'd advise a new pressure line ...and yes,with the engine out is much easier to change..

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  • 2 weeks later...

i have noticed a leak coming from my recently replaced rack and pinion that a shop fixed because he said i had to pull the motor out to get to it so if i just had that replaced with all new lines and new pump and reservoir where would this leak be coming from since you all have a vast more knowledge with this than i do i bought the car for 300 3 years ago and now put almost 10k into it mostly customing it to my likes  

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  • 1 month later...

late but ran into this issue today and the o-rings are serviceable i just bought a set from napa today along with the replacement teflon seals that are direct fit for a grand total of 32 bucks have to have them shipped from kansas and des moines and as for the said union its called a pressure tube and ford carries them there 79 bucks 

Edited by Adam J. Owens
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