PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

lol this isn't a miata. you could properly de-power the rack but the ratio is set up for assist and will be impractical for daily use, especially parking at low speed.

sayow

I have read this thread extensively but would like to ask for a little guidance.

Car is a 1996 LS with what I would consider a BAD power steering leak. Filled, I get about 80 miles before the whine starts. I definitely get a lot of white smoke at start and only at start.

So many questions:

1. I believe I do NOT need to replace the pump but only replace or plug the ACV. Does the smoke at start up make it clear that its a leak of the ACV?

2. What about the high pressure hose? Should that be replaced as well?

3. If I do replace the pump, do I order an LS400 pump and then order an ACV or can I just order an SC400 pump with the ACV plugged? Or does the LS400 pump already come with the ACV? I am worried that I will hand my mechanic a new LS400 PS pump and after he replaces it i still have a leak because there is no ACV in the new pump??!!

4. Given how bad my leak is, should I just go ahead and replace the alternator? I would assume that the alternator has been all gummed up but is it 100% that if the ACV is leaking (i.e. white smoke at start) that the fluid is indeed hitting the alt?

5. Any way to test alternator to see if needs replacing or is it a part that works until it fails with no signs?

6. What are typical hours for a PS pump replacement and alt replacement? I dont have time to do work myself but have a guy.


Just looking for the best way to smoke and leak without breaking the bank

Largefarva

I skimmed this but didn't see anything about fluid getting past the cap on the reservior on a '93. I get some whine mostly when cold (Canada cold, lol), steering works when driving but sometimes loses boost at idle, also worse when cold, much worse.

No smoke, no leaks I can see other than that it seems to overflow past the reservior cap/dipstick, I'm thinking it needs a pump but it idle and turning with the cap off it doesn't overflow or leak, but seems a bit aerated very strange. I have removed the valve on the rack and cleaned it, also flushed 8L through the system and it remains the same, steering assist at idle improved, but still not perfect.

I'm wondering if I can seal the factory reservior cap and use a remote reservoir elsewhere? Thinking of using a reservior with a gravity feed for the pump and a return nipple just above, would have the return from the rack go into the reservior and simply feed back to the factory reservior by the gravity feed into the factory return nipple on the pump reservior.

Any thoughts would be very helpful, the alt is not that old but its getting soaked and I'm getting sick of the mess in my driveway.

LScowboyLS

make sure you do not have a leak at the o-ring between the reservoir and the pump, it's just a $3 o-ring from the dealership, I'd replace it anyway

as far as a remote reservoir, if the part of Canada where you live is that cold, I would consider a synthetic transmission fluid with a low pour point before I went to the trouble of engineering a remote reservoir

go over to BobIsTheOilGuy.com and go into the transmission area of the forum and have them recommend a replacement for Dexron III that is compatible, yet very low viscosity when cold, something like a 0W-20 kind of ATF (Dexron is approximately a straight 20W)

I am thinking something like Toyota WS ATF might do the trick

Largefarva

Thanks, didn't know about the o-ring there, that may be it. It's -18 deg today, that's about as cold as we get here, I'll look into the fluid type if the o-ring doesn't work.
Appreciate the help!

Michael

Would you have the part number by any chance?

Largefarva

I'm going to get mine tomorrow, I'll post the part number when I get it, $5 here in Canada.

midwest2

90301-11016

LScowboyLS

please don't let your local dealership JACK YOU on this little o-ring, Lexus FULL list price is only $3.10 - so please don't let any crooked dealership charge you more, they should really be giving you a discount of 25%, (online dealerships are at ~$2.38) but we have had reports of some crooked dealerships charging $8 or more for this!

It's not the 3 or 4 dollars extra I am worried about, but if they will overcharge you by over 100% over FULL LIST price on this, what would they pull on a $1000 worth of parts during a major repair?

~

Jordanf

Question... I bought the O-Ring for my 91 LS400, part number 90301-11016 from the dealership ($10 lol). In the picture below it is the larger ring on the right... is this the correct location? Or wrong part number? Because there wasn't any O-Ring there before I put this new one on.

Jordanf

^ Anyone?

Also any tips on getting the reservoir mount bolt on between the engine ?

LScowboyLS

you need to report the dealership that overcharged you by over 300% to the zone rep

the correct o-ring location is the smaller o-ring in your picture, those idiots overcharged you AND gave you the wrong part! - good grief!

there is not supposed to be an o-ring where the larger one is in your pic, so remove that one.

TDIGREEN1

Where is the tutorial on how to remove the reservoir? Just looking for more of those tips - like swapping bolts.

LScowboyLS

often times when a job on the car seems difficult, due to a fastener that seems impossible to reach, it is because there is a tool that would make the job really easy, that you have no idea that this tool even exists

so what I do once or twice a year is hop aboard the local tool trucks (Snap-On, Matco, Mac, etc.) and just poke around for 30 minutes, looking at all of the weird shaped tools and formulating how those might help me in odd situations I have encountered before.

also be sure to visit your local harbor freight store and just browse for an hour or so every month, you will be surprised how many times you will say "well I never even knew there was such a thing" and you will know right then how this tool could have saved you in the past and will save you in the future!

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

the larger one looks like the correct o-ring that may have just slipped off the lip and was pushed up during reinstalltion. there should only be one o-ring there, the one at the edge of the pipe sitting in the lip. be sure to lube (soak) the o-ring in DEX-III fluid before reinstallation onto the pump.