Gents/Ladies,

On a trip back from the grand canyon, the power steering in my 03D2 started to sound like Chewbacca...

Moans, groans, intermittently not helping much, etc.

Just got home, and working on diag/parts list - need some help please.

I'm thinking, as this is travel season for me, that its time to just replace it all.

Pump, hoses, reservoir and be done with it.

Steering box seems fine, and its too gross in there now to pinpoint the leak, but I do know this:

1) I am losing fluid out of the top of the reservoir, so the return hose is either clogged or not getting fed fluid.

2) the pump groans, and is working at 50%-ish capacity based on how hard I have to crank the wheel at a stop.

3) the brakes are harder to press, and work worse than usual.

4) Prices on the Internet are wildly varied for this stuff.

Pump I think I'm going to buy: Replacement REPL510404 Power Steering Pump | Auto Parts Warehouse

Hoses - from what I can tell, I need 4 of them? two from pump to reservoir and two from pump to gearbox? Anyone have any luck making them? I'm thinking something like and some AN fittings.

For what rover charges for those hoses, you could make some bada$$ SS braided ones...

Anywho, part numbers or feedback much appreciated!

Also - is this helpful?
- dc

 

There is a built-in screen inside reservoir tank that filters fluid b4 going to inlet hose,
Could it have enough build up so it doesn't let fluid to pass trough easily and it overflow's from the cap,?
If so then it will starve the pump & it will make Chewbacca sound,!

 

 

It just occurred to me how similar our Disco's are to the Mellinium Falcon.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X-rkFaIPyL4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Ended up with a pump from my local O'reillys of all things.

It was about $280, but had "limited lifetime warranty", which means i can kill it as many times as I need and they'll just replace it. I gotta do the labor but so be it. Interestingly, I didn't see any comparable warranty from anyone online.

Looks to be well reman'd, bearings seem smooth and paint is done well and not oversprayed.

Waiting for it to cool a bit then will pull it apart. BP shipped out my hoses and they'll be here today, so hopefully Chewie can go home. The old lady squad in my neighborhood stares at me when I back it out of the driveway right now.

#scottsdaleproblems

 

Oh - was gonna clean the reservoir out the wazoo today. Can I use brake cleaner on that plastic or will it melt it?

Also - fluid rec's? I've heard PS fluid from local guys is no good. Liqui-moly or something similar?

 

I don't know about brake cleaner since never used it on reservoir plastic. You can use dish washing soap & water & dry it with a blowdryer or leave it to dry itself,,
As far as fluid. You can use synthetic power steering fluid or
Trans fluid DexIII, I use Valvoline max life DexIII Trans fluid, it's synthetic & works excellant,,,

 

Will do on the valvoline. How much of it do I need?

Also - snapped the smaller nipple off the reservoir. Dammit. heading to ace to get a brass threaded one to replace it.

brits suck at plastic.

now if UPS will just hustle up and bring my hoses I can put this brute back together.

All in all, this is a pretty easy job, just be prepared for some cleaning. I threw down a bunch of boxes under the truck, and got in there with brake cleaner and a brush - I think this leak has been around for awhile.

 

How to Fix a busted nipple on the ABS reservoir....

1) Curse and scream at your own stupidity.

2) Jump on your motorcycle and head to ace hardware.

3) Buy a 3/8" barb x 1/8"MPT fitting, a 27TPI tap, and a 21/64" drill bit.

4) Double-check to make sure she is at work, and not home early for ANY reason.

5) Use kitchen sink, plenty of hot water and dawn, and scrub the reservoir clean inside and out. Use lots of hot water after to wash any gear oil past your sewer lines into the city pipes.

6) Dry res.

7) Use bit to clean up hole from where nipple snapped off to nice round hole.

8) tap threads in plastic. GO SLOWLY. it.s brittle (DUH - that's why your dumb self is in this pickle anyway).

9) Remember you forgot to buy JB weld. get back on the still warm ducati, and break traffic laws to Ace. Again. Shamelessly flirt with counter girl.

10) using a bit of teflon tape on the brass threads, and an 11mm box wrench, thread barb into tank.

11) Mix up some JB, and use it to seal the $hi* out of the brass/plastic connection.

12) Give it overnight to dry because you couldn't get to UPS store to pick up your hoses.

12b) mutter curses at the underpaid UPS store staff's unwillingness to break corporate policy for you over the phone, even though you're really asking nicely.

13) Leave rover alone, hit gym, drink beer, get on couch. Deal with the rest tomorrow.

 

That was funny,!! ( Not breaking part ) but everything else,!
Hope JB holds, I don't know how much fluid to fill a dry pump & reservoir, I have only flushed it & it takes a lot to properly flush ,, but if you buy 4qt jug you should be fine, & can keep extra for tranny later,