Power Steering Reservoir Blowing out Oil??

[Griff04]

Noticed what appeared to be some type of fluid blowing down the drivers side top and bottom side of the engine bay. It was very noticeable on the main air filter box. It looked like it was possibly blowing out the vent hole on the power steering reservoir, I’ll add a pic. I checked the level  and it was slightly overfilled, just above the high line on the cap dipstick. Hopefully that is all it was. Anyone else experienced this, it was either over filled or some type of back pressure blowing it out?

 

 

[Pete M]

how does the steering feel?  any funny noises?

[Griff04]

17 minutes ago, Pete M said:

how does the steering feel?  any funny noises?

 Nothing abnormal or any unusual noises. The steering fluid did look like chocolate mud...I’ve never flushed a system before but this one is definitely a good candidate for one. 

[HOrnbrod]

Fluid blowing out of the vent cap usually indicates a sticking pressure relief valve. Since your fluid obviously needs to be changed, try draining and changing it first. Clean PS fluid may free-up the valve w/o disassembly. If not you'll have to pull the pump, take it apart, clean it up, and replace any blown o-rings. Not hard - looks like this - only pic I could find.

 

[Griff04]

45 minutes ago, HOrnbrod said:

Fluid blowing out of the vent cap usually indicates a sticking pressure relief valve. Since your fluid obviously needs to be changed, try draining and changing it first. Clean PS fluid may free-up the valve w/o disassembly. If not you'll have to pull the pump, take it apart, clean it up, and replace any blown o-rings. Not hard - looks like this - only pic I could find.

 

Will definitely try draining and putting fresh fluid in first. Will let you know the outcome. 

[Griff04]

Looks like you’ve done this before, what’s the best way to drain and flush it?

[yxmj]

I have done it (flushed it) with success without removing anything. The last one I did on my YJ had a noticeable grinding/growling noise. I used a Dollar Store turkey baster, an empty plastic jug and some Walmart ATF.

Used the baster to suck up the fluid out of the reservoir, dumped old fluid in the plastic jug ….get as much out as you can…..then topped it off with ATF…..started it up and ran the wheel back and forth from full left to full right 2 or 3 times…..then used the baster to drain it again….refilled and repeated. After the third time my noise was gone….I drove for a day or 2 then did it one more time.

 

And yes I run ATF in my PS. 

[HOrnbrod]

^^  That's a good way to do it, but if your pressure and return hoses are still the originals it's a good time to replace them. Removing them makes short work of draining the system.

 

I've heard of using ATF for power steering fluid but never tried it, so don'y know what the yeas or nays are for using it.

[rokinn]

My steering box was shot when I bought my MJ.  Instead of buying a reman one (most reviews said they have a high failure rate) I had a local shop that specializes in steering gears rebuild it for me.  I had him put in a faster worm gear from a ZJ.  I had him check out the pump while he was at it.  He said he lowered the pressure it was producing by about half, down to 9psi if IIRC.  The higher pitched noise from it that was prevalent before was much diminished and I much prefer the feel in the steering now.  That said, I have no idea how one changes the psi but it can be done which changes the sound it produces.  No problems still 2 years later.  Perhaps it's possible that high pressure is producing blow by.  Mine was pretty oily before but relatively clean now.

[DirtyComanche]

7 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

I've heard of using ATF for power steering fluid but never tried it, so don'y know what the yeas or nays are for using it.

 

It's the factory fluid in many P/S systems that run basically identical pumps and steering boxes.  I consider it to be basically backwards compatible, I doubt there would be any noticeable difference between either.

[Griff04]

7 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

^^  That's a good way to do it, but if your pressure and return hoses are still the originals it's a good time to replace them. Removing them makes short work of draining the system.

 

I've heard of using ATF for power steering fluid but never tried it, so don'y know what the yeas or nays are for using it.

Not a bad idea in regards to replacing the hoses, I’ll inspect them to see what kind of shape they are in and go from there. Trying to finish up my brake system rebuild now but the power steering flush is on my list, the list is getting longer!! Lol

 

Griff

[SVPete]

9 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

^^  That's a good way to do it, but if your pressure and return hoses are still the originals it's a good time to replace them. Removing them makes short work of draining the system.

 

I've heard of using ATF for power steering fluid but never tried it, so don'y know what the yeas or nays are for using it.

 

We used Dextron II in the power steering pumps for CUCV's (Chevy Blazers and Pickups) and HMMWV's in the Army. Maybe it's just one less fluid to stock.

[Tec4toys]

Always chuckle when I hear or read "Dextron". The proper name is "Dexron"

No T in Dexron.

We had a real hot head at work that one day in a mad fit, said "Dextron" and I corrected him to further fuel his tizzy, so whenever I hear or see it, it cracks me up.