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Date:         Tue, 2 May 2000 16:16:24 -0400
Reply-To:     k1cajun@PIPELINE.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave L <k1cajun@PIPELINE.COM>
Subject:      Power Steering: leak and pressure switch ?

On the return leg of the first road trip since our 89 Westy got a new VW reman engine, it was raining and the rear wiper wasn't doing a good job of keeping window clear (new blade too). It was nighttime and a Westy, so rear window wasn't useful anyway. But on the last gas stop, I went to squeegee the glass and found the rear door was coated with oil and there was a drip on muffler, motor mount bar, and right head! Oil was blowing back due to the finely tuned aerodynamics of the Vanagon body. Oil level wasn't down by much, so I drove it the rest of the way home and two days later, to the dealer. They found it was a power steering leak and said the oil was down due to normal oil usage when seating rings. (I did first oil change at 700 miles, second at 2000). That was good news! I said I can handle that repair and took it home.

Now, looking it over, I see the pump and the send/return lines fittings are definitely coated all around with oil. I want to spray clean it all off with some degreaser, drive it a bit, and see if the leak is at the seal between the two sides of the pump housing, the shaft seal, or the send/return fittings. If it's the housing or shaft seal, it looks easy to rebuild. Kits available at dealer for $30.

Or maybe they didn't replace the send/return fittings' sealing rings when the pump was off to replace engine (if they even disconnected the lines that is).

So I wonder:

1) What kind of degreaser is safe to use - I'm hesitant because of the fat rubber head gaskets. I don't want to use anything that might damage anything on the waterboxer. 2) The Bentley says to use new seal rings on the lines. Anyone ever really do this ? They appear to be a metal ring, not rubber. 3) The Bentley says to use tool VW681 to remove old shaft seal. Will a special tool really be necessary ? If so, I guess I'll just use a rebuilt pump. But it would be nice to save the bucks and have the pleasure of doing it myself, as long as it's not masochistic! 4) There are wires at the end of the high-pressure line, like for a sending unit. Bentley doesn't show it in the steering chapter, but electrical diagram on 97.125 shows a PS pressure switch. I don't recall a dummy light for the PS on the dash ?! And the diagram shows it wired to the Digifant control unit relay and the idle stabilizer control unit. Why is the PS wired to the FI ? If you lose PS pressure, does it make you slow down ?

Dave L. 89 Westy 87 Vanagon


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