1980 Power Steering leak

J

jmalloy

Member
Hello -

I recently replaced the power steering gearbox on my 1980 traveler with a rebuilt box, and I now have a small leak coming from the high pressure hose entering the gearbox. It's a small leak, and only under pressure.

I'm told that 1980 was a unique year for Scout power steering in that it's the only year that uses o-rings on the fittings. The rings I replaced around the fittings fittings were a toothpaste green color and seemed to have more material than the o-rings I can find to replace them with (black and small) , so I'm assuming that I'm simply using the wrong part.

Can anyone tell me if there's something special I need to look for in a replacement o-ring? I've never seen toothpaste green before. No pictures - the old ones are long gone (I thought I was done) and I'm not going to pull the thing apart until I have materials to hopefully fix it.

If I know what to ask for, can I pick them up at a local parts store? Does IH Parts America sell them?
 
"small leak and only under pressure"??? You are looking at upwards of 1600psi with no steering input at idle! And that "small leak" can be deadly if it hits your body at the right spot, something like a .22 long rifle shot.

Completely wrong part and application. There are tens of thousands of pattern "o" rings for various applications, as well as specific materials by application.

"green" o-rings are hnbr items (some of which are also produced in a burnt orange coloration) used only for mobile air conditioning applications manufactured for use with r-134a refrigerant (calendar 1993 and later in north america) and specific lubricants used with that refrigerant. The size and cross-section of those type "o"-rings is not what is used in hydraulic applications, never was, never will be. Refrigerant fitting patterns are not the same pattern as hydraulic fitting patterns....refrigerant "o" rings are not the same as hydraulic "o" rings. And then the "english" vs. "metric" thing enters into the sizing, they do not interchange...hnbr "o" rings for the most part are metric though some specialty "cross-over" sizes were produced for the refrigerant transition which began in '93.

You can obtain proper "o" rings from a hydraulic supply or industrial supply distributor over-the-counter. Take the hose in for use as a sample, they will know how to size 'em. That way they will know if the hose fitting is a "tube o" (groove formed in the pilot for the "o" ring to seat in) or straight pattern with shoulder. The swivel nut on the hose end May also be one of at least three different patterns. And aftermarket replacement hoses use a different "o" ring configuration many times compared to the oem setup.
 
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By "small" I mean that it seeped about a tablespoon of fluid after idling for 30+ minutes while periodically turning the wheel and doesn't seep at all when not running.

I did take the hose to two separate auto parts places (seemed like a reasonable place to look for parts for an automobile), and received the same (incorrect) part from each. It sounds like the po had arrived at a different incorrect part at some point in the past. I'm not sure where my nearest local hydraulic supply place is, but I'll look them up.

Thanks,
--jim
 
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