On my 69 Chevelle with a 71 454, the power steering high pressure fitting is leaking at the steering box. I removed the high pressure hose and checked the flanged fitting, looks perfect. The fitting is not cross threaded and I used teflon tape around the fitting threads. Is it possible that the seat inside the box is damaged somehow?

Also, I tried finding the exact high pressure hose at NAPA. We went through just about every year and couldn't seem to match it up. Just wondering if a "universal" hose would work just as well?

Jim

Your steering hose does not seal with the threads, it seals with the flare fitting, so the teflon tape will not help you.

Also, these hoses often require a good amount of tightening to get the flares to seal properly (all the way). It may be that the teflon tape is not allowing a full tightening of the seat itself, although that is kind of reaching out for ideas. Either way, I'd start by removing the tape from the threads.

I had the same difficulty as you are experiencing, only at the other end of the hose on the pump outlet. It would drip, and no matter what I did it would not seal even with a new hose.

Finally one day I just decided I had nothing to lose and I put the pedal to the metal with a wrench, it actually turned another 1/4 turn or so, where I had thought it was already max tight.

Presto, nice and dry.

Food for thought, anyway.

Eric

Inspect the gear port and the steel tubing end of the pressure hose:

1). The gear port should have a brass 45 degree flare seat inside. You should see a round indentation around the entire face of the seat from the hose end. If the brass seat is badly deformed, the seat should be replaced. GM dealers used to have new brass seats that can be installed. (You pull the old seat out of the gear with an easy-out.)

2). Inspect the end of the pressure hose tubing. The flare on the tube should be concentric and have an even width to its shape. Make sure that the tubing isn't cracked through the flare. Look carefully at the tube part. Pull the nut back from the end and inspect the part of the tubing where the nut was pressing the flare into the gear port.

With 45 degree flare fittings, it is true that the tighter you turn the nut, the better it seals. However, if the flare in the tubing is cracked, or the tubing itself is cracked you need a new hose.

Thanks guys. I will try the quarter turn first. If that doesn't work, I will tear it apart and check the gear port.

I finally found replacement hoses for my car. Unfortunately, the leak is still there. Its the brass seat on the high pressure side. From what I can see, it looks damaged or deformed. I checked a couple dealers and they have no clue. Anyone have any ideas where I might purchase the replacement brass seats for the gear box.

Maybe Lee's http://www.leepowersteering.com/. I got seats from them to convert the later metric style box to flare. Perhaps they have the ones you need as well.

I have contacted a service engineer at Saginaw and asked him if the brass power steering gear pressure and return port seats are still serviced by General Motors.

Since every power steering port and GM power steering hose was converted to metric o-rings in 1980, he was not old enough to be familiar with the pre-1980 port design. I am awaiting his call back as to whether or not he can find a service kit or service parts that might be available through GM dealers.

I will post back one way or the other.
JIML82

So far I am quite sure that GM no longer services those port seats.

The original part numbers for the pressure and return port brass seats were:
5687538 and 7828302

I am trying one more direction. But won't have any feedback until Friday.

JIML82

If the hose has the flare rather than the O-ring type seal, although you shouldn't need it, you CAN get a flare gasket made of soft copper from a refrigeration supply house.

Teflon tape is only used on pipe threads.

I hadn't thought of that. A round, rather thin soft piece of copper with a hole cut out in the center (to allow the fluid through with minimum restriction), might affect a good seal between the face of the 45 degree pipe on the hose and the damaged brass seat in the gear. Just make sure that compressing the copper gasket doesn't close down the center hole.

You are correct, the hydraulic seal is the pipe against the brass seat. Using teflon tape on the threads will not seal anything.

JIML82

Jim: Thanks for continuing the research. I look forward to your response. I emailed Lee Manufacturing and will wait and see if they reply. Dean, the copper gasket has merit. I have friend in the refrigeration business, so I will check that option out also. Another option I am exploring is having the brass seats made. I am not sure about the tooling yet and have not pulled either of the seats out yet, for fear that I would have a worse leak then I currently have.

Jim