| ince I could never find a
definitive write-up on replacing a ps hose I thought I would
post the procedure I used in the hopes that it might help
someone else in the future. This is the procedure to
replace the Power Steering hose on a Twin Turbo z. The
procedure will also work on an N/A and will be easier as
there will be less hoses to remove. Unfortunately, failure
of the high pressure hose seems like a fairly common problem
on z cars as they begin to show their age. If left
unchecked, a leaking hose can also cause your alternator to
fail as well, so living with a leaking hose is not an
option. Also be advised that this is a dirty, tedious
job. Timing:
After first noticing reddish liquid
spots beneath the U.S. passenger side of the engine bay
and/or the HICAS light begins to come on intermittently
(applicable to 90 -93 cars only), letting you know your
fluid is low, and you've confirmed visually that the hose
is leaking. This is usually fairly obvious when viewing the
hoses from under the car as ps fluid will be covering and
dripping from a lot of places when the high pressure hose
leaks as it tends to spray fluid
everywhere. Tools/Parts Needed:
High Pressure
Power Steering Hose (Part # 49720-31P00)
1 qt. ATF
(automatic transmission fluid) Dextron type III
Flat head
screwdriver
Phillips head screwdriver
19mm
wrench
10mm wrench or socket
23mm socket
1/2"
ratchet
6" 1/2" extension
needle nose pliers (removing
hose clamps)
x-acto knife (needs to be narrower than a
standard utility knife to reach in small spaces)
oil
drain pan or some other container to catch ps fluid
Two
2" x 6" at least 10" long (for driving the front tires on to
elevate the car so the floor jack can get under it from the
front)
Floor jack Tools Recommended:
2 small
copper crush washers (Part # 49726-50W00 $1.50ea. from
czp.us)
2 medium copper crush washers (Part #49726-
Y0100)
21mm socket (for quicker and easier removal of
tire rather than using the standard car jack)
18" 1/2
breaker bar (to use with the 21mm socket on removal of front
tire)
small flashlight (for spotting zip
ties)
mechanics mirror on stick (for checking re-assembly
of boost hose)
jack stands
Several rags on hand as
this is a messy job
Estimated Time to do
job:
4 - 5 hours including clean up your first
time
First, drive your car up on the pieces of wood or
similar elevation. This is to allow room later for sliding
the floor jack under the car from the front without hitting
the spoiler. 1. Remove the two large passenger side turbo
hose/pipe and two small hoses outlined in yellow and
indicated in the photo using the flat head screwdriver to
loosen the hose clamps circled in red.
Also
remove the two small hoses that attach to the intercooler
hard pipe. 2. I put a piece of tape on both the hose and
nipples to remind me later to hook them back up.
( )
It's also a good idea to stuff a rag or two into the
hose openings so nothing gets in there. If you have an NA,
then obviously you don't have to worry about the boost
hoses. Once the hoses are removed you can see the bolt
circled in yellow. 3. Jack the U.S. drivers side up and
remove the front wheel using normal safety procedures. This
will allow you to see the bolt (Circled in Yellow) that
holds the hose to the steering rack and also give you more
room to work.
( )
Place
the 19mm wrench on the bolt and then use the small sledge to
give it several sharp blows to loosen the bolt
counterclockwise. This was the hardest part of the job for
me, as it is difficult to get any real leverage while
keeping the wrench on the narrow bolt head, but stay
persistent and it will eventually come loose. Note the fact
that there are 2 copper washers, one on each side of the
hose connector that will need to be retained (if not
purchasing new ones) and used on the install of the new
hose. 4. Once it is loose, fluid will begin to ooze out so
be sure and have your oil pan/other container underneath to
catch the fluid. It should drain fairly quickly (2-3
minutes). Also at this time, you will need to locate the
sensor connector that is attached to the hose and disconnect
it by pulling out on the small tab located on the side while
at the same time pulling it apart. Look at your new hose
sensor to get an idea how it works. Once again, because of
the tight space it is difficult to get your hands on it with
any kind of leverage (as they will no doubt be covered in
grime and fluid at this point) but stay persistent. 5. In
this same area are 3 small white zip ties that hold the
sensor wiring to various hard pipes around the suspension.
These are fairly difficult to see and reach, but once
you've located them using the flashlight, you should be
able to insert the narrow x-acto knife in the available
spaces and "stab and nick" at the ties until they are cut.
Until you cut these ties, you will not be able to remove the
ps hose so it has to be done. 6. There is also, at least
on my 90tt, another metal/rubber bracket (A) in this area
that held the metal part of the ps hose and another hose
side by side.
It
also needs to be loosened using a philips head screwdriver
to loosen the screw in it. Once it is unscrewed enough the
metal back of this bracket will fall off leaving the hoses
connected by the rubber part. You'll then need to wiggle
the ps hose until you get the other hose to disengage from
the bracket so that you can snake the ps hose out
later. 7. Next, while you are under the car, there are 2
two hose brackets located near the center of the car on the
cross member.
These
are attached by 10mm bolts that need to be removed using the
wrench or ratchet. These are fairly easy. There is also a
plastic connector attached to one of the brackets that will
need to be cut also. 8. After all the ties and bolts
mentioned above have been removed/loosened you are now
almost ready to begin wiggling and snaking the rack
connection side of the hose onto the ground. (more fluid
will seep out of the hose now) But prior to doing this, make
a mental note of how the hose is positioned in relation to
other hoses, etc. as you will have to snake the new hose and
sensor into the exact same position or else it will not
fit. 7. Once you've got the rack side of the hose loose
and dangling on the ground, move out from under the car and
use the 23mm socket, 6" extension, and the breaker bar to
loosen the bolt on the pump. This will seem like cake
compared to the rack bolt. Once again, make sure to retain
the 2 copper washers and make a note of how the hose comes
up from the bottom as it will have to be installed in
exactly the same way. 9. Cut the black zip tie holding
the hose to the electrical harness next to it and then push
and wiggle the hose down towards the ground as far as
possible. Then get under the car again and pull it the rest
of the way out. 10. Transfer the hose brackets from the
old hose to the new hose in the same locations.
(It's
probably not necessary to transfer the side by side bracket
(A) as there is no way to insert the other hose back into
it, but I transfered it nonetheless) 11. Keep the plastic
inserts that came with the hose in the connectors to prevent
dirt from getting in the hose. I also put a small piece of
tape around the sensor wire and hard pipe to make it easier
to snake back through and another piece over the sensor
connector to keep out dirt. 12. To install the new hose,
start by snaking the new hose on the rack side first. This
will take some more wiggling and pushing and pulling to get
it to the proper position. Once there, insert one washer,
then the hose connector, washer and bolt and tighten. Again,
this may take a little tweaking to get the bolt lined up
properly due to the awkward angle but be patient. Use some
muscle and tighten the bolt as tight as you can using the
breaker bar. A torque wrench would have been nice to use but
I couldn't get enough room to fit a socket head and the
torque wrench over the bolt, so I had to use the regular
wrench 13. Remove the tape on the sensor harness and
connect it. 14. Now snake the hose up on the other side up
to the pump connection taking care to install it along the
same route, and between the same hoses it came out. Insert
the washers on each side of the hose connector and tighten
the bolt. 15. Reinstall all boost hoses. The bottom
intercooler hose is a little tricky and will need to be
"shortened" by compressing it slightly to force it back in
place. Take care that you have the hose rim over the
connecting pipe and not bent as this will cause an air leak.
I was able to be sure mine was firmly attached using a
mechanic's mirror and the flashlight. 16. Reinstall the
tire and lower the car. 17. Slide the floor jack under the
center of the car and lift the car using the crossmember
between the wheels as the lifting point, until both front
wheels are off the ground an inch or so.
 18. Fill
the ps resevoir with ATF fluid until it meets the minimum
mark. Mine took a little over a pint. Leave the resevoir lid
off. 19. Start the car and then turn the wheels side to
side until they lock and repeat for 3 or 4 times. This is to
bleed the system. Check the fluid level and top off to the
minimum mark. Do not over fill. Turn the wheels again, and
then check the fluid level once more. 20. Monitor the
fluid level over the next several days of driving and add a
little more if necessary. Hope this helps someone
else,
doug8867 Special thanks to members "Moxie" and
"Joe(NoVa)" who gave me some pointers during my first
attempt at this job.
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Power steering (ps) hose replacement procedure - 
