Hi All,
I've got a 2001 Cobalt 292 with twin 5.7 GSI, DP drives, with about 550 hours on her. While doing my usual dewinterize and pray routine last weekend, I noticed oil spraying from the rear of the port-side engine. After some cussing and feeling around back there, I figured out it was the power steering line going into the power steering cooler. This is the side with the non-functional power steering pump, the one with the lines just looped back together. I've known for a long time that the rubber line that goes into the cooler was pinched flat against itself and zip tied, kind of like pinching off a garden hose. Of course, that's exactly where this hose failed, right in the bend. I believe there is plenty of extra hose, so that I could cut off about 3-4 inches of the failed section and hose clamp this back on to the cooler, but my question is, do I need to replicate that crimp in the hose? I'm wondering if that crimp was intentional, to lower the input pressure into the cooler, since this side doesn't have the load of the steering ram. I'm just worried that if I don't crimp it, too much pressure will be headed right back into the pump. Maybe this is misplaced worry, do you think the crimp was intentional, or just some ham-fisted application of zip ties? Does the brass coupler between the lines provide any restriction? I guess I could try without and see what happens, but I was hoping there was someone here that may have some knowledge of this, and might save me from blowing more power steering fluid into the bilge.
I appreciate any help you can provide!
Thanks!
Mike Frank
I've got a 2001 Cobalt 292 with twin 5.7 GSI, DP drives, with about 550 hours on her. While doing my usual dewinterize and pray routine last weekend, I noticed oil spraying from the rear of the port-side engine. After some cussing and feeling around back there, I figured out it was the power steering line going into the power steering cooler. This is the side with the non-functional power steering pump, the one with the lines just looped back together. I've known for a long time that the rubber line that goes into the cooler was pinched flat against itself and zip tied, kind of like pinching off a garden hose. Of course, that's exactly where this hose failed, right in the bend. I believe there is plenty of extra hose, so that I could cut off about 3-4 inches of the failed section and hose clamp this back on to the cooler, but my question is, do I need to replicate that crimp in the hose? I'm wondering if that crimp was intentional, to lower the input pressure into the cooler, since this side doesn't have the load of the steering ram. I'm just worried that if I don't crimp it, too much pressure will be headed right back into the pump. Maybe this is misplaced worry, do you think the crimp was intentional, or just some ham-fisted application of zip ties? Does the brass coupler between the lines provide any restriction? I guess I could try without and see what happens, but I was hoping there was someone here that may have some knowledge of this, and might save me from blowing more power steering fluid into the bilge.
I appreciate any help you can provide!
Thanks!
Mike Frank
