[Vwdiesel] Power steering

[mikitka]

Did you try  www.car-parts.com?  I found a bunch around here in NC.

Nick

My '85 TD has been leaking power steering fluid for years.  I have just kept
quietly topping it off.  Finally got around to pulling the reservoir and
hoses off and found the suction hose had a crack in it.  OK, no problem.  I
got to the store and buy a length of hose and put it in.  The original hose
had a few bends in it, but I massaged it around and it looked OK.  I topped
off the reservoir, started it up, and turned the wheel a few times lock to
lock.  Looks OK, and I leave it running for a few minutes because I rarely
drive it and I want to warm up the engine.  Something sounds odd, though
after a few minutes and, as too often happens, the smoke really indicated
something bad was going down.  I ran around and shut it down.  The smoke was
from the power steering pump.  It was hot enough to boil drops of water like
a hot skillet and to smoke the oil on the housing.  Apparently, it was
running dry.  The wheel turned easily so I'd thought it
 was bled.  I'm guessing the bend in the hose was too much and restricted
the flow.  I suppose that's what I get for saving $30 and not buying the
right hose with the bends in it.  

My supposition at this point is that I've lunched my pump.  I hate the
thought because it's literally one of only two original parts on the car. 
I'd be temped to install the right hose and try running with the same pump,
but the new rack in the car has <1000 miles and I don't want bits of pump to
work loose and eat it too.  Any thoughts?  I don't have a lot of experience
burning up hydraulic pumps.  

Or, anyone have a used pump laying about?  Autohausaz is kind of proud of
theirs....


-Shalyn
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