Another Monaro power steering leak

[Capri_Ghia]

Just when I thought the Monaro was sorted it's started leaking power steering fluid. The joys of owning a 15 year old car I suppose.

I think it's coming from the cooling pipes in front of the rad but will wait and see what the garage says once it up on a ramp. Assuming this is the source of the leak is this a big job to replace?

Thanks.

[vxr2010]

It’s a very common leak area and not that hard or bad to change , from memory most use an original part, i maybe wrong others have tried different option parts but steering was effected ? ?

[Capri_Ghia]

Thanks for the reply.

I'd like to stick to original parts if at all possible. Steering is something I'd rather not mess around with It's booked in on Wednesday so I should know exactly what I'm dealing with then.

[maccavvy]

The part you speak of the the cooler.
Basically its a pipe with some fins on.
Original are difficult to source and will rust again .

I replaced mine for a universal oil cooler from jjc rally came with 10mm id rubber hoses and ran them back to the original metal pipes behind the rad.
doesnt rust. fit and forget

[mfp4073]

[quote=maccavvy]The part you speak of the the cooler.
Basically its a pipe with some fins on.
Original are difficult to source and will rust again .

I replaced mine for a universal oil cooler from jjc rally came with 10mm id rubber hoses and ran them back to the original metal pipes behind the rad.
doesnt rust. fit and forget [/quote

I would take maccavvy's advice.... replace and forget.
However, I replaced my cooler with a standard part years ago. I sprayed it with some cavity rustproofing wax and it is still as good as new. All pipes and brackets need treatment every couple of years or so.
We all go through stages when we want to give up with our car due to constant problems and expense. Just hang in there and remember you have a special car and it's the last of its kind.

[vxr2010]

I could not find an original cooler on line , and based on above of a non original cooler working ( i thought i heard they did not work but i must be wrong ) then i would put a universal one on , they can be found on ebay for around 55£ , if you are still looking for original try walkinshaw or aas or other suppliers

[Lee20k]

vxr2010 said:

I could not find an original cooler on line , and based on above of a non original cooler working ( i thought i heard they did not work but i must be wrong ) then i would put a universal one on , they can be found on ebay for around 55£ , if you are still looking for original try walkinshaw or aas or other suppliers

I put an aftermarket one on mine after the original sprang a leak, IMO better than original.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mishimoto-MMTC-U-Univer...

Edited by Lee20k on Tuesday 29th October 13:01

[Lincsls1]

mfp4073 said:

We all go through stages when we want to give up with our car due to constant problems and expense. Just hang in there and remember you have a special car and it's the last of its kind.

Nice words John.
I think my spigot/pilot bearing has just self destructed! I've literally just spent £1200 on the headers and cats!
So that means LS7 clutch and all associated bits n bobs done whilst the box is out. Just hoping gearbox isn't damaged.

[SturdyHSV]

Lincsls1 said:

Nice words John.
I think my spigot/pilot bearing has just self destructed! I've literally just spent £1200 on the headers and cats!
So that means LS7 clutch and all associated bits n bobs done whilst the box is out. Just hoping gearbox isn't damaged.

I put together a cart with the whole lot in (LS7 clutch kit, slave cylinder, bearing) on RockAuto and it works out very cheap all things considered, I assume you're aware of the bits etc. but give me a shout if not.

[mfp4073]

[quote=Lincsls1]

Nice words John.
I think my spigot/pilot bearing has just self destructed! I've literally just spent £1200 on the headers and cats!
So that means LS7 clutch and all associated bits n bobs done whilst the box is out. Just hoping gearbox isn't damaged.
[/quote

The way things are going we will end up with what are effectively new cars at this rate!!!! In fact better than new. Hopefully you will have caught it in time.
The LS7 transformed my car it really was such an improvement over the stock clutch.
I did go a bit crazy mind, and replaced all the usual parts including a gearbox oil change at the same time. That was three years ago and it's been great ever since.
The actual gear lever shift and clutch pedal has got a nice beefy muscle car feel to it now, it's as good as you could wish for with the T56.
I also changed the long CV8 gear lever for a shorter version inorder to further reduce the throw which is a nice improvement.
However I'm sure you won't have to bother with that mod as you have a VXR.
Anyway hang in there mate, and remember if all gets a bit much just think... "it could be worse"...obviously I can't actually think of anything at the moment ...but you get my drift.

I forgot to mention last month my car fell off its Jack and believe me I had a major nuclear melt down when that happened.
I did managed to fix it today with a good used radiator overflow tank from speed4u.
Stuff just happens!!!!!!!

John

[Lincsls1]

mfp4073 said:

Anyway hang in there mate, and remember if all gets a bit much just think... "it could be worse"...obviously I can't actually think of anything at the moment ...but you get my drift.

John

Cheers bud. To be honest, I'm not worried. With 80k miles on it, I'm confident knowing what I know that it'll all be original stuff and ready for changing. It was on the agenda anyway, but further down the line, this has just forced the issue.
I think I'll sorn it now for the winter and deal with it next April time.
I'm gonna get it transported to AAS and let them assess the situation first, hopefully the box is fine (its been spot on till this point, no complaints). Then hopefully just throw a LS7 clutch and all the standard recommended bits n pieces. Might even throw some new Pedders half-shafts at the rear end.

[Lincsls1]

SturdyHSV said:

I put together a cart with the whole lot in (LS7 clutch kit, slave cylinder, bearing) on RockAuto and it works out very cheap all things considered, I assume you're aware of the bits etc. but give me a shout if not.

Thank you, you're a gent.

[Capri_Ghia]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. The Mishimoto universal cooler may be an option if I can't source an original part for a sensible price.

I had an LS7 clutch kit with flywheel fitted by WP when the slave cylinder started leaking (the first of many leaks my car's had ). It's a great set up but was not cheap. The Rock Auto route is no doubt a good option if you can fit it yourself.

[motomk]

Capri_Ghia said:

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. The Mishimoto universal cooler may be an option if I can't source an original part for a sensible price.

I had an LS7 clutch kit with flywheel fitted by WP when the slave cylinder started leaking (the first of many leaks my car's had ). It's a great set up but was not cheap. The Rock Auto route is no doubt a good option if you can fit it yourself.

Can only find secondhand ones on Ebay, here in Oz.

[99PBATR]

Walkinshaws replaced my PSU cooler with a new AC Delco type compact cooler. Looks better, wasn't silly money and is way better. Should last a lot longer than the original one. I did the same with my last car and the result was way better than OEM.

[Capri_Ghia]

99PBATR said:

Walkinshaws replaced my PSU cooler with a new AC Delco type compact cooler. Looks better, wasn't silly money and is way better. Should last a lot longer than the original one. I did the same with my last car and the result was way better than OEM.

That's good to know. As expected, it is the power steering cooler that has corroded and leaked. After some enquiries it looks as though the original part is no longer available.

I've ordered the Walkinshaw's kit (cooler and fittings) for installation at my local indie garage. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. It's more expensive than the Mishimoto option but hopefully it'll bolt straight on without too much fabrication.

I'll feedback once it's on the car.

Cheers.

[SturdyHSV]

I'm doing some power steering related tinkering shortly, may just swap the cooler over in advance of any issues surfacing

[Lincsls1]

Capri_Ghia said:

I'll feedback once it's on the car.

Cheers.

Yes please! How much was the kit?

[Capri_Ghia]

Ok, so the Walkinshaw Performance kit has been on the car for a week and a half and about 300 miles so here's an update:

The kit consists of an aftermarket oil cooler, mounting bracket, bolts, 2 hoses and clips. The kit was about £170 with next day courier delivery. The garage charged me 3 hours labour to install it. It's a front bumper off job and a bit of fabrication to fit the bracket behind the front bumper bar.

So far it's performing great and it looks neat and tidy.

Many thanks to Walkinshaws for supplying a decent piece of kit quickly and without any fuss. I'm sure they may have been cheaper solutions out there but this car's my daily and I wanted it sorted ASAP with assured quality parts.

I'd recommend this solution to anyone who's Monaro has the same issue.