So I thought I'd tackle one of my projects that I ASSuMEd would be easy: putting the new line from the power steering gear box to the wiper motor. I keep reminding myself what it means to ASSuME.
As you can see from this picture:
the reporduced line that TbirdHQ sold me is pretty close to the factory stock item. The rubber on the new line is straight but it is flexible enough that it's not too much of a pain to get both ends to line up.
Anyway, with minor cajoling I got the line in.
Once I tighted both sides down to the point where they were snug and to put more torque on them would surely have stripped the threads, I added Type F ATF and fired up the car for the first time in a couple of months. I ran the wipers for a few seconds and jumped out to check for leaks.
This is what greeted me under the hood:
The fitting at the PS gear box is weeping.
I loosened the nut moved the line around a bit and retightened it as much as I could. It still weeped.
Questions and comments about my way forward:
1. Am I missing something here like some sort of rubber donut washer or what not? I don't recall there being one when I removed the factory stock part and I've never seen one on an NPT threaded hydraulic line fitting. Usually, you line up the flared end over the nipple and tighten.
2. I removed the original part a couple of months ago with the thought that I'd take it to a shop to have a new rubber section crimped on the OE metal lines. No dice with that route so I just ordered one from TbirdHQ. I can't remember if that line went over or under the other line. The shop manual does not show a picture. Can someone check under their hood and verify this for me? I does not look like the line I am replacing will line up with the gearbox opening if I route it under the other line, but if that's the way Ford made it, then I'll give it a shot. I don't want to keep putting it on, tightening it, removing it, and reinstalling it over and over again for fear of stripping out the threads or ruining the new part.
3. I have a tap and die set as well as some NPT taps. Also, I have some line flaring tools. I guess I could break those out but I'm fairly certain I know where that would take me: buying a new line AND a new PS gearbox. Anyone recommend trying this with the worst case scenario listed above?
Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm going to spray the shyte out of the opening on the gearbox with brake parts cleaner and use a toothbrush to clean out any crap that's in there and try to reinstall it. If that doesn't work, then I'm kinda at a loss. The replacement weeps like a person at a wedding and the OE part sprays power steering fluid in a nicked artery fashion. Either way I can't even start the car let alone drive it...
