New fitting weeps at power steering gear box on my 65 (pic)

[mkoebra95]

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...

[Cdhowell]

Try some teflon tape on the threads. Once it is sealed you can trim away any excess with a razor blade.

[Harley Eaton]

The threads are NOT what seals the fitting. The flare on the hard line seals as it is trapped between the nut on the line and the machined cone in the gearbox.

[Harley Eaton]

Another thought.. If you have a conflict between the two hard lines going into the gearbox, you can bend or straighten one slightly.

[Ian M Greer]

Are you using a flare nut wrench to tighten the fitting as you can grab more of the surface of the flare nut and tighten better than a regular wrench of which only two sides are on the flare nut at any one time same as an adjustable wrench . Also called brake line wrench's in the automotive trade , can give you more torque on the fitting . I also agree teflon tape will not stop the leak the seal is made on the flared seat and not where the tube comes through the centre . P/S make sure the two mating surfaces are clean and no dirt etc is on either surface .Hope this helps Ian .

[mkoebra95]

I agree about the teflon tape prolly not being the solution though I thank you Cdhowell for the response. The weep is coming from around the center where the line comes through the nut.

I have been using an adjustable wrench so I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy a flare nut wrench big enough to work on this fitting. The set I have are too small (12mm).

I will clean the opening and the new part and attempt a reinstall tomorrow.

I just used a micrometer on the OE line nut and the replacement and they are identically sized length and diameter.

Thanks for the responses!

[mkoebra95]

Problem fixed! I bought a set of standard flare nut wrenches. For the record, the size on the line at the gear box is 5/8" and the one at the firewall going into the wiper motor is 11/16".

I cleaned the gear box opening with brake parts cleaner and a pipe brush. Tightened the fitting at the gear box and then the one at the firewall. The flare nut wrenches definitely added some ability to safely apply torque.

Thanks for the responses. I took a video of the car at idle that I posted a link to in the Off Topic section here.