My '95 F150 is losing power steering fluid at an alarming rate. The pump is now whining even when it's full, so I might have toasted that, too.

It looks like the lines are okay, but the steering box itself is leaking at the bottom where the pitman arm attaches. Is this a common problem? Is there a seal or a kit or something to fix it?

Thanks,
Jim

 

Yes there's a seal kit. A lot of people have trouble changing it.

 

I see there's a seal for like $8, and a rebuild kit for like $50. Do they typically need a seal or a rebuild? I suspect the problem is like on the axles on a lot of the GMs I've owned. The seal actually cuts a groove in the shaft, requiring a sleeve and bigger seal. That's what the rebuild kit looks like to me.

When you say a lot of people have trouble...should I just replace the box then? Are they really rebuildable?

Thanks,
Jim

 

I just changed the seal on mine, hardest part was getting the pitman arm off. Didn't check for a groove but it doesn't leak anymore.

 

Oh, I've got tools to persuade Mr. Pitman. If I can get away with a seal, then that's the way to go.

Thanks!