Rack and Pinion PS Fluid Q..

[rsmithdrift]

Ok so I have bypassed/removed my power steering and apparently one of the hoses I used to bypass it isn't good enough for ps fluid and is now gushing like a siv. I'm pretty much out of fluid at this point. It leaks out and leaves the resevoir empty in less than a day. I'm sure my rack will have to be rebled when I replace the hose and refill the system.

I can't fix this for atleast a week as I wont get paid till then and i'm just concerned as to what happens when the rack and pinion runs completely dry.... Will I still have steering??

I don't really understand how a rack and pinion works so i have no clue if it even needs the fluid or not without the powersteering pump. Does it even need it? Or will I completely loose my steering all together if it runs out of fluid??

I'm kinda worried... I live on a mtn so i really don't wanna loose my steering in the s turns on my way to work. Scarily I've noticed my steering is alot lighter now compaired to when the resevoir was full and it wasn't leaking.

Someone please tell me something

[rsmithdrift]

No one know's what happens to a rack and pinion when it runs totally out of fluid?? Really??

Please somebody tell me it worries me badly.

[LuckyX2]

You'll lose power steering with no fluid but won't lose steering completely. The fluid is just there for power steering, all the steering is done through mechanical processes of the rack and pinion. The power steering fluid is just there to take off some of the effort to move it, so if you loose the fluid, you'll just lose that extra steering help.

I'm running my 240sx completely without power steering right now btw.

[midnightouge]

You need to use ATF, not power steering fluid.

[rsmithdrift]

You'll lose power steering with no fluid but won't lose steering completely. The fluid is just there for power steering, all the steering is done through mechanical processes of the rack and pinion. The power steering fluid is just there to take off some of the effort to move it, so if you loose the fluid, you'll just lose that extra steering help.

I'm running my 240sx completely without power steering right now btw.

I have no power steering either... I removed the pump and re-ran the lines a while ago. That was kinda what I said in the first line of the origional post btw lol.

So what your saying is, since I have no power steering pump I don't need power steering fluid at all?? So even after I get paid theirs no point refilling it...

Can I simply disconnect all the lines and drain it completely and have no resevoir or anything? Or does it need the fluid for lubrication still?

I'd really like to just remove the lines and resevoir completely and leave it dry if it's not going to hurt anything.

[midnightouge]

If you don't have a power steering pump, then there is no reason why you should be adding fluid in there.

[terry_240sx]

if you run a power steering system completely out of fluid (dry) then i think it would destroy all of the seals inside of the rack because that fluid is what keeps the seals nice and lubed and all that good stuff
then if you replaced the lines it would leak out of the seals in the rack and pinion instead of the lines
and replacing the rack and pinion in a 240 is definitely no fun at all
just my 2 cents tho

[zachattack_5491]

You need to use ATF, not power steering fluid.

Really? Never heard that before. Sorry for the threadjack

[OutToWinPAHC]

ATF is correct. Now to bypass power steering your supposed to cut the lines fill them with fluid, but not to the top pf the lines and cap them off, keep the rack wet.