Power Steering High Pressure Hose - Replacement
Replacement Hose[edit]
They don't make the high pressure line any more. Nissan can fly you one in from Japan, approximately 2 week wait and cost a grand total of $780.
To remove the line, you must take out the hard line that it is attached to. Everything from the banjo bolt at the pump back to the rack itself must come it. It's a prick of a job, you have to do all sorts of delicate and crazy manoeuvres to get it past the sump and over the engine mount. You can't bend the line. If you do, you will pay dearly for getting frustrated. Be patient. Jack the car up as high as you possible can to get as much clearance as possible.
Pirtek or Enzed will make you a new line. Enzed cost about $160, and they put new fittings on it too. Takes a couple of hours. They also put the restrictor inside the hose, as this is usually the point at which leaks appear in the factory line, that's two less possible places for leaks in the future.
When you get them to make it up, get fittings where the flexible line joins to the hard line, and where it meets the banjo bolt. This means, god forbid, you have to take the prick out again, you can just disconnect it without having to full remove the hard line. It wont make it easy, but it will make it less of a prick of a job.
When reinstalling, put the hard line in separate to the flexible line. Secure it all into place. Then attach the flexible line at the hard line, and lastly at the pump. Do the fittings up tight, but not overly tight and all things going to plan, you're set for another 20yrs of happy motoring.
Removal[edit]
- Using a 17mm spanner undo the line on the rack from underneath. There is heaps of swing room between the boot and cross member.
- Use a 24mm spanner on the other end of the hose, took a bit of force, watch those knuckles!
- Use a 10mm spanner to undo the two rubber mounting brackets (one is accessible from the engine bay near the battery, the other is below the car, near the air-con tensioner.)
- Use a 12mm spanner to remove the last bracket that holds the line onto the castor rod bracket.
- Get a 17mm and 14mm deep impact socket and either a rattle gun or your strong arm.
- Undo both D shackle's holding the swaybar up, they are 14mm. Drop it down as far as your link pin bushes will allow.
- Use the 17mm to loosen the castor rod bolt off for later (it's painful to put back otherwise).
- Now use the 14mm to remove the 3 bolts holding the castor rod bracket up, plus the two holding the rod onto the lower control arm. remove completely and put aside.
- Now the line is actually ready to come out. Go over the top of the swaybar, get the highest point of the line onto the other side of the chassis rail so it has heaps of room to move, then concentrate on getting the line around the engine mount on the drivers side.
- Put the new line back in the same way it came out, do it quick while it is fresh in your mind, so have it ready before you start.
- Clean everything. If you are doing this because you have split the line you are guaranteed to have a mess under there. Mr. Plod doesn't like oil under a car, don't give him a reason to canary you.
- Re-grease the D shackle bushes for the swaybar.
- Now just put it all back together, use the directions above for reference.
Contributors[edit]
Gavin, SMOKEY