I noticed fluid leaking from two of my rebuilt Jorgen Auto Cam Gear racks in my 90 745 and 95 940, so I called Jorgen's for advice. Roger, who owns the company, was very helpful and suggested that before panicking and swapping out the racks, check first for leaks around the rack connections. Bingo, sure enough I found one return hose leaking where the rubber met the metal crimp fitting, due to rust. Changed the hose and problem solved. So before you conclude your rack is shot, check first for leaks in the pipes or hoses. Look hard at the area around the copper washers and consider removing, cleaning and reinstalling the banjo bolt if that is the leak area.

On my other rack, it was leaking at the seals in both ends. This rack has eight years and 160,000 miles so I did well. Jorgens is shipping a replacement on warranty. Great people to deal with.

How often during the 8 years/160k miles did you change the PS fluid?
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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit

I use Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF in my P/S systems along with a Magnefine filter. I change the fluid using a turkey baster in the reservoir (which removes maybe 40% of the fluid at a time) perhaps once every two years.
One P/S hose failed because the metal strap securing a motor mount had broken and bent back to chafe the hose at the metal fitting. Cutting away the strap and replacing the hose fixed the leak.
The other rack is just leaking all over (both ends and the end of the steering shaft). I can't explain it since the pump is fine, the fluid is clear and the filter is relatively new. Jorgens replaced it on warranty. I will flush the fluid as they require when a new rack goes in.

.....ding, ding, ding - the right answer! Sounds like a warranty fix indeed. FWIW - when I do the fluid change with baster (only way to go) doesn't take too much longer to simply go through the process 2 or 3 times in a row with a short drive between each time. That improves on the 40% new fluid number by.....oh, who the hell knows how much. (grin)
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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit

I agree wholeheartedly with changing the PS fluid out. After the rack on my 90 240 failed at less than 200k I was determined to keep the PS fluid fresh on future cars. Six years ago, I noticed a minor seal leak on the rack in my 95 850. Using the turkey baster method, I converted the fluid to Mobil 1 ATF. I had to do it again about 3 years ago, but the good news is that the rack is still going strong at 250k with no leaks or other problems...:)

Unlike the past, I also now keep up with brake fluid changes!

You know, Sir, I would get this one wrong on your test.

I have never changed the fluid in power steering over the course of 17 years of 240 ownership, some of them owned nearly that long, and driven hundreds of thousands of miles...

Except, when I bought this $600 car in '03, it already had fluid in the (torn) boots, so I bought a rack from Jorgen. Then, of course, I changed the fluid, according to the warranty requirement as well as according to common sense.

I suppose my power steering racks or pumps are living on borrowed time?? An anecdote just like the one about the 98-year old Camel smoker.



Daily driver.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

Question: What do engineers use for birth control?
Answer: Their personality.

Art, have your wife drive the car... "Jeez, I can barely turn the wheel. Now I know why your biceps and pecs are so massive..." Over 17 years, you can miss little things creeping up on you...

Steve, that is my wife's car!

We have 8 240 drivers in the family, so the cars do not have exclusive drivers, but I recognize the syndrome you are warning about. A friend calls it the shock absorber syndrome, after I described how he could get used to failing shocks over years and be astounded by the improvement made by replacing them. It applies to a lot of things in life, I suppose.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.

Power steering and brake fluid rarely gets any love in most cars. The systems are robust enough that they often last a good long time anyhow. My point was simply that there's no telling how long they'd last if the fluid were changed periodically. Over longer periods of time the rubber hoses deteriorate on the inside and contamination causes problems - so eventually changing them out helps preserve the pump/rack too.

Or one can drive it til it breaks and then fix it. It's another version of the Fram oil filter commercial - pay a little now or pay more later.
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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit; '16 Subie X-Trek

"Power steering and brake fluid rarely gets any love in most cars. The systems are robust enough that they often last a good long time anyhow. "

I agree on power steering but less so on brakes.

Except for 90's GM cars Which fail the pressure line until the manufacturing was fixed, most folks never had to a do any thing with the power steering.

On brakes you have to at least replace front and likely rear consumables once in five years.

Reference to brakes was with regard to the bits that have the fluid in them. Pads/shoes /rotors come and go - sometimes a lot less than 5 years depending on use. Calipers/M-C/wheel cylinders/hoses/etc. -- usually robust enough to last a long time even if fluid changes are neglected. For street cars that aren't unreasonably abused, if fluid is changed every year or two those bits often last the life of the car. That's been my experience anyway.....

My favorite form of shock absorber syndrome is old tires/new tires.
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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit

You must be outside the rust belt. Calipers take a beating from rust in Iowa where the Department of Transportation sprays salt brine over all the roads. Caliper pistons can easily bind in the cavities thanks to rust.

I wish they would avoid the brine except at critical intersections and just tell everyone to buy winter tires.

The topic here is damage caused INTERNALLY to power steering and brake components because fluid isn't regularly changed. Why anyone would chose to live where it snows regularly is beyond my comprehension.....LOL.
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82 242 6.2L coming...; '15 Honda Fit

Right as rain. No argument from me. Your point is Steve's rack did not survive the rebuild, but in this case not due to lack of owner care. It is reassuring to know Jorgen stands behind its work. And maintenance is love.

Rubber deterioration and rust...
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

👍

Thanks!
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"Do you think that's air you're breathing now'? (The Matrix 1999) '94 940T (463K+), 92 245 (300K+), 90 740 (148k)