I have been trying to remove the very leaky( I noticed that the oil even got onto my valve covers! I thought I had blown a gasket) pressure power steering hose from my 1968 Buick Riviera. Ok I started by draining the power steering pum by removing the hose from that end first, I drained it al the way because the plug that came with my hose didn't fit. Ok by now I'm confident that I can do this simple task until I try to remove it from the top end. It is really stuck on there!ou: I already whacked my hand on the engine twice! I'm also afraid I might strip it! I have tried loosening solutions and they don't do squat! What can I do?
Here is what I do - and just did a few months back: Cut that SOB off near the bolt. Use a ratchet to remove it. No Sweat! Couple different ways to cut it. Small tubing cutter, hack saw, sharp wit. You'll figure it out. Good luck.
...and a brake line wrench/line wrench, whatever you like to call it would be good to use in this case. It would eliminate the problem of stripping the nut.
That was going to be my last option because I couldnt find the actual replacement hose, NAPA has a universal one for my car, Here is a picture of the one I special ordered but does not fit. The one currently on seems to have a female adapter like thing connecting to the pump,(the outside of the pump has the screw part, so its opposite of the new hose) This is also a problem. Thanks on the info, I had to do the same when i took off the lowrider rims on the car, All of the wheels had one special locking nut.
Another option I didn't have to use because I found an Autozone one that worked although not exactly the same route. The local Savage Auto parts place said if I bring the nut along with a sketch they could have a local hydraulics shop make one. Or look for a local place that does hydraulic work on mobile equipment, they can make up custom hoses, they just don't have the special nut.
:TU: Strange it has that female fitting on the old hose. I don't recall ever seeing a GM pump with a male end on the pressure side. You may want to get a female to male adapter from a hardware store.
Sounds great, I was about to do that but it also turns out that the hose I ordered is completely backwards! I'm going to try NAPA instead. Thanks!
Backwards? From what is shown in the picture, it looks to be the same as mine. (I replaced mine last summer.) I'm sure NAPA will help you figure it all out either way.
If the guys at NAPA are competent in your area take along the power steering pump. I never saw fitting like that used for a ps line. Looks like something was changed or fabricated somewhere along the line. Is it the fitting that is leaking? A flare nut wrench would be the tool to use. You will want one for the installation so you don't tweak the corners while tightening it down.
I don't know how much longer they used that style reservior after the nailhead was out of commission...but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the original one on your car. I wonder if a hose from a 66 Riv would work.
When I had to replace the power steering hoses on my '73 225, I quickly found out that you can not rely on the catalog systems that the auto part stores use. The hoses they gave me were not even close to being correct. What I did find out, though, that Gates has its own catalog. I was able to look up my car in their catalog and get the part #. Searching for that part # at the same auto part store, Advanced in my case, yielded a power steering hose, not linked to my car at all, it had to be ordered. Well it came, in a Gates box looking like it had just been made that past week, and it fit like glove. I just did a quick search for a '68 Riv, no pressure hose listed, but they did have one for a '69, Gates part#352590, and that does show up in Advances database as a power steering hose. Might be worth a shot. If you want to do some more searching, here is the link to Gates parts database: Gates Database
Thanks this really helps, I just ordered one from napa and when I got it, It looked like the one I needed but for some reason the hose has to be twisted, it is going to be a tight fit but I think that over time, it will wear the hose down again. So, I guess I'll return it and check your link out. Is parts advanced the same franchise as Kragen auto parts? Ill go in anyways, This really helps, Thanks!
