Power Steering pipe repair ?

[carrera]

I have identified a leak on the power steering pipe. It's a tiny pinhole, which only allows fluid to escape when the steering is on full lock, so full pressure I assume.

It is possible to get a new pipe from  Vauxhall, but instead of £35 for the 2wd version, the 4wd is £167

My plan for the weekend is to remove the pipe, drain it and after preparation use plumbers solder to build up & seal the hole around the full circumference of the pipe

Any thoughts - likely to work or a complete waste of time ?

[sgould]

it will be chance. The high pressure side of hydraulics, JCBs etc. are normally  rated at 2200 psi (138bar). But I have no idea how high the Saab system reaches. But a pinhole may be the first symptom of general decay and you may get more pinholes. Don't be tempted to braze in a length of copper pipe. That's only rated at 15 bar.

[carrera]

That's helpful, thanks

From reading around I believe the pressure in the delivery pipe reaches 1000 psi, but the source wasn't what you would call definitive. The connectors at the end are about 5/8" banjo with copper washers, which I assume is capable of 1000 psi or more

I wasn't tempted to splice a piece of copper pipe in, hadn't thought of it and am still not. I would braze rather than solder, but the last time I did brazing was at school with an oxy-acetylene setup, something which remains missing from my toolkit

It got too late to order for delivery before the weekend, so I'll whip the pipe off, assess & either attempt or abandon this route

[sgould]

Some say that hydraulic companies like Pirtek will remake a pipe for you.  Others say that it's nonsense.  It may be that the outlets are franchises and act differently to each other.   

But, from my time in construction, I would say that many of the JCB's are worked by owner drivers.  They will know a place that would do a repair, if it's possible.  Maybe a case of stop one and ask.

[carrera]

I'm not paying Pirtek prices 

Did that once at Silverstone for a damper flexi pipe to reservoir repair

Cost me over £400 when a quid was worth a quid

I've just put the solder in DE, along with flux and a Haldex service kit that I ordered this week

[carrera]

Progress update:

This is what i am dealing with, two possible pinholes identified

The second photo shows an area that is grotty, but not leaking

[carrera]

Having cleaned the pipe up with emery cloth, I tried soldering. Just couldn't get it right. Either the solder hadn't flowed properly, or it got hot enough but then promptly rolled off the pipe & onto the floor.

I therefore resorted to chemical metal, which I am hoping will be sufficient to provide a seal in the pin prick area, and also to provide an oxygen barrier on other parts of the ppe that still had some pitting.

A couple of coats of Hammerite and it looks like this

[sgould]

Depends on the tensile strength of the chemical metal.  The thickness of the chemical metal on both sides of the diameter of the pipe has to hold the  pressure in the pipe across that diameter.

[carrera]

Rated at 3127 psi

Which seems a very precise number for a variable mixing process.

Anyway, it didn't work, gave it 4 hours to harden, but on full lock there was a tiny jet. I whacked another load on & will try again tomorrow, hopes are low.

Interestingly I didn't have any power steering fluid. The 9-5 NG uses Dextron 6 ATF so I had to nip to Eurocarparts to get some. Apparrently, the Dextron 2/3 is not compatible, which I had for an OG 9-5 auto gearbox

[carrera]

"Whacking on another load" appears to have done the job, so she's off the ramp for a test drive & potentially back into use this week.

I think I'm going to miss the performance of the DE, again, especially after having treated her to a tank of V-Power this week. Noticeable difference 

[carrera]

Well, it didn't last, so I dug deep for a new pipe and am fitting it now

The design has changed. Rather than have a metal shaping for where it clips into a plastic carrier, the pipe is no longer deformed and there is a rubber piece to perform the same job

Value engineering, or removing a stress point caused by the shaping ?