Corroded Steering pipes

[Steve A]

My power steering pipe just above the crank pulley is looking very corroded
Is it just a case of popping down to the local pipe squeezer to knock me up a new one,
as they did with my oil cooler pipes ?

[Simon_P]

In theory yes. But you need to know if your local pipe squeezer can make-up metal pipes, cos its the metal bit that has gone and your oil cooler pipes it was the rubber bit.

try them and see - if not try a plumber (who will have the benders etc) for the metal bits and then go to the squeezer to put the rubber bits on the rubber bits.

Failing that i think SJ have had them remade

[Steve A]

In theory yes. But you need to know if your local pipe squeezer can make-up metal pipes, cos its the metal bit that has gone and your oil cooler pipes it was the rubber bit.

try them and see - if not try a plumber (who will have the benders etc) for the metal bits and the squeezer for the rubber bits.

Failing that i think SJ have had then remade

SJ do them for £146
The bends are critical so if I have them remade they have to be spot on.

[Fredjohn]

Steve
If it is the combined metal and rubber pipe that is looking dodgy, I think this is the low pressure feed pipe E100H0040F (?) from reservoir to pump. You can in theory replace it with a rubber tubing from end to end provided it doesn't foul any moving parts. If I remember rightly it is simply clamped onto the reservoir with a jubilee clip or "clip" and similar at the pump end. However this may flatten at the bends so restricting flow, hence the metal parts.

Or with suitable diameter ready made bent steel pipe fittings, a long rubber pipe cut to lengths and a box-full of jubilee clips you could make your own...............

[Steve A]

Steve
If it is the combined metal and rubber pipe that is looking dodgy, I think this is the low pressure feed pipe E100H0040F (?) from reservoir to pump. You can in theory replace it with a rubber tubing from end to end provided it doesn't foul any moving parts. If I remember rightly it is simply clamped onto the reservoir with a jubilee clip or "clip" and similar at the pump end. However this may flatten at the bends so restricting flow, hence the metal parts.

Or with suitable diameter ready made bent steel pipe fittings, a long rubber pipe cut to lengths and a box-full of jubilee clips you could make your own...............

It is that very pipe.
Because it goes some distance weaving through the engine bay I could end up having one made only to find it won't fit.
I think I'll have a word with the chap that did my oil pipes.

[Steve A]

Well I had a chat with the pipe man and he wasn't keen on reproducing a perfect replica of my pipework

I now have the pipe off the car and it doesn't look any prettier



To be fair there's quiet a lot of bending in several planes so it would take some time to perfect, and it's not like he'll have a jig to check it on.

[Steve A]

Steve
If it is the combined metal and rubber pipe that is looking dodgy, I think this is the low pressure feed pipe E100H0040F (?) from reservoir to pump. You can in theory replace it with a rubber tubing from end to end provided it doesn't foul any moving parts. If I remember rightly it is simply clamped onto the reservoir with a jubilee clip or "clip" and similar at the pump end. However this may flatten at the bends so restricting flow, hence the metal parts.

Or with suitable diameter ready made bent steel pipe fittings, a long rubber pipe cut to lengths and a box-full of jubilee clips you could make your own...............

This could be plan B or maybe C

[dapinky]

Whilst I fully appreciate that the OE design will be the best fit - even allowing for the fact that nowt really fits these cars as they are all a bit different.....

..... I thought about making one up from copper plumbing pipes/fittings, but was advised against it as copper will become 'case hardened' over time, and could rupture. That said, it wouldn't be a fatal failure, just a bit inconvenient and messy (not like an oil pipe which could damage the engine)......

....I then thought that a single rubber hose could do the job, especially if it were high pressure hose, wrapped in stainless braiding (Aeroquip type).....

.... eventually, i removed it, cleaned it, painted it and replaced it - and still not failed yet.

[Steve A]

.... eventually, i removed it, cleaned it, painted it and replaced it - and still not failed yet.

I think your right (again) Dave
Once I scraped the barnacles off the pipe it didn't look too bad, especially taking into account it's only a low pressure pipe.
I will give it a coat of rust stopper, then red oxide followed by something silver in colour

[dapinky]

I worked on the thought process that it is continually filled with oil (admittedly, proper steering stuff, but not water based) so the corrosion was likely to be from the outside, so a clean and repaint would preserve it a bit.

[par]

That is exactly the approach I took with mine:-

[Steve A]

Could it be the same pipework ?
It's amazing what you can achieve , half an hour getting the rust off and three coats to prevent it coming back

[dapinky]

Good effort, Steve

and I bet that if you got a 'new' one which has been in storage for the last 25 years it probably wouldn't be in the same condition.

[alan e]

No that is a new one

[GeoffSmith]

Good effort, Steve

and I bet that if you got a 'new' one which has been in storage for the last 25 years it probably wouldn't be in the same condition.

A new old one would probably be more corroded internally.

[clemo]

Very tidy job ..