STEERING PUMP LEAK

[TODDJONES1967]

HEY EVERYONE  I HAVE A GMC RTS T806 6V92T  I'M HAVEING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING PUMP OR STEERING BOX I RAN THE BUS HOME AFTER PURCHASE A 4 HOUR DRIVE BUS RAN AND DROVE FINE ADDING NO LIQUIDS WHEN I PARKED IT I NOTICED OIL COMEING FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUS LOOKED AND IT WAS COMEING FROM THE STEERING BOX POURING ALL THE OIL OUT FROM THERE.I DON'T KNOW IF MY STEERING BOX IS BAD OR IF THERE COULD BE A RELIEF VALVE IN THE SYSTEM OR NOT PLEASE HELP?

[luvrbus]

Todd clean it off with a power washer if you have one so you can tell were the oil is coming from or buy some degreaser and use a water hose more than likely it is a o-ring on a hose or the hose its self.On a bus always think positive and be prepared for the negative. You have a relief valve on the pump at the engine   have a good day

[Sammy]

Todd, you must work safely with these large vehicles.
Be extra careful and ask a million questions so you don't get hurt.

Put your bus on a level,concrete surface - not rocks or soil, etc.
Make sure parking brake is applied and trans is in Neutral.
Chock drive wheels too.
Start bus and let air pressure build up normally - 120psi., then shut bus off.

You need to block up the body under the front bulkhead, just behind the front wheels, on both sides.
You can also add blocks up front, under front bumper supports - vertical supports that the front bumper is mounted to.
When the body comes down on any RTS they lay about 1 inch from the ground, can be deadly.
Any vehicle with air suspension must have the body blocked up, before working underneath.

Fill the power steering system, clean area at steering box with a degreaser, start the bus and take a look -might be a leaking hose.You can have an assistant turn the steering wheel about 1 inch in both directions - slowly, just enough to put a "load" on the p/steering pump and the lines, etc. You should see the leak, might be from the pitman arm seal too.

Hope this might help.

[luvrbus]

Todd, Sammy gives you good advice about blocking the bus up I own a Eagle without air  bags and never think about blocking it up  I should it could rust and fall on me  good luck on your leak

[TomC]

Any air suspension vehicle has to have blocks under the wheels so that when/if the bus comes down onto the bumpers with all air exhausted out of the air bags, you still have a safe amount of room to get out from underneath.  You don't want to be crushed by your pride and joy.  Good Luck, TomC

[Songman]

Welcome to the forum, Todd. We tossed this around on the RTS board but couldn't come up with anything. Since it is a common part for buses, there is a lot more input here.

The thing that is throwing me off is about it only leaking after it is stopped. As suggested, I guess the thing to do first is to verify that is the case. Could be that the bus had sat for a while and the 4 hour drive home busted an old seal so it only seemed to leak after it stopped.

Good suggestions here on both safety and cause. Hopefully it will turn out to be just a loose hose or something.

[gus]

My 4104 pump reservoir on my 4104 was leaking at the bottom.

Since it uses Dextron auto trans fluid I poured half a can of Trans-X auto trans conditioner and leak stop into it and the leak stopped within a couple of hours. I just completed a 6500 mile, six week  trip and it didn't leak a drop.

[tekebird]

Gus if you have Sheppard power steering you should be using engine oil not ATF

[gus]

Doug,

I have the original Vickers pump/boost system.

Wish I did have Sheppard!