[Rodder]

Anyone ever seen a power steering fluid leak at the output shaft on the steering box? I've got a huge leak somewhere dripping down from the pitman arm, and all of the hoses/fittings seem to be dry. Looks like it has to be coming from the output shaft. I'm going to call AGR tomorrow, but just wonder if anyone has seen this before...

AGR 12:1 billet box, about 250 street miles on it, one of the header tubes is sitting about 1/8" off the box near the output shaft and pitman arm.

[go2fast]

Sure, I've fixed a few of those on GM boxes. There is a seal or two under a snap ring.

[Mister G]

I had the same problem but it was on the original box. I replaced it with a new AGR system. So far all is well. That is too bad the unit is leaking and being so new. Are you sure it is the gear box that is leaking?

[BPOS]

Check your high pressure hose. They can sometimes only leak when you crank the wheel, and can shoot PS fluid considerable distance in any direction. Worth checking before removing the box.

[Rodder]

All the pressure hoses are brand new braided stainless from and dry on the outside. No fluid visible anywhere on the top side of the steering box, and a steady drip of fluid from the pitman arm. I cleaned off the pitman arm, wrapped it in a rag, then started the engine and bounced the steering wheel side-to-side a couple of times just enough to load the pump. It soaked the area of the rag that was touching the output shaft. Called AGR this afternoon and got an RMA #. They said it'd be really unusual for the seal to last a few hundred miles and then blow--if it's damaged, it usually blows the first time you drive it. They also don't think my tight header clearance is a problem for it. I'm gonna let them take it apart and figure out what happened. Right now I'm dreading pulling the header...

[JIML82]

AGR should be able to tell you the condition of the seal(s) when they disassemble the gear. If the seal is very hard and heat aged, then your problem is how close the header is to the gear housing. If the seal is cut or otherwise damaged, it was AGR's fault when they rebuilt the gear.
JIML82

[Rodder]

Yep, that's pretty much the conversation I had with AGR

[Rodder]

Finally got the box out this afternoon and can see part of the outer seal lookup blown out and flipped over.









It's boxed up to go back to AGR now.

[JimM]

I bet that leaked like a sieve!!!

[Rodder]

put it this way... the puddle I made bouncing the steering wheel side to side a few times was bigger than the one I made removing the lines and box.

[Rodder]

Supposedly, AGR finally has my box put back together where it doesn't blow up on their "dyno". They said there was a snap ring groove that was buggered up and wasn't allowing the snap ring to seat, and when they put pressure on it, it would pop out. It should be here in a day or two.

[Rodder]

AGR finally shipped it out a week later. Painted it and put it back in this weekend, no more leaks so far!