Hey guys how's it going, my 89 iroc is leaking power steering fluid pretty bad. It looks like its coming from under the large nut that holds the pitman arm to the steering box. It's running down the inside of the nut. Would it be a pitman arm seal, or possibly the shaft seal? I've check the high pressure line and the return line.

I should mention I had the box rebuilt about 2 years ago.

Now if it's the pitman arm seal can I remove the pitman arm and replace the seal without removing the box?

 

Yes. The arm doesn't have a seal. But the shaft does have SEALS (plural).

Probably not...why?

Yes, as you no doubt remember from rebuilding the gearbox; but it isn't much fun.

 

if it's the pitman arm's shaft seal, the seals can go in from the bottom with the pitman arm and snap ring removed.

getting the old seals out may require removal of the shaft from the top, I've always had to drive them out from above. then they're set in place, snap ringed and the shaft is installed through them. doing this with the shaft in place may be more difficult than the other work involved removing it.

 

I didn't rebuild the box last time so I wasn't really sure how to do it or what's involved. So it would be easier to do it from the top it what you are saying lol. Remove the top of the gear box. Does this still require the pitman arm to be removed?

 

It's easiest to knock the seals out from the top. Obviously all that ... stuff ... inside there, is in the way. It's pretty much FULL. There's a piston inside there that, for all practical purposes, takes up the entire innards. Which is why it's best to do as part of a tear-down and rebuild.

Yes, no matter what, the Pitman arm HAS TO come off the shaft. Gonna be pretty hard to worm the seals over that big old thing.

If you want to try to do this on the car, you'll need to pull the arm; then remove the snap ring that holds the seals in; then pry the seals out. Not sure how well that'll work but if you want to try it, ...

They fit in there pretty tight. There's well over 1000 psi inside there at various times. Which is why there's 2 of them, and they're held in with a snap ring.

 

or....wait for it...

remove the snap ring and fire up the motor. the pressure should blow the seals out