Power Steering line

[stemo76]

2000 Harney (SMC) Magnum chassis CAT 300hp.

Looks like the power steering line is leaking pretty good now. Anybody had any experience fixing this? Can a shop replace the fitting or am I looking at pulling an entire new line? I didn't see a close by union before it went into the chassis rail to run up front.

[wolfe10]

Perhaps it is hydraulic fluid, but it sure looks like engine oil (black).

Clean the whole area and look for the source.

Also, put a couple of drops of engine oil on a paper towel, same for your hydraulic fluid and compare with one of the cleaner drops you see.

[stemo76]

Well, lucky me. I actually have two problems. Like Wolfe10 suggested I cleaned up the space and looked for new trace.

The line is seeping a bit but the bigger leak is oil and coming from up above.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Py9FRTuFVkHXVdM38

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xGsTxSfxbyUubuiaA

I remember watching some videos of the 3126b failure points and I think this was one of them. Something about an updated plumbing to the heui pump.

[TDJohn]

I would suggest to give Dave Atherton a call, he is a retried CAT Master Troubleshooter who is still very active and very helpful. Try to get better pictures of the actual leak, and send it to him. He will guide you on what to do. When you call him, be sure to have your engine model and serial numbers on hand.

His number is: 605-997-0720

As for the seepage, if you didn't do it already, re-wipe that spot with a white cloth and see what color it is. It is possible that that fitting soaked up some of the engine oil that is leaking, and when the system is under pressure the hose can expand enough to squeeze the residual oil out.

[stuplich@ymail.com]

2000 Harney (SMC) Magnum chassis CAT 300hp.
Looks like the power steering line is leaking pretty good now. Anybody had any experience fixing this? Can a shop replace the fitting or am I looking at pulling an entire new line? I didn't see a close by union before it went into the chassis rail to run up front.

stemo76
I had a small fuel leak, which I initially mistook for an oil leak.... in the replaceable steel fuel line, (aka: tube assembly), running along the curb side of the valve cover on the top of my 3126 Cat engine.

[Safaritoonces]

If the line is leaking I would suggest replacing the entire hose. From what i have seen on my coach the lines break down before the fittings. Any hydraulic shop should be able to make a new one in minutes. When i had a fuel line made it was just the cost of the parts, about $30 using steel core hydraulic line. I would suggest using swivel ends on both ends of the line for installation ease.

[stemo76]

Well I finally dug into this and it was just the oil pressure switch behind the power steering pump.

found it really difficult to identify the replacement part but I think I finally tracked it down to a OP22891. The part number on the switch is 9603273.

But since its just a dummy light dressed up as a gauge I am ordering up an updated gauge and sensor that matches the teleflex gauges I have

Sierra Amega
57929P
OP24301

[TDJohn]

Stemo76,

Did you verify that this sensor operates a gauge and not a oil light and buzzer?
Some coaches have a low oil psi light and buzzer that goes of if the oil pressure drops. This is in addition to an oil psi gauge that most coaches have.

[stemo76]

I didn't think of that. I didn't check if there was a third sensor/switch for oil.

I know there is another one that the CAT ECU uses. I guess it makes sense that this one is for the dash light. I guess I assumed like a car it would use the computer to get that info but now thinking about how the engine is more self contained I can see how it would have three.

Thanks for the heads up this is going to save me the headache of putting it back together and having the oil light not working.

I guess I will order up an oil pressure switch as well.

[TDJohn]

depending how the sensor is set up, but normally the sensor contact is closed when there is not pressure. So with the sensor disconnected, you should have no buzzer and/or oil light when the ignition is turned on, and when you connect that sensor wire to ground (with ignition on), you should get a buzzer sound and/or oil light. I'm not familiar how the CAT ECM system is set up, but this sensor theoretically could also be used for input to the ECM to trigger limp mode is oil pressure is lost. Either way a quick test of that sense wire will tell you if it is a light/buzzer or something else.