Hi all I have a power steering leak in the 550 that I have narrowed down to the botton on the top hose of the reservoir tank (part# 44 on the attached Ricambi diagram). I have tried to move the hose to fit tight up against the reservoir and tighten the clamp as close to the reservoir as possible but it appears to still be leaking from that location. Do the two hoses that come off the power steering reservoir need to be upgraded? Does anyone know where to get replacement hoses that are of better quality or should they just be replaced with the factory hoses? I need to schedule the appointment with the dealer for my infamous mysetery coolant leak that cannot be found and want them to replace the power stering hoses if that is what is necessary for that leak. Thanks. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mark, In my case it was the hose from the pump to the steering rack (50) about four years ago. It's a pressure hose and the factory part was indicated. I've seen silicone hoses used for return hoses in various colors for other types of cars. I guess you can find them in black too and use it in this application. I had a similar leak in the hose from the reservoir to the pump at the reservoir outlet in my 1987 944 turbo about five years ago. I was able to temporarily stop the leak with a larger clamp but a year later the leak was back so I replaced the hose with another factory hose. Twenty-one years on the original hose. Pretty good! I would just replace it with a new Ferrari Factory hose and clamp. Barry
Mark, I had the same issue and replaced them with good quality hoses from a local hydraulic supply shop. The OEM hoses cost a fortune and could have been sitting on the shelf for years. See this post for ID hose sizes http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/456-550-575/418264-power-steering-hose.html
That #44 hose is a known leaker, and the poor quality of Ferrari's replacement hoses is legend. I'd replace that hose with a good quality hose that is: 1. Rated for hydraulic oils 2. Rated for partial vacuum, so it won't collapse (this hose is for the pump suction) 3. Has a smoothbore interior for unrestricted flow 4. Is suitable for barbed type fittings Parker's 821 & 821FR (Fire Retardant) Push-Lok hoses meet all the above. Note, not "all" generic push lock hoses are suitable for use with hydraulic fluids, so be sure to check for fluid compatibility if you're buying generic, no-name stuff. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks everyone for the great input. This sounds like the fix I was looking for. Do you know the exact length of each of the hoses? I did see from one of the other posts what the diameter of the hoses are but absent taking them off and then matching them up I thought you all may know what the lengths were. Thanks again.
For the suction hose get 3 ft. you can trim some off on final assembly to fit nicely. This is one of the easiest fixes I've done on my 550.
Dave & I both suffer from CRS (Can't Remember Sh*t) syndrome, but luckily I can sometimes remember things that he can't, and vice versa. Hoses 17 & 40 to & from the P/S loop cooler have a LOT of excess hose tucked in the shroud area, but IIRC, 3 feet is plenty for #17, and 3.5' is good for #40. I'll check a notebook in my shop tomorrow, as I may have written their lengths down.
