How do I bleed the power steering?

[David Carter]

I finally got around to removing my rusty old steering cooler pipe and taking it in to the local stainless fabricator (Acumen in Hereford) and they knocked me up a stainless copy, including welded fixing brackets, for 90 quid. They couldn't flare the pipe ends to match the original however, due to the hardness of the stainless. Whilst Jubilee clips would probably do the job unaided, I didn't want to risk having the pipes blow off under pressure, so I got a couple of 10mm brass olives from the local plumbers' merchants and had them crimped onto the pipe ends for a further 20 quid. I'm told that given the right flux and silver solder it should have been possible to solder them on, but no-one around here had the right stuff and I don't have a torch capable of getting it hot enough. Having said that, the crimping has been professionally done by an engineering company and I'm assured it will be secure and oil tight. It looks solid enough and was considerably cheaper than buying all the gear to do the soldering. Hopefully differential expansion of the two metals at the temperature of the steering oil will be within the limits of the crimping!

If all goes to plan, I now have a cooling pipe that will last longer than me, for little or no more than the cost of a replacment mild steel version. Assuming it fits OK (unable to check until the new rubber mountings arrive), all that remains is to bolt it on and bleed the steering. Is this just a matter of filling the system with the front wheels raised and moving from lock to lock a few times, or is their some other satanic ritual involved in bleeding the steering on a '97 2.8?

 

[t-tony]

Raise the front wheels just clear of the ground and simply operate the steering, at idle, from lock to lock. Do not overfill the reservoir. IF the fluid gets frothy, turn off and allow it to stand to get rid of the bubbles.

Tony.

 

[jaguartvr]

No real need to raise the front,

 

[Mike Fishwick]

You can solder the olives to stainless using normal lead/tin solder with phosporic acid as a flux. Try it on some old teaspoons and see.
I am surprised that the cooler pipe has died - min is still Ok after 22 years, but the coating came off the pipe in front of the steering rack (it looked like Araldite) within a year from new.

Also, BMW always seemed to forget the M6 bolt which secures that pipe to the rack, which must leave it to shake around.

If you raise the front wheels it does make life easier - you can fill the system and move the wheels fom lock to lock to expel air before the pump rotates. Even so, it is surprising how much air can be expelled.

 

[t-tony]

No real need to raise the front,

No, you don't have to, but it makes it easier and less wear on the tyres? Chances are it's already raised from fitting new parts anyway.

Tony.

 

[Fender2004]

You could of tried this website

Power Steering Return Pipe - 32411094452 | ZEDonist

Power steering return pipe for the BMW Z3. This is a direct replacement part for BMW part 32411094452. This part is designed to fit the vast majority of Z3’s. Due to the route of the power steering return pipe this component is exposed to the worst of the elements. Due to the manufacturer’s...

www.zedonist.com

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Anyone else remember the days when turning the wheel while at a standstill was a definite no-no on a driving lesson? Mind you, I was taught to drive in a LWB Landrover back when power steering wasn't an option. Or synchromesh, come to that.

 

[David Carter]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The pipe I'm referring to is the actual cooling loop that runs in front of the radiator, which was corroded to the point that leakage looked imminent. Looks like I'd better check the one along the steering rack as well!

As for the non-PS, non-synchromesh Land-Rover, I remember it well. The old girl still sits in the barn awaiting restoration upon my retirement, together with the MG Midget, Bedford MW, Austin K6 and Willys Jeep. All I've got to do is keep breathing long enough to get it all done (and hope the pension stretches to the parts bill).

Merry Christmas everyone.