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Thread: Power steering cooler help

  1. #1
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    Power steering cooler help

    I'm back to annoy you guys. I made a post about this a while ago, but I still haven't found an answer for my problem.

    I can't use a power steering cooler without my pump dying on me. I ran two separate types of oil coolers, one with 3/8 inch barbs and one with 1/2 inch barbs. I blew two pumps while I was using the 3/8 barb cooler, so I removed the whole setup and put a brand new pump on without running my cooler. Everything worked without any issues. I then put the 1/2 barb oil cooler on and my pump started whining like crazy. Took off the cooler 10 minutes later and the noise went away. I'm using the line that goes from my stock rack cooler to my resivour, as discribed in multiple diy's. I can't figure why I'm running into this problem. Of all the things I've done to this car, a simple power steering cooler is ruining my fun.

    Any input would be appreciated.
    Last edited by xMatthew; 05-25-2017 at 03:27 AM.

  2. #2
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    Whining is a sign there's air getting into the system. So either it isn't sealed tight enough or there's maybe holes somewhere. If you have the factory cooler, why do you need another one?

    Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?

  3. #3
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    I am having this same problem, I just thought I was going nuts. I added a heat sink type cooler to my car and the pump would wine off and on, it'd be fine with the level for a week and then it would piss out a qt of fluid (from the res cap) for no discernible reason. After fighting it for a month I just bypassed the cooler to try to narrow the problem down (I installed a ZHP rack at the same time as the cooler) and for whatever reason removing the cooler solved 95% of the problems.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by protomor View Post
    Whining is a sign there's air getting into the system. So either it isn't sealed tight enough or there's maybe holes somewhere. If you have the factory cooler, why do you need another one?
    This is the likely cause... Coolers are tough to bleed, and get all of the air out. Personally, when I did mine, I jacked the front of the car up and turned the wheels lock to lock for about 30 minutes. I'm not kidding you... That's how long it took until there was no more air coming from the reservoir.
    Anthony Bartolini
    Loki Motorsports
    -2008 A30 E92 M3 6MT-
    -1996 328is Drift Car-
    Stock Internal M52
    M50 Manifold
    PTE 6262, ARP's, .140 MLS
    OBX T4 Top Mount
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    Open Dump Love <3

  5. #5
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    I did that. Multiple times. I also used a power steering bleeder like this

    THX212.jpg

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loki Motorsport View Post
    turned the wheels lock to lock for about 30 minutes
    Back in the day when I was working in a shop, this is the technique I had to do on some cars to get the PS system to bleed. The guy I was apprenticing under taught me to go full lock, hold for 10-15 seconds, then shut the car off. Wait 10ish minutes, then fire back up and go full lock in the other direction, rinse and repeat previous steps

    Gently rapping on the cooler/lines/pump with a wrench or something similar while the engine is shut off would also help in dislodging any trapped air bubbles

    It was a bit time consuming but for the cars that were just plain tough to bleed, it was a necessity
    Last edited by jalopi; 05-25-2017 at 01:21 PM.
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  7. #7
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    Anybody think it's due to the low position of the reservoir vs where you may be putting the cooler higher?
    Just a thought.
    instagram @andyitslit

  8. #8
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    My cooler is well below the level of the res and I've had no trouble with air or whining.
    always trying to make it lighter and faster

    ^^former build: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...-neglected-M3/
    current build: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...car-build.html
    instant grams: doktor_b

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by protomor View Post
    Whining is a sign there's air getting into the system. So either it isn't sealed tight enough or there's maybe holes somewhere. If you have the factory cooler, why do you need another one?
    The stock cooler I'm referring to is the one that's on the rack already. It's basically some metal tubing, maybe cooper or something, without fins or anything on it. My p/s keeps boiling over almost every event and I'm using good fluid so I'm trying to solve this issue.



    In regards to bleeding; I guess it's possible I didn't bleed it enough but I remember I was going from lock to lock for about 15 minutes. I know there are a lot of guys running p/s coolers so it surprises me that this topic isn't more popular. Anyway, for the guys who have done this before, you're using 1/2 inch hose, a basic oil cooler with 3/8 inch barb fittings on the low pressure side of the system, correct?

  10. #10
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    I'm using a regular jegs trans/ps cooler with a 3/8" barb with regular hose fittings on my low pressure side. Obviously it'd blow off on the high pressure side. You're a factory motor? I find it hard to believe it's boiling over. You sure you aren't just bubbling over from air? Like your PS pump is on its way out and it's pumping air into the fluid making it LOOK like it's boiling?

    Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by xMatthew View Post
    The stock cooler I'm referring to is the one that's on the rack already. It's basically some metal tubing, maybe cooper or something, without fins or anything on it. My p/s keeps boiling over almost every event and I'm using good fluid so I'm trying to solve this issue.



    In regards to bleeding; I guess it's possible I didn't bleed it enough but I remember I was going from lock to lock for about 15 minutes. I know there are a lot of guys running p/s coolers so it surprises me that this topic isn't more popular. Anyway, for the guys who have done this before, you're using 1/2 inch hose, a basic oil cooler with 3/8 inch barb fittings on the low pressure side of the system, correct?

    Are you running actual power steering fluid or ATF? Just out of curiosity.
    Anthony Bartolini
    Loki Motorsports
    -2008 A30 E92 M3 6MT-
    -1996 328is Drift Car-
    Stock Internal M52
    M50 Manifold
    PTE 6262, ARP's, .140 MLS
    OBX T4 Top Mount
    Tial 44mm MVR
    Tial Q 50mm
    Open Dump Love <3

  12. #12
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    Yea, I'm running atf. It's a m50 with your basic bolt ons & cams. Everything I've read tells me I shouldn't have issues with it boiling over, but it is also happening to a couple of my friends. The pump is still realitivly new. It just likes to piss fluid out of the cap after a lot of runs. If I thought it was the pump I'd replace it again but it's my 3rd one and I have no issues with it so far.

  13. #13
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    I could be blowing smoke out of me hind end, BUT it might be worth it to remove the PS hoses both to and from the rack to make sure they are clear of any obstructions. Inspect the rack too for any build up of dirt and crud. It's possible that the pump is having to work over time to pump the necessary fluid and pressure. Ya know?
    Anthony Bartolini
    Loki Motorsports
    -2008 A30 E92 M3 6MT-
    -1996 328is Drift Car-
    Stock Internal M52
    M50 Manifold
    PTE 6262, ARP's, .140 MLS
    OBX T4 Top Mount
    Tial 44mm MVR
    Tial Q 50mm
    Open Dump Love <3

  14. #14
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    mine was boiling over as well. Switching to Amsoil P/S fluid helped a lot (much higher boiling point). But yeah, I'm LS so my res is on top of the motor, and the cooler I was trying to use was mounted on the crossmember, so much lower.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Novablue454 View Post
    mine was boiling over as well. Switching to Amsoil P/S fluid helped a lot (much higher boiling point). But yeah, I'm LS so my res is on top of the motor, and the cooler I was trying to use was mounted on the crossmember, so much lower.
    You had good luck with the Amsoil PS fluid with the LS pump and BMW rack?
    im not stoked with the performance I'm getting using synthetic red ATF.
    always trying to make it lighter and faster

    ^^former build: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...-neglected-M3/
    current build: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...car-build.html
    instant grams: doktor_b

  16. #16
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    I always run amsoil synthetic atf and it's never done anything weird on me. Stock rack stock cooler lines stock everything.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by doktor b View Post
    You had good luck with the Amsoil PS fluid with the LS pump and BMW rack?
    im not stoked with the performance I'm getting using synthetic red ATF.
    Yeah I'm happy with it. Far outperforms the ATF I was using before.

  18. #18
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    dont forget running more things in a system means your pushing more fluid further causing things to work overtime same aspect as running a rear mount radiator waterpumps run out of puff sometimes, if your sure with a cooler your fine maybe your system hasn't bled up correctly, remember lock to lock with a brimmed reservoir first off if you get bubble upon pouring the fluid in you should leave it to sit until the bubble go away. once you have locked to lock with out engine on turn the engine on again and proceed lock to lock one fluid is round the system top up or remove fluid according to your fluids level indicator if to known where it is on bmws should be on the screw cap pointing down,

    BANJO SEALS check your banjo seals should be one going in to the union bolt on the pump and a steering rack they love to break and go weak.

    Dont want to be teaching anyone to 'suck eggs' but the amount of times im looking it to deep and forget the basics and its something simple

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