jimmyjames Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Okay so I'm here in Central America where parts are hard to find for my Canadian made Chevy Tracker 4x4, 1999. So I'm here to ask about repairing my leaking steering fluid. 99 Tracker 4x4, Canadian made, 2 door, 1.6ltr engine Went to a mechanic, he noted the leak, said "we can't fix this, you'll have to try to find the parts", and so here I am... I am attaching a photo of where the leak seems to be. FULL DISCLOSURE: I know very little about cars, some basic stuff but certainly am more of a "layman" than a "mechanic". What I gather (?) is that I can't just replace the seal itself, I need to replace the whole kit and kaboodle? I was told I'd have to buy used parts, new ones are impossible to find. But my wife is in the US right now and so if I can locate for SURE the right parts for this, I can have her bring them back in a couple weeks. The steering works fine, it just leaks fluid and when it leaks enough it starts making noise. It was making noise for a month or so (I don't drive a lot) but I didn't know what it was. So my questions: 1) Can I just replace a seal or a part or two based on where we see the leak occurring in photo? Or 2) Do I need to buy a whole "kit" of steering assembly parts (what's this called exactly?) and 3) is there an online "best place" for me to order these parts and have them sent to my wife in us so she can bring them down to me? Thanks a lot! Here is the photo of the leak. You can look up the info on my car in the thread I just posted on " Amazon wants to know "base or lsi" and e105 e167 j105 j167 Photo of leak attached here. (This is where a friend said it was leaking, not sure I am showing the exact spot or not.) THANKS FOR ANY HELP OR ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE! INFO I HAVE IS THIS: 99 CHEVY TRACKER VIN# 2CNBJ1865X6905626 MODEL DJR37 CANADA (CAMI)/ GM 1998 DICIEMBRE GVWR GAWR FRT GAWR RR 1YL USA (?) (en puerta conductor) Code B1A Port of Entry CAMI (Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc) - owned by General Motors (GM) "From 1991 on the Geo Tracker sold in Canada was identical to its US counterpart." - Wikipedia L01 GAS, 16 Valve 4 CYL 1.6 LT, MFI, SOHC MM5 MANUAL 5 SPD NG1 NEW YORK?? PG2 Wheel - 15 x 5.5 STEEL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjames Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Will something like this from amazon likely work to fix this leak? Parts Master 8825 Power Steering Pump Seal Kit by Parts Master Honestly I have no clue what this picture is of, so I don't know what exact seal to look for. All I know is someone told me this is where the steering fluid is leaking from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoatBoy4570 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 The picture to me looks like one side of the rack (as in rack and pinion steering) if you look further you will find the pump mounted near the belt drive on the engine. The rack can be rebuilt and some guys do it but most just re & re it. You've got a end seal going and to replace it the rack has to come out and be dismantled. Some racks are easier than others, to replace the seals you need to remove the tie rod ends as well and if the threads are rusty it will be hard work. Your best bet if you cant get a rack right away is try a seal sweller, its an additive that you add to the p.s. fluid and it swells the seals, this will slow or stop the leak for a while. a heavier hydraulic oil might slow it down a bit too. try to steer only when the car is moving as that will keep the temp of the fluid down and less will leak out also the system works hardest when you are maneuvering into a parking spot for example. Maybe you can order a rack from Rockauto they ship everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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