Lude Generation

Hi All,

I'm a new user here, so apologies if I post in the wrong area, but I was hoping someone might be able to offer some advice on a problem I'm having with my 1995 4th Gen Prelude.

The Power Steering system has sprung a leak in the Aluminium Pipe from just above the Cooler. We initially thought it was the Cooler itself, but it turns out not. It seems to be the upper of the two pipes to the Cooler which runs back up to the PS reservoir. It has just corroded to the point where it's leaking badly (and in our investigations we have made it worse).

Given that replacing the aluminium pipe will be problematic, we are considering running some hose to replace this whole section. Both ends of the aluminium pipe are attached to hose anyway, so if we could get a longer length of similar hose it should be a relatively simple repair (and finally the car may see the light of day again). Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any information on the specs of this hose and what it might need to be. Given that it's part of the PS system I doubt it's garden hose.

Any idea what hose might be suitable for this task? Would some Oil Hose of the correct diameter suffice (need to find the diameter also)? Or does the PS system run at a pressure which might be an issue?

Any help would be much appreciated. It's been too long since I drove my Prelude...

Many thanks, and kind regards,
Gav.

I'm sure it's going to be easier to just get a 2nd hand pipe and replace it.

If you go down the bodge-it hose route, you'll need something that can handle very high pressures. It's a bit risky because unless you can find something that's specifcally rated to be able to handle PS fluid, it might start to break down internally and put crap into you PS pump and rack. Hydraulic fluid hose is probably OK to use. Crimping the ends securely will also be a bit tricky I expect.

Or just take the belt off the PS pump and do without for now!

This bit?



Ghetto fixes are tough to call. I would think that the hard line is there to stop rubbing and wearing through on the body work as it twists and turns on its way down. If I were you I'd try and find something that matches the little bit of hose that sits between the hard line and the PS cooler. Is it like the radiator hoses, in that it has a weave of material through the rubber? Surely pressure shouldnt be an issue as there are 4 bits of rubber hose in that section and the hose that goes to the pump is entirely rubber. If the system were to run dry the pump would probably not like it much but I dont know about anything else.

Edit - Yeah you could buy a replacement, plenty cars get broken here.

Looking at that pic I'd say all the lower section is low pressure. Anything that can handle hydraulic fluid/PS fluid/brake fluid should be OK.

Hi All,

Yep - thanks. That pic is exactly the bit I'm talking about. The pipe is a nightmare to get at (and attached to the other one), whereas the Cooler and Reservoir are not (as I already have the bumper off). And as the pic shows, both ends are hose anyway so hopefully hose can do the task.

I think it may be a case of try it and find out, so now I just need to locate some suitable hose.

Thanks again,
Gav.

Can you not source some air con or hydraulic pipe from somewhere like Pirtek & use a pipe bender?

Yeah just go with some decent rubber pipe, as said that's before the pump, and as you say it's already got two pipes with clips holding it on. If you had posted this a couple of months back, I removed mine which you could have had. Binned now though, so not really worth mentioning!

Good luck sorting it out.