Power Steering Fluid Leaking From Bottle On Track

[hughman]

Hi everyone,

Had my first track day yesterday, lifted the bonnet after 2nd session and noticed smoke rising from turbos, on further inspection it was power steering fluid spilling out from the ps bottle and running over turbos. Has anyone ha the same problem? Seems the cap on the ps bottle doesn't seal very well.

Car: 97 R33 GTR. Stock

[Snowman]

It's a super common problem.

Just put an old sock over your power steering reservoir.

The other option is to fit a power-steering cooler. The old auto GTS-T's had them standard and you can pick then up from a wrecker for $100 or so.

[XKLABA]

My 34 did this, I got a big flat rubber washer and stuck it in the lid so it ended up between lid and bottle and that seems to have fixed it, in the 34, I'll asume the 33 is the same,there is 3 groves in the lid to let air in and out and they still work with the washer inplace

[Dale FZ1]

Just put an old sock over your power steering reservoir.

Cheap and nasty but can work ok esp if you only run it occasionally.

The other option is to fit a power-steering cooler.

Much better option, this is the proper way IMO but can involve a bit of stuffing around to plumb and mount one.

[34GeeTeeTee]

So is it heat that is causing this? I was worried about where mine is located so close to the manifold and high mount turbo.........

I would have thought it was just overfull?

[hughman]

Yeah I've heard of the old sock solution. Place over bottle and zip tie in place during the track event.

Spoke to my mechanic about losing that much PS fluid out of resivoir but he said it won't damage the power steering for short track events as its mostly for overflow. Gets quite hot as well.

[34GeeTeeTee]

Yeah I've heard of the old sock solution. Place over bottle and zip tie in place during the track event.

Spoke to my mechanic about losing that much PS fluid out of resivoir but he said it won't damage the power steering for short track events as its mostly for overflow. Gets quite hot as well.

So how much fluid did you lose/replace? I might have to be pro-active and fix this before i do any work with the car......

Snowman - You mean like the factory PS cooler? Or an actual core?

[hughman]

Basically only about 1cm left in the bottom of the resivoir when I look in it now. Just take a small bottle to top it up to min level when your at the track and use the sock solution.

[34GeeTeeTee]

Basically only about 1cm left in the bottom of the resivoir when I look in it now. Just take a small bottle to top it up to min level when your at the track and use the sock solution.

So the engine bay is a mess? Hmm thanks for the info!!

[hughman]

No, not at all, just a bit down the side of the ps bottle and a little bit on hoses near front turbo.

I have a detailed engine bay so I like it spotless but it wasn't much to wipe up.

[260DET]

It's not hard to put a cooler in the return line, I used a small universal type PWR one, a bit over $100 from Supercreep.

[Marlin]

I find all of my Skylines have had a bit of a spit and a gurgle if filled to the factory suggestion, but if you let it spit out what it doesn't want, it finds its own level and is happy and clean. Just don't top it back up again. None of my cars have suffered ill affects by running below full.

[Duncan]

exactly what works for me

[DJRIFT]

I find all of my Skylines have had a bit of a spit and a gurgle if filled to the factory suggestion, but if you let it spit out what it doesn't want, it finds its own level and is happy and clean. Just don't top it back up again. None of my cars have suffered ill affects by running below full.

this is by far the best way. regardless of having a cooler or not it will spit out what it doent want then settle. my drift car with modified rack only runs 2/3 full and the same with bens targa car.

[260DET]

With the cooler and with the system bled mine stays filled to the factory level markings when doing sprints, friend of mines RB30ET without a cooler is always losing oil. I figure that cooler oil will be kinder to seals etc too.