What tools will I need to replace the main powersteering pressure hose and what are the steps to replace it? I am not a mechanic but I am familiar with changing oil for my car, replacing radiator fan, replacing thermostat, replacing fuel filter, replacing air filter, etc. With my level of expertise, how much more difficult is it to replace the main pressure hose for the powersteering? Do I have to drain the fluid first? Should I wrap up the alternator to avoid spills into it? etc.How do I replace the power steering main pressure hose in a 1990 Honda Accord?the only special tools you'll need is a 14mm flare nut wrench.
start by draining the fluid. You do this by removing the return hose from the power steering reservoir (the hose that does not go to the power steering pump) and place the end into a suitable container such as an old 2 litre soda bottle.
have someone hold the bottle out of the way from the engine drive belts fo that it is at or below the level of the power steering reservir. Remove the cap from the power steering reservoir.
Then start the engine and slowly turn the steering wheel all the way to one side and hold it there for the count of 5. Then slowly turn it fully to the other side and hold it. Do this three or four times and the fluid will have been pumped out of the system. Stop as soon as the fluid flow becomes slight or stops so that you don't damage the pump.
Then you can remove the pressure line from the back of the power steering pump. it has a special banjo fitting but no special tool is required to remove the nut. I think its probably a 10 mm but I'm not sure.
with the hose removed from the pump end, raise the front of the car up. you'll have to get under the car and locate the steering gear. It will be attached to the rear engine bulkhead and have four steel lines going into the control valve. The pressure line has a 14 mm nut. the return line has a 17mm nut. the other two lines are for the power steering cooler. If the cooler lines are the same as the pressure line you'll have to figure out which line is the pressure line by following the hose back from the pump.
use the flare nut wrench so that you don't damage the fitting. Once you break it loose you can usually remove the fitting by hand and then remove the hose. I recommend wearing safety glasses because there may be residual fluid that comes out and you don't want to get that in your eyes.
replace the hose by routing the hose between the pump and the steering gear, then threading in the fitting to the steering rack first then tightening the fitting with the flare nut wrench. then connect the steering hose to the pump end using the special bolt that you removed earlier.
With the hose in place, reconnect the return hose to the reservoir, fill the reservoir with fluid and bleed the air out of the system by starting the engine and following the same procedure you used to remove the fluid from the system at the start. top off the fluid level to the full mark, and check for leaks. If no leaks, then your done.
As long as you have the right tools and some patience you should be able to do this.
hope that answers your questions
