Paul94Z28

Hi Board-

I have a 94 Z with the LT1. The front of my engine gets very dirty from the power steering pump down. I keep my engine pretty clean, but the AC compressor is always covered in oil or power steering fluid.
I have replaced my PS pump in the past and have not seen any active leaks following the suggested tests in the manual. My ps fuid does tend to bubble over and send ps fluid down the hoses where it drips on the AC compressor. I left it alone in the past, but I just installed the MBA AC pulley cover and now clear fluid (like my synthetic PS fluid) is on the ps pulley and ac compressor pulley (seen clearly with the MBA pulleys on). Just a few drops, but enough to start flying over to the side of the engine compartment. I took the pump out, the fluid does not appear to be spinning out the hub of the PS pump (like I expected if there was a seal problem). The lines do not appear to be leaking from the ends.

Could it be the AC compressor leaking?

I am currently planning to take it apart and clean the whole thing real good and watch for a while after inpecting hoses, etc. The hoses are pretty pricey from the dealer...

Any ideas?

1-bad-z28

does your a/c work? If so, it is not that. I would say it is the ps.

Paul94Z28

Yep, AC works great.

Should I start by swapping out the high pressure line that connects to the bottom of the pump?

1-bad-z28

try to figure out what is leaking before you start getting new lines. It might be a simple seal in the ps pump or a small hole in the reservoir. You don't have the reservoir too full do you? If so fluid will push out the top.

CamaroBoy96Z28

I have the same problem. I dont have a/c so it isnt that. Its not the ps line so I'd say somewhere on the pump itself. Are you losing fluid in your ps resevoir? I know I am.

Paul94Z28

I dried the whole thing off, started the car and watched. I cranked it from stop to stop several times with no leakage showing. There were no visible signs of leakage at the back or front of the pump. I took the pulley front off (MBA Pulley) and there does not appear to be anything leaking from the shaft of the pump. The eakage that was starting t show was on the ps pulley outer edge (all the way around) and on the AC compressor pulley. This in turn ends up on the side of the engine compartment.

The majority of the leakage appears to be right down on the ac compressor and front of the engine.

Could it just be the coolant running over and down and on the hoses?

I recently installed and underdrive pulley that I thought would help by slowing things down a bit.

Its gotta be coming from somewhere...???

1-bad-z28

hmmm. I don't see how it could be coolant if it is some kind of oil going all over the place. Keep doing what you're doing by cleaning everything off real good and keep an eye on it. I'm still convinced that it can't be the a/c compressor because if it is leaking the oil out of the lines, it is leaking freon. At the amount you say is leaking, there would not be any freon left making your a/c not blow cold air. You're right about one thing, it has to be coming from something.

Paul94Z28

I spent the afternoon yesterday cleaning the whole area. I will try and get it back together today and tomorrow and run it this weekend to see what happens. I am cleaning and checking all the hoses along the way. I am going to re-read the fill and check procedure in the manual to make sure I am not overfilling.

Here is something else that is bothering me, the ps fluid would be red tint, right? I replaced most of mine with clear synthetic (but did not properly flush it). My fluid is now light red. The fluid that is on the pulley is clear with a slight yellow tint. That is why I was thinking AC.

It may be the case that I have multiple leaks going on here...

Paul94Z28

Cleaned it up and put it all back together following the helm manual to the letter. No leaks yet, I took it out for about 15 minutes and beat the daylights out of it. That was pretty fun.

No signs of leaks.

Paul94Z28

Update -

Been driving the car with no problem until I turned the AC on today and the car messed itself. So, it is definately the AC compressor.

Ever heard of this?