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86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS

Burning Steering Fluid on Startup?

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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 08:28 PM
  #1  
dieselloco427's Avatar
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From: Norfolk, VA
Question Burning Steering Fluid on Startup?

Evening fellas:
This has been puzzling me for some time now. On startup either in the morning or after the rig has been sitting for a while, I'll start it up and get a bluish grey smoke out the exhaust. Its not oil burning, because it does not smell like oil - and its not that thick white smoke that oil makes. It smells like ATF - and since the tranny isnt connected to the engine in a way that would allow fluid to get to it - that leaves the p/s pump and those two little vacumm hoses to 'blame'
Is it possible for fluid to get in those lines and sucked into the engine on startup? My p/s pump is leaking a little - so I guess I should plan on replacing it if I want to resolve the smoking problem, and all the fittings on the steering gearbox are leaking too - looks like I've got another project

any additional thoughts before I dig in?
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 08:52 PM
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scuba's Avatar
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From: Austin, Texas
power steering uses ATF. Viaola
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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 09:02 PM
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I have heard about the idle-up valve on the top of the PS pump failing and letting ATF into the intake through those lines, although I have never witnessed it myself...

that's the only logical place it could be coming from though, as you explained
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 07:50 AM
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dieselloco427's Avatar
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alright. I'll pull the lines off while I'm changing my oil and see if they're filled with atf. I have a feeling that valve is the problem.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 07:54 AM
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Easy enough to cap off the fittings where those lines attach to on the intake and see if the problem goes away or not:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...ine_Pix/7.html
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 07:54 AM
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Yes. That valve can fail and lead to ATF from the power steering system getting sucked into the intake. Not very common, but I've seen it happen.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 11:49 AM
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From: Northern Colorado :-(
does the 22re have the ability to burn power steering fluid as well? When I did the head job, I didn't really see anywhere the PS pump could leak into the intake or cylinders to burn
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 12:12 PM
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From: Lake City, Fl
Originally Posted by DupermanDave
does the 22re have the ability to burn power steering fluid as well? When I did the head job, I didn't really see anywhere the PS pump could leak into the intake or cylinders to burn
yes, same senario

The PS pump has a valve on the top of it that has 2 vaccum line running to the intake manifold. When your steering is under load, it puts tention on the PS belt, therefore bogging the motor down a little. This valve sences that, and ups the idle accordingly, thuse, no bogging down of the motor. BUT, if the valve fails internally, I can leak the PS fluid (ATF) into the intake manifold through the vaccum line and then burn it as the motor ingests it.

Same stands true for both the 3.0 and the 22re

Last edited by iamsuperbleeder; Feb 7, 2009 at 12:15 PM.
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Old Feb 9, 2009 | 03:13 PM
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dieselloco427's Avatar
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From: Norfolk, VA
yep - that valve is shot on my rig. I took the vacuum hoses off and fluid spilled out of the hose. and slowly dripped from the valve (1 drip every minute or so) No wonder I had to keep adding ps fluid
Does this valve come with a new pump?
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