Hi,

I just did a search for the power steering hose configuration on a 91 pu with a 3vze. I have read some other posts and noted that some folks called them vacuum lines....

Mine have fuel in them. Is this correct?

Thanks,

Jereme

 

No, those hoses shouldn't have fuel in them. When I did my rebuild I made a mistake when reconnecting the vacuum lines on the plenum and that is what happened. I mixed up the fuel line with a vacuum line. Have you recently had the plenum off? Check your hoses to make sure they are in the right place. Do you have gas pooling in the intake as well? Just pop the lid for the air cleaner and smell for fuel. If it is as bad as mine was, check the oil for fuel as well.

Jason

 

Yes, I recently installed a new engine and am having difficulty with the startup of the engine. The most recent probem is fuel in these lines.

My daughter had one job in this process and that was to note and install the hoses in the correct location. I hope that we have not damaged anything. The engine has probably run for 1 hour total as I timed it and chased various leaks.

Your thoughts?

I am off to the garage to perform some QA on the hose installation.

Best,

Jereme

 

you should have the main pressure and return lines and a small 'valve' with two vacuum lines attached (yes, vacuum lines)... one goes to the intake manifold and the other goes in front of the throttle body. Their purpose is to raise the idle speed when you turn the steering wheel. If you have power steering fluid in either line, the valve which screws in to the pump is probably bad... yes I said ps fluid- fuel has no real way of getting in to those hoses.

 

On the plenum there are two Y shaped hose barbs that come out. The two vacuum PS hoses should connect to the smaller of the two metal barbs. At least that is where they connect on my plenum. I've had the plenum off and on what feels like a million times now. Hopefully all my vacuum hoses are in the correct spot.

I really hate this plenum design

 

Fuel has no way to get into these lines unless there is a problem at the plenum. I had a hose in the wrong spot and ended up with fuel in everything. Pooling in the plenum, in the ps vac lines, as well as washed through and into the crank case.

Jason

 

umm.. okay. the ports those hoses connect to are high enough in the plenum to keep fuel from entering unless something is seriously wrong, like connecting the fuel return line to the brake booster and the engine, somehow, didn't go hydraulic before fuel got to those lines.

 

Guys!

I had the hoses connected incorrectly. I had a fuel return line going to the PS pump! UGH! Swapped the lines and the engine runs perfectly. I am soo stoked.

This has been a learning experience. I am an old school muscle car guy and working on this engine has been a real challenge.

Many thanks...

Best,

Jereme

 

El oh El.

Sounds like a recipie for some explosive steering response!

 

can anyone send me pictures of were these hoses connect to i hooked them up wrong and got gas into the lines ha and now the power steering goes out every once i a while when your driving it really frusterarting

 

You mean the two on the bottom? You can see them leaving the power steering pump in these two pictures:

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Now, I can only get you so far. There are two sets of "bundled" lines coming into the plenum in the below picture. One of them is from the power steering pump. I believe that the pair of lines from the PS pump are the smaller diameter lines on the right, in the foreground.

Good luck,

Mike

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Does this help?

 

Sorry wrong picture. Its the third picture in the above post>

ok in the above picture the hose that is upper most on the left side of the picture appears to go onto a nipple. the other end disapears down the fire wall to under the vehicle. Is this right? If this hose is left unconnected fuel comes out of the nipple. Is that right?

I obviously have something hooked up wrong even though the truck seems to run ok. Idle is a little fast. But the engine is putting out a lot of white smoke, I mean like a fog.

Is the top nipple that is disconnected in the picture for the power brake booster?

Thanks

Eric