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Hydraulic hoses power steering
As I understand, there are two hydraulic hoses that run from the power steering pump located at the front of the engine to the steering gear housing located in the bay on the drivers side. The hoses comprise of a supply and return line. Does this make sense? Are the hoses broken into two sections or are they just single very long hoses….45 feet long?
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13 Replies
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My coach might be a little different. But mine has a high pressure hose out of the pump and a return line back to the reservoir. It has a short suction line from the reservoir to the intake of the pump. Based on the print supplied by Prevost my high pressure line went from the pump to a bulkhead fitting just in front and above my fuel tank. I’m not sure if a solid pipe runs between that bulkhead to the front of the coach or not. The failure I fixed was between the pump and the bulkhead. I was not able to remove my fuel tank so I just cut out the ruptured section of hose and purchased reusable hose ends and a union to splice the two ends together.
Root cause of the failure was old rubber bumpstops. The bumpstops compressed sevral inches more than new bumpstops which allowed the rear end to pinch the power steering hose between the rear end and the coach floor anytime the air leaked out of the coach while parked.
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The hoses are not one long hose, Why are you worried about the hoses ??????? Because you had a problem with the hoses at the pump ??
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I should have properly explained my first post. One of my hydraulic hoses failed. Specifically the supply hoses from the pump to the rear bulkhead. This was replaced by Prevost. They suggested/recommended the remaining hydraulic hoses should be replaced. I assume as the coach is 17 years old these hoses may be at risk of future failure. I was trying to figure out how the hoses were configured? I now know. As a follow up question ….is it common or uncommon to replace these hoses?
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I replaced rear /I believe they get the elements and heat from road and engine. I looked at front runs and they looked great. Not brittle or oil soaked no cracks. They are fastened quite often thru center frame rails and top of bays/bottom of inside floor/metal frame attachments and with cover on bottom of this tunnel. clear all all bays remove covers even access above fuel tank thru condensor compartment .. I think it would be $$ prohivite to remove and replace. Possible remedy if it happend there should be a empty pvc conduit accesable in front of drive wheels -bottom of floor–this goes all the way to spare tire compartment. Those hoses are about $700–each. your dealing with up to 2200psi–If I remember initial setting is betwee 18 and 1900 psi..Just from memory! Check if front steering compartment and see what they look like. That would be next high point of failure. My observation only!!! Bob
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I would not worry about the hoses in the belly of the coach ,only the ones from pump to rear bulk head and the ones from gear box in steering bay to bulk head the front ones should be in good shape I don’t think you will have to replace those just the back ones from pump to rear bulk head, that coach had a new rad put in and it was rusted out so some things at back will need to be checked , just check all hoses in the back and fittings
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We had a power steering presure line fail earlier this year…first time on the “hook” in 300K miles! Fortunately Tom at Prevost Road Service was able to hook us up with a local bus company in PA that agreed to replace both power steering lines.
The failure occurred where the pressure line goes thru the bulkhead above the rear suspension, apprently corrosion set in and caused the fittings to fail. The Mechanic was able to fabricate both the pressure and return lines and feed them thru a PVC pipe that went from the bulkhead forward to the spare tire compartment in the front of the bus. total time for the repair was about three hours.I always check in with Prevost road Service first if I have a Bus problem
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Good job David those fittings need to be looked at closely where they go into the pvc pipe but I got money on the hose that went to the front in good shape it was just the fitting that failed
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You’re absolutely correct Peter, it was the corroded fitting that failed. My guys in our shop do a great job of checking the bus over before we go out but that fitting is difficult to see if you’re not specifically looking for trouble there.
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As a preventive, I would be interested in replacing the presssure line from the pump to the bulkhead in front of the drive axle, the return line from that bulkhead to the reservoir, and the short line from the reservoir to the pump. My question is, what is the access to the fittings at the bulkhead? Is it from underneath or through the bay?
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I would answer the question Dan but your coach is a couple years older than I have knowledge about sorry I can not help you unless I guess, and I don’t want to guess sorry
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If you are lucky you can get to them from one side/there is a bulkhead coupling with a nut on each side of metal bulkhead. Picture a male coupling going thru a piece of metal with a nut on each side to hold it in place then a hose attached to each end. You may get lucky and just loosen hose. If bulk head coupling starts to turn you need to access other side to back up. This is the way it is on my XLE 98 and was on previous 89 xl. At that place it is located very close to curb side frame rail and if I remember the only other line closer is fuel line. For info only! Bob
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Thanks Bob, I got the picture. Been there several times because the air dryer is mounted there and I take the whole thing out to change the dessicant cartridge.
Will try to create my luck by soaking the fittings in pb blaster for couple days.
Prevost parts said they have so little call for these hoses that they don’t stock them, so they are special order 42 days out. But all three hoses are only about $250. And the longest one from the pump to bulkhead is 17 feet long.
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Hoses of any type, hydraulic, pneumatic, coolant, etc are likely available from any competent hose shop while you wait and likely for a lot less than Prevost may charge. I replaced my power steering hoses on my first coach and all it took was for me to bring the old one to the hose shop and 20 minutes later I was out the door with the new hose in hand.
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