[helpthe95]

Hello all. I'm in the process of installing a new powersteering pump, both powersteering lines and "DIY rebuilding my steering gear. My system will be pretty much very cleaned out and new fluid running through it. After all this work, I'm debating splicing in a powersteering filter. I'd like the filter to 1. Keep my system clean as the BBB pump warranty kind of requires a filter be installed, a flushed system ( mine will be all new so ✅). 2. I'm thinking if a filter is spliced in at a location on the factory routing somewhere on the crossmember if possible?,, I will be able to disconnect the line there and pump all the old fluid out easier vs the difficult factory way of draining above the AC compressor. This is my thinking of how it was/is and a now thought up basic way of how I can make it run clean and easily flushable for the future. Would I benefit from splicing in a powersteering filter on a new Gates hose and system? Or would this be considered hacking a brand new nice hose for not much benefits and an overrated mod? IDK. How many years does a filter add to a brand new system? Would I just be adding extra work of changing filters that don't need changed, adding new fluid for exchange of just a few years more on a 25 year potential lifespan of my system? I've seen the Oil cooler mod and Trans mod to Aluminum AN fittings. I'm liking that mod job done correctly to eliminate leaks. I'm looking for where I can possibly add fittings on both sides of a filter without traditional clamps. Something really sealed and wrench tightenable.I don't want to add a cooler pulling lines onto the radiator support as I don't beat my car that bad while living in the desert. Can nice fittings and an adaptable filter fit within its factory routing providing a drain/flush point? Here is a my lines before removing my them. I'm wondering if some type of wrenchable fittings onto filter will fit in my yellow boxed areas. Has anyone done this? I don't like the idea of cutting a new hose if it's not going to really do anything. Are these filters worth it? I'm guessing mine worked fine without filter and still was going for 25 years. But then if it's going to Last 35 years with filters that's something to consider.. Thanks

 

[Caddylack]

Put a filter on the return line wherever you find it convenient and change it like an oil filter.

I have one that I haven't installed yet. I can find the part number. It's just a generic 3/8" inline filter.

 

[helpthe95]

I guess I'm asking a little more than possible unless it's all custom made. If I wanted a fitting onto a filter, the spliced hose would require some type of crimped on fitting or manually attachable fitting. Then the filter would have to have the matching male or female on both ends.

 

[helpthe95]

Wondering if any "type" of filter (the filter element itself) is better than the next or what to stay away from? I like this one but want to know if this type of screen works. Or is it just a gimmick.

 

[tayto]

not needed

 

[helpthe95]

deleted post. wrong post area.

 

[tayto]

i will elaborate a bit more... let's say screen gets blocked or even partially blocked and reduces flow. there ia no bypass in that screen so the pump gets starved of fluid and causes more damage than without screen. even your engine has a bypass so if the filter gets clogged the engine wont starve of oil and self destruct. just do regular fluid replacements.

with that being said most of these cars do not get daily driven. if this is the case I would put the gm synthetic PS fluid (cold climate) in and probably not worry about changing it for 10 years.

EDIT: as far as your steering box rebuild, i'd drive around for a few hundred miles then do a fluid exchange. any metal that will shed from break in will be removed and you will be ahead of the millions of cars that are still driving around with factory fill

 

[Fix Until Broke]

Here's another option for something inline - Turbo Oil Feed Inline Filters

A filter like this should be installed on the return line to the reservoir, never on the suction line to the pump so it doesn't starve the pump as tayto mentioned.

A bypass around the filter is a good idea. Ideally they're built in, but you can build your own with a relief valve or check valve plumbed in around the filter. The metal mesh screens are pretty tough compared to a paper element, so you could run a relatively high bypass pressure (50 psi or more* (see below)).

A few things to consider...

Adding a small filter will cause some pressure drop. As the filter gets plugged, or when the oil is really cold (thick), this pressure drop will go up until something breaks. This may be the seals on the power steering box, the return line hose blowing off, etc, so one needs to be careful and make sure the bypass around the filter is set to a "reasonable" pressure (15 psi is common) that won't blow seals out, but isn't in bypass all the time either.

The screen filters are good for catching relatively large particles (30-50 microns and up) that prevent sudden or catastrophic issues such as pump failure, steering lockup, etc. These particles generally come in a new system from a burr, weld slag, hose cutting debris, o-ring pieces, etc. They won't help with the small/fine particles that do the long term damage that make the difference between 10 and 20 years of life. For that you need a depth type filter media like an engine oil filter uses.

The power steering system doesn't have any differential volume (cylinders extending/retracting) so contamination from dirt in the air is relatively minimal.

If you want to add a filter to the system - I can help you navigate the options and come up with a well engineered solution.

Practically, I'd flush it as tayto suggested and put a magnet in the reservoir to trap any fine iron/steel particles and forget about it. Maybe pull the magnet out ever year or so and see what it has collected.

 

[1slow96]

I prefer larger spin on/off filters in general as they provide better filtration as well as additional fluid capacity. Also has built in bypass capability ,but doubt it would ever come into play due to relatively large amount of filtration media.

 

[Z09B4U]

Power Steering Tech From The Experts At Lee Power Steering

We exlplore the mysteries of power steering with Lee Power Steering. The experts offer some tips for all types of applications.

www.streetmusclemag.com

"Lee Power Steering also highly recommends the use of an inline-power-steering fluid filter. This filter is located on the return side between the steering box and the reservoir. The filter uses a typical cartridge element that screens roughly 95 percent of all dirt larger than 10 microns. A micron is equal to 0.000039-inch! This prevents debris from potentially damaging or locking up the steering box. The filter has sufficient capacity that most performance cars – even those driven daily – may need a filter change only once in their lifetime."

Lee Power Steering Filters For High Performance Motorsports

Shop for high performance power steering filter at Lee Power Steering in Santa Clarita CA. We sell high quality motorsport steering products.

leepowersteering.com

This filter style has pleated filter media that can be removed from the filter body. I expect that it would be much easier to inspect than previously suggested filters.

 

[95wagon]

You could google
magnefine power steering filter
and look at their offereings.

A car I am working on , all brand new parts , the box on the bench feels like hell.
You just know there is going to be shrapnel 😕
So it gets a filter strung on for the first while then likely removed.

 

[tayto]

ARE STEERING SYSTEM FLUID FILTERS REALLY NECESSARY?
You may find this actual true story to be quite interesting: General Motors in the early
1970's found a number of lawsuits being initiated against GM vehicles with the Saginaw
steering systems. Of course back then, Saginaw steering components were used on 100%
of GM vehicles. Even before the internet, lawyers had a good system of communicating
with each other.
The allegation would go like this: At 2:30 in the morning, after the plaintiff left the bar
(only having had one beer), the steering "locked-up" and the car went off the road and
crashed. In many cases, by the time the lawsuit was filed the wrecked car was no longer
available for inspection. But the allegations were that very fine particles (or maybe a big
metal particle) would jam the very close tolerance gear valve; locking up the steering;
resulting in the accident.
We had an expert engineer witness at Saginaw that was at the disposal of General Motors
lawyers to assist them with technical issues. He was called to consult on these types of
cases that involved Saginaw parts. What he decided was the following: Saginaw would
go out and purchase a test car nearly identical to the one in the lawsuit. Saginaw would
then install a brand new OEM steering system; pump, gear, hoses, reservoir, and fluid in
that car.
He then made a film (I don't believe there was any video tape back then) showing that car
with an open hood. A Saginaw person would go out to the factory floor and actually
sweep the floor of chips and debris, placing them in a paper cup. He would then take the
cup to the test car; remove the reservoir cap; and dump the cup full of dirt, chips, etc into
the pump reservoir. Our expert witness would then drive that car to the location of the
civil trial. He would then show the movie and he was always able to report the he found
no problems whatsoever in driving the car from Saginaw, Michigan to the court (which
could have been hundred or even thousands of miles away).
Amazing, after General Motors and Saginaw won a couple of "lock-up" cases with
testimony and proof such as the above, the lawsuits stopped.
Based on the above and inspecting many, many, test steering systems that were driven
over 100,000 miles in police cars, taxis, medium duty trucks, etc, I never felt that any
type of filter was necessary. The magnet works just fine with no additional restriction to
the fluid flow in the system.
Jim

This is a paper written by Jim Shea, a retired Saginaw engineer.

Original link: Jim Shea’s Steering Papers » Blog Archive » Are Steering Fluid Filters Necessary?

Personally working in an industry that works with "slow speed" gearboxes and hydraulics, I can tell you I have worked on 60+ year old to current day equipment that have NO filters and run without issue. Usually problems occur when machinery is neglected for decades ie: oil never changed/infrequently changed. I'm also the guy that changes his engine oil filter every other oil change and have done so for 12 years now. YMMV

 

[1slow96]

Are they necessary? No hundreds of millions of vehicles function without them every day.
That doesn't mean they have no value ,or of no benefit when logic suggests they do.
Steering boxes and pumps can get expensive. Filters ,and fluid are not. Add to that 25 year old
components are not easily sourced ,and that anything that prolongs their life is worth considering.

 

[tayto]

better run out and put a filter on your brakes. why not right?

 

[MWP]

better run out and put a filter on your brakes. why not right?

And now you can!

Are you still driving with old-fashioned unfiltered brake fluid? Do your loved ones depend on brakes that don't freely recirculate fluid?

Everybody's talking about the new Filtered Universal Brake Automotive Retrofit (Fubar) kit. Many people say it's the most noticeable brake mod ever. The kit includes clear vinyl tube from each bleeder back to the master cylinder, four clear fuel-type filters, and hose fittings for the MC cover with hose fittings.

With old 20th century brakes, leaving the brake bleeders open meant losing fluid, so they had to be kept closed. With this new kit, the fluid recirculates instead of just sitting in the lines. The driver feels the difference in braking with every push of the pedal. Push more, filter more! So simple, so amazing!

But wait, there's more. As cars get older, rubber gunk or rust from decaying hoses and hardlines can make a mess of brake fluid. What a mess! With this new kit, if a filter gets dirty, just change it and the fluid stays clean.

The kit includes UV dye for the brake fluid and blacklights for under the hood and the wheelwells. On the road or at the minimart, at night the transparent hoses full of brake fluid literally glow, showing off the system and telling everyone this car has been Fubar'd.

(Apologies for off-topic, and apologies to Ron Popeil, who was better at this than me.)