with new pic links:
Yup, I was at it again today. Trying to figure out why my front driver's strut was leaking. Since the strut was wet from the top down, I figured it was the hose connection to the strut.
Typical: disconnect the battery in the trunk, 10mm socket.
Jack the car on the "puck" under the factory jack-point, remove tire/wheel.
with the car on level setting 1 (one red dot), here's my puddle (jack wouldn't fit under the car on level 0):
here is the top half of the strut. at left, the large metal round part is like a quick-connect fitting, much like you would pull-back on an air hose to use an air tool. this is how the hose for the strut connects to the hard-line on the body of the car.
before removing the strut, disconnect the abc connector on the top of the strut in the engine bay. you have to use a flat-head screwdriver and "pull-out" each side of the connector, one side a time, very gently:
then i bled down the system.. remember that there's about or over 100psi of fluid pressure, backed by another possible 100psi of air pressure. this is the bleed screw, located on the hardline before it disappears into the engine bay area, loosen it with an 11mm wrench/socket. (its exactly like a brake bleed screw)
hook up a hose and catch basin, or you'll get my result, lol:
then work on the bottom "ball joint" where the strut connects to a control arm. It didn't take much to break it loose. i used a 13/16 socket on a breaker bar, then a 13/16 wrench, because if you loosen it a few threads, then there's not enough room for the socket due to the clearance to the tie rods.
leave the nut on the bolt, and hit it with a hammer a few times, and it should pop loose, since it really is a ball joint. be careful not to damage the rubber boot on the other side of the control arm.
then pull the aforementioned hose connection with one hand, and wiggle the hose end out of the assembly (more fluid will spill out from this).
lastly, get the 3 nuts off the top of the strut in the engine bay, 13mm socket.
and she's easily out:
here's my dirty piggy on the bench:
top half:
i used some parts cleaner and a few shop towels and cleaned up the whole strut. then with a 17mm wrench, loosened the threaded hose connection to the strut itself. this wasn't tight at all. came right off. i figured this is where my leak must be.
i cleaned everything up again, since dirt is ABC's enemy, applied RED Loctite to the threads, and re-installed:
informational pictures on the part number:
re-installed removal of reverse, but remember there's no fluid pressure on this strut, so when i put it all back together, the car was pretty much sitting on the jack at that corner:
so i tightened up the wheel bolts, made sure all the connections were tight, made sure the fluid was at an acceptable level, and turned the car on.
i cycled the ABC up to 2, and could really hear the fluid rush to the strut, so then i cycled the ABC 0,1,2 a few times.
I would recommend to re-bleed that same ABC valve again after cycling the system a few times.
I left the car on ABC 2-dots, since that seemed to make my car leak the most, and so far, no more leak at the strut
Yup, I was at it again today. Trying to figure out why my front driver's strut was leaking. Since the strut was wet from the top down, I figured it was the hose connection to the strut.
Typical: disconnect the battery in the trunk, 10mm socket.
Jack the car on the "puck" under the factory jack-point, remove tire/wheel.
with the car on level setting 1 (one red dot), here's my puddle (jack wouldn't fit under the car on level 0):
here is the top half of the strut. at left, the large metal round part is like a quick-connect fitting, much like you would pull-back on an air hose to use an air tool. this is how the hose for the strut connects to the hard-line on the body of the car.
before removing the strut, disconnect the abc connector on the top of the strut in the engine bay. you have to use a flat-head screwdriver and "pull-out" each side of the connector, one side a time, very gently:
then i bled down the system.. remember that there's about or over 100psi of fluid pressure, backed by another possible 100psi of air pressure. this is the bleed screw, located on the hardline before it disappears into the engine bay area, loosen it with an 11mm wrench/socket. (its exactly like a brake bleed screw)
hook up a hose and catch basin, or you'll get my result, lol:
then work on the bottom "ball joint" where the strut connects to a control arm. It didn't take much to break it loose. i used a 13/16 socket on a breaker bar, then a 13/16 wrench, because if you loosen it a few threads, then there's not enough room for the socket due to the clearance to the tie rods.
leave the nut on the bolt, and hit it with a hammer a few times, and it should pop loose, since it really is a ball joint. be careful not to damage the rubber boot on the other side of the control arm.
then pull the aforementioned hose connection with one hand, and wiggle the hose end out of the assembly (more fluid will spill out from this).
lastly, get the 3 nuts off the top of the strut in the engine bay, 13mm socket.
and she's easily out:
here's my dirty piggy on the bench:
top half:
i used some parts cleaner and a few shop towels and cleaned up the whole strut. then with a 17mm wrench, loosened the threaded hose connection to the strut itself. this wasn't tight at all. came right off. i figured this is where my leak must be.
i cleaned everything up again, since dirt is ABC's enemy, applied RED Loctite to the threads, and re-installed:
informational pictures on the part number:
re-installed removal of reverse, but remember there's no fluid pressure on this strut, so when i put it all back together, the car was pretty much sitting on the jack at that corner:
so i tightened up the wheel bolts, made sure all the connections were tight, made sure the fluid was at an acceptable level, and turned the car on.
i cycled the ABC up to 2, and could really hear the fluid rush to the strut, so then i cycled the ABC 0,1,2 a few times.
I would recommend to re-bleed that same ABC valve again after cycling the system a few times.
I left the car on ABC 2-dots, since that seemed to make my car leak the most, and so far, no more leak at the strut