I was under the impression that there was a crude filter disc in the
plastic resevoir for the PS fluid.  Be careful if you remove the low
pressure line to that unit for cleaning as I snapped off the hose fitting
and a new resevoir was over $60.  I decided then and there I didn't need
the PS that bad and still don''t 2 years later.

DM&FS

At 10:31 PM 6/27/2002 -0400, Myron Lind wrote:
>The 1500 psi is only between the high pressure side of the pump and the PS
>rack. After coming out of the rack it is low pressure. Thus the plastic
>reservoir holds it quite nicely. Many hydraulics run at 1500-3000 psi, some
>higher. Normal stuff for hydraulics.
>
>Probably a bigger problem with the PS system is that the oil is not filtered
>and most of us rarely change the oil. Vane type pumps (the kind that are in
>the Van) need very clean oil. The pressure relief valve allows the pump to
>"idle" and spin but not pump as the pressure reaches a certain level  (or
>perhaps the flow gets reduced, I am not clear on this). I would suspect
>dirty oil would be harmful to the pressure regulating valve, as it would to
>the seals in the entire PS system.
>
>Keep it clean, don't worry about the pressure sounding high. It's normal.
>
>Myron Lind
>Harrisonburg, VA
>1982 Diesel getting mechanical TDI
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
>Of s w
>Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 11:47 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: PS pump pressure testing?
>
>
> > Bentley says that the appropriate pressure should be
> > around 1500 PSI!
>
>just a question, maybe a dumb one at that...but i just
>have to ask...how is it that our little plastic power
>steering resevoir's can handle that pressure? assuming
>that in a sealed system the pressure would be the same
>throughout...anybody???
>
>=====
>Scott Wilson
>85 GL Westfalia
>
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