In a message dated 23/02/2007 11:30:48 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

A very  common place for the PS to leak is at a PS steel line where it
routs to the  right of the egnine. This is a high corrosion area. If
youhave a 83.5-early  85,your steel coolant tubes are right behind the PS
lines as far as  corroding through, goes. That is the bad news.

The good news is that  there are several ways to fix the PS lines. The
easiest way is to cut the  bad area out and splice in a high pressure(fuel
line) rubber hose and use  hose clamps on each end.The corroded  area will
look like the surface  of the moon. Easy to find ,even without a telescope.

You can replace  the entire PS line and expect lots of work.Use rubber fuel
line and rout it  the entire way.You can also put in new metal lines. This
is very  expensive.They are 10 feet long. When you find some for sale,
shipping will  be $125 by UPS.I wire wheeled a set and painted them with
POR15 gloss  black. Very good ,uncorroded conditon and beautiful !! It took
awhile to  sell them because the buyers did not understand the  shipping
costs.

I think you should go with a splice ,if this is your  problem.Another way
the PS leaks is at the end of the steering racks life.  The seals on either
side of the rack,near the rubber boots will  leak.Eventually they leak
profusely. PS fluid stop leak will not fix it.  Best to remove the V-belt
and use non power  steering.This is a  reasonable fix.I have been doing it
for years.No  problems.

Ah  yes, BUT, a much simpler, elegant and long lasting repair can be made by
--- ta  da > ordering and installing my Power Steering Hose kit >  See it
right here before your very eyes ! >_Vanagon Power Steering Lines_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/hose.htm)

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains (_Collection
for  sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
_Vanagon  Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10,  2007