91LS400LEX

Just wanted to update here..... idle-up has been plugged... all smoking is gone! The leak was from the return hose... its been replaced and no leaks! Hope this takes care of things for awhile.

Thanks for everything!
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First of all, my car is obviously a 1991 LS400 with 222K miles.

Some of you may have been following this on the other forum, but this is info I need fast, because I have to use this car tomorrow and need to know if I have capped the right things and if this is OK to drive like this. As mentioned, I know my PS pump is shot... I get heavy white smoke on startup for about 20 seconds... especially when I start it when leaving work. Smoke billows out. I was told to disconnect two lines from the pump to the intake. I think I have the right two. One is broken... has been broke for awhile. I blocked it this evening on the intake, but didnt block the hose... didnt have anything. Maybe I can find a stick?

The other part in front of the intake, I capped off (after the hose literally broke into pieces in that area) and stuck a plug in that hose. There was fluid in this hose. I guess thi was the one sucking in fluid? As long as this one is capped/blocked, will all be OK? Safe to drive the car like this until I can afford to get a new pump?

Here was from the other forum I posted...

I got the port on the front of the capped and put a smaller one in that hose to block it. On the other however, I was not able to block that hose, but I did put a cap in that hole (where it was broken) to keep it from sucking in air.

It seems like there is no harm in actually leaving either of those lines unblocked.

Oh, I started it and turned the steering, but could not tell that the steering wheel was any more difficult to turn... should there have been a noticable difference.... ?? Have I removed the wrong hoses?

Here are the photos of it now... with it like this, am I OK driving it to work tomorrow with those two hoses disconnected and that one not plugged up?



sorry, this was the best I could do... all I could find


got that one plugged... the one that had the fluid in it...


overall... have I done the right thing? Remember the car would billow severe smoke when first started.. especially in the evenings when I would leave work... how embarrasing. Remember, I am still having to pour alot of fluid in it... leaking out somewhere...


hose just broke into several pieces... badly hardened....


other photos of my woes I had with the hose and my leaking car...

Here are other photos of my woes.....







how terrible.....

Och

iTrader: (3)

No, incorrect. You still need the air to from intake to get into the intake chamber, just bypass the PS pump valve. You need a piece of hose running directly from the intake to the intake chamber.

Now, that would only be a short term solution, you still need to block the valve itself on the steering pump, otherwise it will keep on leaking, destroying your alternator and make a mess of your driveway/garage. And of course you will have to keep adding PS fluid.

91LS400LEX

Oh no! Someone lied to me!

I will have to walk to work tomorrow! 80 minute walk.

No, seriously, I have four other cars, but one has a bad tire, one is having the carburator rebuilt and I refuse to drive my Mercedes to work because of the parking situation and I dont want to get my car beat and banged up. I may have to drive the one with the bad tire and go slow...

Och

iTrader: (3)

No you wont have to walk. You can take one of these hoses, cut it/disconnect it from the valve, and use it to connect intake and intake chamber.

Or your could just drive like this too, until you buy a piece of clean hose, but you will have low idle.

91LS400LEX

Thanks. Well, I guess I will drive it like this for a couple of days... its only 11 miles to work each way, so 44 miles total. I will buy new tire for my other car on Wednesday (day off) and start driving it on Thursday.

I showed my dad the "sticky" on her about the PS pump issues and he said we would just try to follow the info here and try to block that valve... so its likely this is not only causing the white smoke issue on start up, but also whats causing the leaks under the car and with that valve bypassed, all will be good rather than replacing the pump?

Can anyone steer me to the best step by step instructions on bypassing this "idle-up" valve?

It will soon be my moms car and she wont drive it that much anyway... only a few trips into town each week.

Thanks!

gmacrae

Och, pretty sure thats wrong dude. You shouldnt need any hose there if you're bypassing the PS idle up valve - usually the PS valve stays closed remember - the engine doesnt rely on it - though it wouldnt actually hurt anything having it there - it might just idle a bit high when warm (even with the IAC closed right off)

Just pull the hose from the intake to the PS and from the PS to the manifold. Block the nipple on the intake, and on the manifold. Pull out the PS valve and replace it with a sump plug (14x1.5mm iirc).

This has been working fine on mine for a few months now - I do sometimes notice the idle drop when making tight slow turns but it has never stalled or stuttered.

91LS400LEX

Well, I left that nipple over the little connection coming out of the front of the intake. This hose appeared to be where the fluid was being sucked in at.

I went ahead and hooked the other back the the intake tube for now.

I am afraid all of that fluid being sucked in the engine will also ruin my catalytic converters and/or o2 sensors.

When you say manifold, where is that connection?

Och

iTrader: (3)

Nope, the valve stays open until you reach high speed - thats where it closes. If you just block it off without re-routing the air, your idle will suck. In fact, this is why you have your RPM drop... and in fact, in your other thread, where you're adding air through another nipple to stabilize idle... well, thats because the other nipple is doing this nipples job, lol.

Och

iTrader: (3)

All you need to do is get a piece of hose, same size as the existing hoses, and run it like show in the pic. The old hoses you can just leave them hanging until you decide to block/replace the valve.

91LS400LEX

Ok... thanks!

Well, I went ahead and plugged that hose on the right side back into that hole. That little nipple was broken before by someone. It will still set in there though. I will have to figure out how to run a new hose in there since that is broken. The piece is still stuck in the old hose. I THINK the guy that put on my fan bracket bearing a few months ago broke it.

So, as of this moment, all I have plugged off is that one on the right side (center of intake) because I broke the end of that hose. So if I wanted to drive the car it will be OK like this without damage or the car quitting on me at speeds until I can get that longer hose tomorrow?

Right off the top of your head, so you know what size that hose is? Also, do I leave it run like that even after we plug the valve?

Thanks!

Max Power

Why do you need to do that? In the power steering bible thread it says remove ICV, plug, then use to vaccuum plugs for the two hoses that ran to the intake.

Och

iTrader: (3)

I believe you can buy a replacement nipple, and replace it. You can look for it in autozone, or better yet ask one of CL's sponsor dealers (I recommend Sewell Lexus)


You'll be ok, but your idle might be a bit low.

I think its a 1/8" hose. And yes, you leave it like that after the valve is plugged.

As far as plugging the valve, remove it, get rid of the plastic part and the old hoses, and weld it shut, or wash it with acetone and fill it with JB Weld. Once you have it removed you'll know exactly what I mean.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Well, then thats incorrect. If you just plug them, you will have low idle.

Max Power

Hmm. I'll try that.

My tach doesn't work so it's hard to guage where it's idling.

91LS400LEX

Well. I made it to and from work without any fanfare.

It didnt smoke this morning when I started it, but did when I left this afternoon. I guess it will take awhile to get all of that out of there.

I also didnt notice that the steering was any heavier at lower speeds.

When I got home though and turned the car off, within 15 minutes, there was a HUGE puddle of fluid under there. Guess that wont stop until I get that valve plugged.