Power Steering Fluid Filters

[SuperCoupe400]

I spent about 8 1/2 hours Saturday replacing my p.s. pump, alternator and serpentine belt - due to the usual suspect p.s. pump leak which killed the alt. (I saw all the great tutorials people have put together on how to rebuild the pump, but I just didn't feel like being bothered with all that - just easier for me to replace it with a re-built)

Anyway - my intent was to get in there and do a full system flush and clean out those two steering fluid filters that are (supossedly) located in the steering fluid resevoir and somewhere in the steering rack. I've done some back-tracking through threads and been only able to find multiple references to the filters being at these locations but no photos showing exactly what to crack open. So here are my problems:

#1 The power steering resevoir is a closed unit. Unless the aluminum can with the screw-cap where p.s. fluid is poured in through is NOT actually the resevoir. The only access into this unit is through the cap opening. The top of the unit (where the cap screws into) is mechanically clamp-sealed onto the body of the canister. Even if I could manage to pry it loose, I'd never be able to get it sealed back properly. How in the world do you get inside that thing to remove and clean a filter? Or is that not the resevoir at all?

#2 Since I could find no illustrations of people removing the screen filter in the steering rack, I figured maybe I'd see something down there that just LOOKED like it might contain a screen. No luck. I read in one post that it's inside a solenoid attached to the rack??? I saw something that looked like a solenoid, but was just too unsure to even touch it - not to mention it looked impossible to get a wrench around and manuver.

Can someone please help me here? I was really disgusted to have to put my car back together knowing that I was unable to even locate those two filters. I know they've probably never once been cleaned in the 13 years my baby's been alive, and I don't want the back-pressure they're creating to cause new leaks in the system.

I did find one post by Monarch fromJan 9, 2005 with some pic links, but the links are no good. Monarch, if you're still out there can you re-post those pics?

Thanks guys.

[whitesnake SC400]

Hi,

I don't know the answer to your question , but perhaps those diagrams steering assist system might help.

Steering pump and reservuor

http://lexus.japancats.ru/details.asp?cari...U&piid=4810

Steering Rack

http://lexus.japancats.ru/unit.asp?carid=8...&figno=4505

[dcfish]

Hi,

I don't know the answer to your question , but perhaps those diagrams steering assist system might help.

Steering pump and reservuor

http://lexus.japancats.ru/details.asp?cari...U&piid=4810

Steering Rack

http://lexus.japancats.ru/unit.asp?carid=8...&figno=4505

Sure hope these help:

power_steering.pdf

power_steering_specs.pdf

[SuperCoupe400]

Hi,

I don't know the answer to your question , but perhaps those diagrams steering assist system might help.

Steering pump and reservuor

http://lexus.japancats.ru/details.asp?cari...U&piid=4810

Steering Rack

http://lexus.japancats.ru/unit.asp?carid=8...&figno=4505

Sure hope these help:

Thanks fellas. Whitesnake, your links took me to some blank wite with what looked like Russian text. dcfish, the second pdf you posted had great info on the rack components and dissasembly, but I still could not find a reference to the filter. Of course, I could be just overlooking something here.

Could someone who's done this procedure before please let me know what I should be looking for?

Thanks guys.

[lexus082]

Look on the driver's side right up underneath of the car on the rack. Here's a link with a picture of the solenoid. It has two wires coming off of it. If you search through the LS forums you'll find more info on this solenoid topic than you will on the SC forums. Atleast more in depth info.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=12024&hl=

Also, I just used brake cleaner to clean the screen. There's also a o-ring on the solenoid itself that probably is worn and getting hard.

[SuperCoupe400]

Look on the driver's side right up underneath of the car on the rack. Here's a link with a picture of the solenoid. It has two wires coming off of it. If you search through the LS forums you'll find more info on this solenoid topic than you will on the SC forums. Atleast more in depth info.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=12024&hl=

Also, I just used brake cleaner to clean the screen. There's also a o-ring on the solenoid itself that probably is worn and getting hard.

Thanks a ton, lexus082. This link is gold. Can't wait to get in there and clean that puppy - then do a flush.

I'm assuming nobody has got any info on the steering fluid reservoir filter, huh?