POWER STEERING GEAR FLUID LEAK CORROSION FROM WATER ENTRY

VEHICLES AFFECTED: 1982 'A' and 'X' Series Vehicles

A rack and pinion power steering gear external fluid leak on some 1982 'A' and 'X' Series vehicles may be caused by corrosion from water intrusion past the drive pins which attach the two halves of the housing together. Refer to Figure 1.

Corrosion or a 'black ring' caused by water intrusion may be noticed between the rack teeth and the piston. This occurrence will require replacement of the rack and bulkhead seals.

To prevent recurrence, the housing drive pin area must be cleaned of dirt or grease and Permatex No. 1 or Locktite 290 or equivalent applied to seal the drive pin heads. This condition was corrected in production on November 15, 1982 (steering gear date code 2-A-319) by sealing the drive pins. When a gear is serviced for any reason and inspection shows the drive pins are not sealed, they should be sealed, as described, in this bulletin.

General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.