Power steering malfunction pump or ?????

Ok here's the story... About two weeks ago, I pulled into the drive and heard a moan from the power steering pump, the sound you get when you turn full lock and hold it for a couple seconds. Now this sound happened after I made the turn (like a 10 sec. delay). I first thought "ok its low on fluid". Checked the fluid it was down a bit, topped it off, sounds seemed to go away.

Forward one week.. Drove about 20 miles to my parents place to borrow the truck for the weekend, noticed that about 1hr. after arriving a real nice puddle of an oily type substance appeared on the ground right below the power steering pump, checked the level again, Yep low.. since I wasn't using the Jeep for a few days just left it.

Brings us to today... Decided I better trouble shoot things more as I added more fluid to it for the drive home (from parents) and the pump made its moaning sound alot more (almost every turn). Started up, heard a faint moaning, removed pump's cap and looked in.. visually the level looked ok and did show on the dip stick. started turning the wheels and the moaning commenced, level went down. When I stopped turning the wheels the level came back up a bit, but the fluid looked like muddy water. I didn't see an sort of leak but decided to squirt some water onto the area and clean it up a bit. That's when I saw what looked like fluid (or what looked like fluid) seeping around the area where the two lines attach.

Anyone have Ideas on what part maybe leaking? lines, fittings,steering box ???

I will try and trouble shoot more tomorrow when it warms up abit and the wifey is here to help turn the wheels while I watch the earlier mentioned area.

Snow...

Snow did pass the time by typing:

1) rotten hose ends on return line (or loose clamps) allow fluid to slowly run down and drain. 2) old o-ring seal between oil reservoir and pump can fail resulting in fluid dripping from under the pump 3) split or crack in pressure hose results in fluid fog or oil stains far away from pump. (ps, due to the pressures never feel for a leak on any highside line when the pump is running, you could get injected with fluid and that is bad.)

To clean out the PS system you basically have to flush it. That's not too hard, just takes fluid and time.

1) remove the return hose 2) drain as much from the reservoir as possible (use a turkey baster or length of hose to suck out the fluid. 3) plug the return side to the reservoir 4) stick the PS return hose into a jar or container (might have to use a long bit of hose) 5) fill up the reservoir with new fluid.

Now with the engine on and someone helping... Turn the wheel full left, full right, while adding new fluid to keep the reservoir full. Keep doing this till the fluid that is draining turns clean (about 2 quarts)

That won't get it all, but it gets most. Now you hook the reurn line back to the reservoir and fill it to the proper level. Next day you use the turkey baster or hose to drain the reservoir and refill with fresh fluid.

If it's terribly cruddy you might have to take the pump off and clean the reservoir with a stick and towell. Or solvent, wash, and dry.