the owner of an '86 5000 TQ with a massive hydraulic leak. The leak is massive and is somewhere down low. As large as it is I can't pin point it. I pulled the pump to bomb hose thinking that was it but now I'm not sure.

I'm not sure I have the desire to replace everything hydraulic related which is what the car really needs. Lying on the cold ground in January after six years just doesn't seem worth it.

Thanks but when I say massive it is literally running out on the ground. You'd think I could see the leaking spot but I can't.

I once and still have your woes friend, got pissed replaced rack, bomb, lines and finally two month ago the pump i run very clean 7.1.......my rack started leaking again last week wtf is it worth it??? i would try to slow or stop it before i went swat team on the hydralics..
Good luck

It was one of the high pressure hoses from the pump. Broke at the fitting.

If not a hose at a crimped connection, one of the banjo bolts may be loose. Any chance a seal (copper or aluminum washer) was not replaced on a banjo bolt?

My thought which I have said before is when you no longer have fun repairing or maintaining a vehicle, get rid of it. This also applies to paying a repair facility to do the work. Donate to a charity if necessary.

I love Audi's and VW's and hope I can always afford them. If I couldn't, I would not hesitate to lease a new lower priced vehicle for transportation. 1st choice is GM.

First and it sounds a little late, FIND the source !!!

But if need be, rip out and replace entire rack,pump,hoses etc and enjoy another 6 - 10 years cruising.

:)

$60cdn and never looked back :)...sometimes the big jobs are simple too. Good luck.

Under what part of the engine bay? Front center, front left, etc?

There is no chance that the plastic reservoir is cracked or the hose connected to the bottom of it is cracked, correct?

I watched the fluid dump on the ground. The fluid seemed to originate from the center of the car between the pump and reservoir. I thought sure it was the pump to bomb hose. I removed it after much wrestling with the bomb. I don't see any clear evidence that the hose I removed is the problem now that I have it out.

I re-sealed the pump about a year ago. The bomb is long since dead. Frustrated right now.

Should be easier to spot.

might be worth taking it to a garage, where they will put it up on a lift to get under the car to find the source of the leak. It is worth finding out where the massive leak originates before making any decisions. Maybe a bad hose is what needs replaced.

I had an 86 for 10 years, that I sold about 2 years ago. It developed just a slow seal leak that I controlled by adding Lucas trany stop leak. That was not the exact name of the Lucas product, but I think you could find the product at an auto parts store. The product worked pretty good. It slowed a leak of one quart ATF per month, to a quart leak every 3 months. After 6 months, I added another plastic bottle of the Lucas product. Finally sold the car after nursing the trany in this manner for about 18 months. My opinion, is that my car was just too much over the hill to invest big bucks in a tear down and seal rebuild on a car approaching 20 years old.