Power steering heat exchanger (cooler)

How important are they really? I mean back in the old days, trucks didn't have this nonsense. My 2013 Volvo has it, which is at the lower left side of the truck, where the fan doesn't hit it and the only air it gets at all to it is through the opening in the bumper and what air travels under the truck as I drive. Mine sprung a leak on me in San Simon, AZ. It's "so important" according to the Volvo dealer I spoke to, that no dealer or even any other "supplier" had it from California all the until you get to DFW in Texas. So the only option I had was to bypass the cooler by just using a brass piece of pipe that was barbed and putting the hoses to that to make a loop. The power steering actually feels 100% better than it did with the cooler before it leaked. Doesn't make any noises whatsoever and I can turn my steering wheel with my pinky. The part itself is $298.00 at Bruckners in Dallas, Texas. There is a kit that is on back order that has everything needed to replace it, that is found online for $199.00 and includes the same part that Bruckners wants $298.00 for alone. The kit however comes with the clamps, rivets and the bracket to actually install the cooler. The junk that is on there right now that leaks, even if I got the part to replace it, I couldn't put it on due to not having all the other stuff, or could I?

Question after reading that long probably irrelevant rant: is it really necessary or just a fluke to even replace the cooler?

 

Quality I don't know. But even Volvo, the one that has it "in stock" only has 1 of it. So if its so important, seems like they would have plenty and it wouldn't be back ordered. I mean, injectors and cups we all know those are important, and they all have those in stock. Proud of them things too.

I will try to download and upload the pictures right quick. The parts I found online are class 8 truck parts website parts. I didn't think to ask Bruckners if their part was the kit or not, guess I could call tomorrow and ask.

But I do remember a brand new 2020 Volvo I drove with 650 miles on it, sounded the exact same as my truck turning the steering wheel. In my truck though, the cooler cracked or whatever and squirt all the fluid out, bypassed it, refilled the reservoir and no noises or whining or hearing pressure change when turning the wheel or any of that junk. Held up driving home to Texas from Arizona. About scared the crap out of me when the cooler did give out, cause I felt it. It gave the wheel a little jerk driving a straight line. Thought I had lug nuts on a steer come loose or something.

 

Here is the part itself, it cost more from this particular supplier than the kit that includes this part and all the other stuff. Volvo Truck 21584083 Heat Exchanger, Steering Oil


And here is the kit Volvo Truck 21590718 Heat Exchanger Kit, Steering


I would prefer to do the work on it myself. I think I would have to drop the bumper maybe. But I don't see any point in paying someone whatever their labor is to loosen some bolts and put that new stuff on there. But man I am going to be so dang mad if I get all the noises and everything back all because I put a new cooler on.

 

Yes, I know. Its on back order though with class 8. Volvo near where I live has one in will call for me, the only one they have in stock. Volvo flavor is $298 but still comes with everything needed. I thought originally it was only the cooler itself Volvo had, but they did confirm its the whole shabang.

Holy cow! $800?! Just for that alone?! I guess that would be about right, since Volvo dealers I think charge near or right at $200 an hour for labor. I agree it looks like it would be easy to do. Just hope I don't have to pull too much off the truck like the bumper and all that to get to it and change it out.

 

I did it. Replaced the cooler. Someone who knows what they're doing and has all the tools right there should be able to knock it out in maybe an hour to an hour and a half. Of course this is assuming the hoses are connected together and bypassing the cooler as mine was when I went to replace it.

I took the rivets out of the bracket and used M5 bolts with washers, lock washer and a nut. Tried rivets to re-attach but had the wrong ones and the face of the rivet was way too much bigger than the original stuff. Even Volvo doesn't know the measurements of the rivet, yet they have a part number for the rivet. I wasn't going to drive all the way back to Volvo to get the rivets, when the guy in parts who sold me the heat exchanger said it was the entire kit they had. It wasn't, it was the cooler itself. No new clamps, no new bracket, no new rivets.

Would I do it again myself? Hell no.