Well now it appears that I have to go through the entire power steering system...

My daughter was driving it home a while back and called stating "Dad, I can't turn the Jeep. It only wants to go straight". So I rush down to see whats up and after opening the hood and starting it, the whine is pretty loud and there is PS fluid all over the formerly clean engine and compartment. I took her home, got out the trailer and towed it back to "dad's shop" where it sits awaiting time from the "proprietor" lol.

I will check all of the relevant threads but I probably need to clean everything with solvent, fill the now emptry reservoir and see where the leak shows up. I have read that there is an o-ring between the tank and pulley; that the tank can crack (but it is metal); and I could have a ruptured/cracked hose/fitting, etc.

What a PITA!

 

Some of that spray on and hose off engine cleaner should do the trick. Likely a hose. When my grommet leaked, it was just annoying drip. Once you get it cleaned up the leak should be easy to see.

 

I'd check the crimps where hose sections join steel lines. At 1000 psi, just a small pinhole can empty the system quickly.

 

Mine was doing this exact thing and spraying from where rubber met metal directly onto the exhaust downpipe when the pump was under load, causing a helluva lot of smoke. A new hose and ten minutes later, and it was fixed.