Power Steering Problems

I'm new to this site so I hope ya'll can help. I have a 97 4wd that is leaking power steering fluid from somewhere. I work offshore and stay out for 28 days at a time. When I park the truck the fluid is full but when I come back it's bone dry. Is there a diagram or something out there that shows the power steering system so I can try and trace this leak, or anyone have any ideas.

 

Probably the easiest way to find a leak like that, assuming it is not obvious, is buy a can of Gunk or something similar, and blast the pump, hoses, all the way back to the rack. Wash and let dry. Then top off fluid and crank. If you turn the wheel back and forth a few times, you ought to be able to find the leak, if the thing will gravity-leak bad enough to empty the pump in a month.

You might be able to find it by looking. There are two hoses, you can recognize the pressure line since it has swaged fittings and such and it is a likely candidate. The return line doesn't have any pressure to speak of, but it can leak if damaged or if it has any soft spots or poor clamps. The pump itself can leak where the lines attach to it, or through the bearing seals if they wear out, which happens if it is driven while empty. And, of course, the rack itself has o-rings plus the two hose attachment points, any of which can leak.

It is easier to find it with everything fairly clean, since it is probably gunky all over right now, making the leak difficult to spot and probably disguising the actual source. The service manual has a diagram but you still have to match it up with what is under the hood. A flashlight will let you track the path.