Will stop leak help this leak? 2003 Civic

[Patrologia]

The other day I noticed fluid on the end of my power steering rack, on the passenger side. The leak is apparently pretty slow--I've never really noticed the fluid level drop much, and I wasn't looking for this, just happened to see it. Fluid was on the end cap and on the boot as well. You can kinda see it in the pictures. I'm assuming it has to be PS fluid, because I can't come up with anything else in that region that could have leaked onto it.

So, my question is this. Do I have to replace the rack soon? Drive it until ... failure? the leak gets bad enough that ...?

Or is there a "stop leak" that will stop it successfully and safely? (If so, which?)
I know Hondas can be finnicky about PS fluids, and I have used Honda fluid in it. Will a stop leak be ok for the pump and the rest of the system?
I'm putting the question in this forum because I'm really hoping that this will be a good solution, but I don't want to try it, and then end up needing to replace not only the rack but the pump down the road. If that is the case, I guess I'd be best to go with one of the two first options.

 

[Trav]

I wouldn't bother with sealer in a rack, its a loosing game against a high pressure leak. Who knows how long it will last like this, I have seen them fail
totally in a short time and others leak a long while before getting hard to keep up with.
On a Honda I often times change the pump with an OE unit when I do the rack because many times they are run low on fluid until they whine before getting refilled.
Call Jorgen automotive for a rack, don't buy from Rock or big box store.

 

[StevieC]

They are high pressure systems. Take the warning and get it fixed.

 

[LeakySeals]

I tried that once. It ends up moving everywhere sticking to parts. Including the pump. Messes up the whole system. Don't do it.

 

[Patrologia]

I'll avoid the stop leak then.
Jorgen is that much better than, say, NAPA? I'll look into them.

 

[Lubener]

I would leave it alone and monitor the fluid level. Doesn't seem bad enough to me and I would not use stop leak.

 

[DuckRyder]

Why is it only on the front of the boot and not the bottom?

 

[RyanY]

Originally Posted by Lubener
I would leave it alone and monitor the fluid level. Doesn't seem bad enough to me and I would not use stop leak.


^this

I have used Valvoline MaxLife Power Steering Fluid (which has stop leak) in my Cad and it slightly slowed a leak last year. When the leak increased this year I replaced the hose and went back to normal PSF. The stop leak does not appear to have messed anything up, so it is probably fine to try it. However, you should not expect much; my results are evidence that these products (if they work at all) usually only buy you some extra time to replace the defective parts.