1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

Bleeding power steering?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 07-05-2009, 08:31 PM
Tim_in_MD's Avatar
Tim_in_MD
Tim_in_MD is offline
New User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bleeding power steering?

Hi,

The truck is a 1986 F250 4x4 with the 300 six and a 4-speed.

My PS cooler line sprung a leak so I fixed that but now I've got no PS at all. I had power assist when I started to bleed (wheels up, steering lock to lock). I was parking when the line went and I lost assistance, so the pump wasn't run dry.

Have I missed a detail of the bleeding sequence or did my pump coincidentally go up at the same time?

Plenty of fluid, belt is fine, no noises...just no assist.

Thanks!
Tim
 
  #2  
Old 07-05-2009, 09:02 PM
Homemade's Avatar
Homemade
Homemade is offline
Senior User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: madera California
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Im interested in this also as I have a power steering hose I need to replace soon.
 
  #3  
Old 07-05-2009, 10:21 PM
Big Ben's Avatar
Big Ben
Big Ben is offline
Junior User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison,WI
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The way I have always done it is to pop the cap, start the vehicle and turn lock to lock for awhile, sometimes it can take awhile.
 
  #4  
Old 07-05-2009, 10:43 PM
Festus Hagen's Avatar
Festus Hagen
Festus Hagen is offline
Methanoholic
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maine (NorCal Native)
Posts: 6,442
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
There is no bleeding the power steering...

It's an open ended circuit thus will bleed itself with a couple lock to lock turns.

-Enjoy
fh <font color="#FF0000">:</font> )_~
 
  #5  
Old 07-05-2009, 10:57 PM
ozstang65's Avatar
ozstang65
ozstang65 is offline
Senior User
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I had a similar problem with my p/s after both box and pump were rebuilt. Long story short, it turns out that the shaft in the pump is disengaging from the pump rotor. The whole shaft and pulley work its way forewards until it disengages - then no ps, push it back in and it works. I assume some bonehead left the c-clip off the end of the shaft where it goes thru the rotor when it was being put back together.

Might be your problem, might not....
 
  #6  
Old 07-05-2009, 10:57 PM
Franklin2's Avatar
Franklin2
Franklin2 is offline
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Virginia
Posts: 53,590
Likes: 0
Received 1,662 Likes on 1,344 Posts
I have never had one stop completely. Usually they are just noisy and the oil is all foamy when they have air in them, but they still work. Getting all the air out is a problem with Fords, and I believe the dealers had a vacuum device they fit over the reservoir to try to get it all out. But like I said, that's just to reduce the pump noise, otherwise they still work.

Take the line off the steering box and also the belt off the pump, and see if when you turn the pulley by hand, you get oil out of the pressure line.
 
  #7  
Old 07-05-2009, 11:00 PM
mark a.'s Avatar
mark a.
mark a. is offline
Lead Driver
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,788
Received 109 Likes on 95 Posts
Jack the front tires off the ground and push/pull a wheel back ane forth slowly, stop to stop without the engine running.
 
  #8  
Old 07-06-2009, 12:27 AM
Festus Hagen's Avatar
Festus Hagen
Festus Hagen is offline
Methanoholic
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maine (NorCal Native)
Posts: 6,442
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Originally Posted by Franklin2
Getting all the air out is a problem with Fords, and I believe the dealers had a vacuum device they fit over the reservoir to try to get it all out.
Thats ludicrous, there is no way to vacuum off aeration.

If your powersteering is aerating the fluid there is a problem with the pump and no bleeding or vacuum is going to solve it.

It's an open ended system and as long as the pump is not re-introducing air the solid stream of fluid will push the air through the system into the reservoir.

-Enjoy
fh <font color="#FF0000">:</font> )_~
 
  #9  
Old 07-06-2009, 01:21 PM
Festus Hagen's Avatar
Festus Hagen
Festus Hagen is offline
Methanoholic
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maine (NorCal Native)
Posts: 6,442
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Franklin,

Just so it's clear, I am not dissing you on this, I am dissing the notion that a open ended hydraulic system needs to be bled.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~
 
  #10  
Old 07-08-2009, 09:48 AM
Tim_in_MD's Avatar
Tim_in_MD
Tim_in_MD is offline
New User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well thanks all. Sounds like I haven't missed anything. Guess the pump went up at the same time.

I did splice a hose over the bad section of the hard cooler line (since nobody carries this piece) but I can't imagine that would cause a problem since there's already flexible hose in the return line.
 
  #11  
Old 07-09-2009, 06:24 AM
jr32560's Avatar
jr32560
jr32560 is offline
Fleet Owner
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: southern md
Posts: 26,895
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
hey Tim in MD I see your from the great state I'm in stop by the maryland chapter some time-we would love to have ya it's under forums then chapters-see ya there
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
kylemartn101
6.0L Power Stroke Diesel
4
03-18-2017 09:36 AM
AGrayson84
1997-2006 Expedition & Navigator
4
11-22-2016 12:47 PM
Ted928
2004 - 2008 F150
2
10-29-2016 09:47 AM
goarmy56
1997 - 2003 F150
1
08-06-2016 10:23 PM
Uni Moe
1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
7
01-23-2015 11:34 AM



Quick Reply: Bleeding power steering?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:48 AM.