As an update, I got the PSP off without taking the fan off, but it "wasn't easy." Or putting it back on. I can see how it'd be a lot easier on a 2x4, but it didn't want to come out from underneath after I took it off - and I had the pully off, which would be hard to do, as well, from underneath on this 4x4.

I had read that bleeding it requires turning the wheel back and forth, but I can't turn them at all unless the car is rolling. So, I drove it around for a few miles, and it never got any better.

So, I gave up and took it to the stealership today. Now, after reading this, I wonder if I just needed to take the wheels off the ground and turn back and forth a few dozen more times.

If it helps, I explained to the dealer that I'm a DIYer and asked them to just diagnose the issue first. They charge me $250 to do that, and if I get them to do the work, they apply that diagnose fee to the final bill.

I would hope that keeps them a little honest - if they diagnose wrong and I fix but problem remains, they know I'll never come back (if they care). If it's something minor like just bleeding the system, I'd hope they'd charge me no more than $250 to fix it.

 

To bleed the system you jack up the front of the truck.
Fill the reservoir. Apply a mile vacuum to pull the air out.
Top the reservoir off a few times till it stops dropping down
then while off the ground engine running turn the wheel stop
to stop a few times and press the brakes a few times also.
That should clear the air. Always check the reservoir level
and top off as needed. If you don't have a vacuum source
you can skip that and just do the rest and keep a close eye on
the reservoir. It may growl at you for a while until all the air is cleared.


Sean

 

The Lisle pneumatic one is 119 on Amazon.

 

The "soda straw" is part of the line. If it is jammed inside the booster, theres a restriction.

 

Did you happen to look at tge crazy pricing on Ebay for this tool?
Lisle LI43300 Pneumatic Fan Clutch Wrench

They are NUTS
Lisle LI43300 Pneumatic Fan Clutch Wrench | eBay


Sean

 

I did now. OMG.

 

Aaarrgh. The stealership is living up to its name.

Just heard back from the service writer with the mechanic's diagnosis.

He says the O'Reilley's rebuilt PSP I put on this week is not working. And, he suspects that the steering gear is making it not work? So, he recommends that I replace both as well as the pressure line "for starters."

Honestly, that sounds to me like he doesn't have a clue what the problem is, except that the pump is not working...if that's the case. He just wants to replace all the parts figuring that would solve it.

I need to go talk directly to the mechanic to see if he did a pressure outflow test on the pump.

Questions for everyone:

Could a bound steering gear prevent the pump from pushing fluid? Again, I can steer the truck with some effort while moving, so it's not locked up.

Could a restriction in the system somewhere cause the pump to appear to not function?

Is there any way to confirm whether the steering gear is bad?



Basically, it appears I'm back at Step 1 after wasting $250 for the stealership's diagnosis. I don't know if the pump works or doesn't. Don't know if the hydroboost works. Don't know if there's a restriction. Don't know if the steering gear is working right.

As I said before, this hydroboost combo PS/Brakes system is a PITFA. Power steering goes out on any other car/truck I've ever owned, I could diagnose and fix the problem in a couple of hours. Same with the power brakes. Not with this truck. No one can diagnose it. I bet every shop I took it too would tell me the same thing the dealer has - just replace all the parts and one of them will have been the bad one.

 

Pinpoint Test B, page 11 of the steering assist manual. Might be a place to start.

 

Dang, this is the info I needed, thanks so much, Rusty. I remember seeing it before, now, when I was trying to find instructions for removing the PSP.

What are these pages from? Is the entire shop manual available online?

It seems pretty obvious to me that the Ford mechanic didn't go through this process. Or, if he intended to, he got no further than finding that the PSP wasn't pumping, which I assume prevents any further testing.

I just wonder if they're going to charge me the entire $250 to do nothing but tell me my pump isn't working.

Their estimate for new pump, pressure line, and steering gear is just under $2000. I see steering gears at the dismantlers for $125, and a new pump is less than $100. Can't think the fluid line is too much.

I'm thinking that my first step is to replace the pump, again. Is there a simple way to tell if the pump is working? Like unhooking a low pressure line and see if fluid pumps out when the engine starts?

 

Occurs to me. What if the previous owner put the wrong kind of fluid in the system? I assume that would eat up the pump, but would it eat up the steering gear and hydroboost as well? I can tell underneath that it'd been leaking for awhile, although it didn't seem to be a high-pressure leak - with the engine running, I just saw wetness and a random drop of fluid here and there. I found an empty quart of ATF in the bed when I first picked up the truck, which makes me think the previous owner knew it was leaking since the car thieves that stole this truck prolly didn't add fluid. Which would suggest that it was working, but leaking, when it was stolen, unless the owner staged the theft, maybe because he'd burned up the steering gear and pump?

But odds are, he didn't stage the theft. Which makes me think the thieves just didn't keep adding fluid to the leaking pump, burning it up. Which is why I replaced it first. Now, it still seems to make more sense that I got an out-of-box PSP failure, since it doesn't seem to be pumping, or a restriction somewhere, than that my steering gear is shot, since I can steer and there is no difference in the steer going right or left.

Sorry for the ramble, kinda thinking through this and typing at the same time. Any thoughts?

 

Any time you change the pump[it's at the bottom] the lines going to booster drain and you will have to blled the lines to and from the booster[at the top] You only need to crack open the fitting until it quits bubbleing. Also the resivor does not hold enough fluid to fill all parts so it will need to be topped up as needed.
Do not freak that is from a Ford manual so they show ford tools $$ The same tools are available aftermarket for a lot less $.

 

Apparently, the Ford tech doesn't speak English, so I was stuck talking to the Service Writer. Tried to sell me on replacing the steering gear because they would already be in there replacing the PSP. He says that when either the pump or the gear go out, each will make the other go out as well, so I should just replace both right now to save labor.

None of that sounded accurate to me. From reading the Ford manual's description of bad steering gear symptoms, the truck doesn't have any. Until the pump actually pumps, it seems silly to speculate about the gear - to me. But I'm usually wrong.

So, I told him to use my $250 credit towards replacing the pump. Checked with their Parts Dept before I left and the pump is $135. How much do you figure they'll try to hose me for on labor at $125/hr? I expect that I won't accept their price.

Also, he really tried to sell me on replacing the pressure line as well, a little too hard it seemed to me. I replied that I'd checked it out and there weren't any visible crimps. He said they get gunked up on the inside. I'm insanely skeptical and suspicious, so it made me wonder if they don't think a gunked up hose is the real problem. I wish I'd known about the soda straw check before I took it to the dealer.

 

Put it back together without the 4th bolt in it, all the latter trucks came that way.

 

I was thinking I should ask you to recheck the hose connections to make
sure that they are going to the right places. The PO could of mixed the
lines up and have them in the wrong ports. It the steering box valve
is backwards then it could cause problems.

One thing about a bad pump. When it goes it pushes all that crap into
all the valve in the steering box and the hidroboost unit. Then the line
replacement makes sense. I would look at flushing them if you want
then clean or at least adding a filter and changing that a few times.
After it's showing up as clean I would then remove it.


Sean

 

What bothers me is he already changed the pump,fluid and only test drove it a little.
It turns the wheels only when moveing so the gear box is not jammed he is just not getting any assist. It hasn't been on long enough to get much junk in the box from the pump. Not that a new pump should have any junk.
Ford does not manufacture the pump or the gearbox, useing an aftermarket is not really an issue. I have installed many of both without more issues one way or the other. Both you have an equal chance of a good one or a bad one.

All of that said anything can be bad right out of the box.???????Who knows.