Taking things apart is always more difficult then putting them back together again.

Is that obd2? I don't remember.

 

Obd2, no codes. Then last night the brand new CV axle I put in slipped off the c clip and destroyed itself on the way home. Rough day for that thing.

 

Holy crap Dusty! Are you sure the C-clip was all the way snapped in?

 

Painted the starter to match the engine... now it looks brand new again...

 

It was, it's getting a new clip for damn sure now,just gotta find one. Hell I'd add something else to lock it in if I can.

 

Marty, here is the one I am looking at.

 

That's similar to the harness I made for mine. Only thing I didn't like about those is the odd relays, no fuses and some reviews said they had a hard time stretching to reach both lights. I love mine, headlights arent anything special, but it does help them.

 

Pulled apart the axle and found the carnage. Gonna have to see what the dealer wants for this stuff. Axle shaft just pulls out, but it's fubar.

 

Had to work Saturday so I did the steering on Sunday.
Man is the box heavy!
After the bad box was removed I had to flush the pump before it is hooked to the new box, used 1 qt of ATF for the flush.

Installed box and bleed the system took for a ride and WOW!
I did not think the box was all that bad but it is pretty good now.
Been so good I have taken it to work 2 days now.
On the first day I just got on the high way and the rear tank ran dry, I wanted to as I need to drop the tank to find out why the new sender is not working.
The front tanks (16 gallon) is not enough. When the rear went dry the front had 3/4 and after 2 days taking it to work I am down to 1/4 tank.
Dave ----

 

Hey Dave, how did you properly bleed the system? More than a year after my steering box replacement I still have tight spots that the internet seems to say indicate still air in my system.

 

The way Blue Top wants you to do it is
No weight on the tires
Fill the pump and keep an eye on the level while doing this.
When turning the motor over (not running by pulling the coil wire) for about 20 seconds with a cool down of starter between cranking.
When turning the motor over have a helper turn the wheel slowly lock to lock topping off the pump as needed.
Do the lock to lock at least 4 times, may need to do this up to 8 times lock to lock.

Now I did not have a helper so I filled the pump, turned the motor over a few times with a remote starter button to see if the level dropped and topped off as needed.
I then turned the wheel lock to lock about 6 times, no motor turning over. Topped up then was going to turn the motor over and do the lock to lock but when I hit the key it fired up (forgot to pull the coil wire).
So I let it idle and topped the level off. This is when it looked like a strawberry milk shake with all the air in it. I let it run a bit not turning the wheel then shut it down so the air would work its way to the top.
Topped off again, turned the wheel lock to lock a few times (not running), checked level then motor running, checked level then did the lock to lock thing about 4 to 6 times.

I kept turning it lock to lock, motor running tires still in the air, till I did not feel any "hard spots", I did not count but maybe another 8 times? Checked the level capped and took for a test drive.
Before capping it still had little air bubbles on the top of the ATF level but did not look like it was in the fluid like when I first started and had the "milk shake".

I found when flushing the pump and had both hoses in a drain pan and just cranking not a lot of fluid would come out so I don't know how much the cranking did for bleeding the system?
My truck also has a cooler, metal line that runs from box outlet down and across the motor cross member and back to the pump that also had to be flushed and burped.

I would think if you have been driving it for a bit it would have worked all the air but you try what I posted.
Who's box is it? Red Top or Blue Top or a rebuilt from a local parts store?
If local parts store I here they can still be bad, leak after a short time, still have play or hard spots like you have.
Stock boxes don't use bearings on the out put shaft, just bushings and they just replace the bushings but the shafts can have wear they don't touch. The bushing wear and cause the play and people try and tighten the box and if they don't snap the top adjusted off it loads the gears inside and wears them down and cause play / hard spots.

The Red & Blue boxes replace the bushings with bearings and turn the shafts to fit the bearings. They also check the gears for wear before any machine work.
Because of the bearing no more play and less wear down the road.
Even not running during the bleeding I could feel this Blue Top was a much tighter box and I did not think the box in the truck was that bad.

Hope that helps
Dave ----

 

Unless mines not running, I can't feel any play, I'm sure it has some, but it's so easy to turn it's hard to distinguish play from just steering it

 

Dave, mine is a parts store replacement. I jacked it up to take the weight off and turned it lock to lock a few times, but I wasn't cranking the motor, and I'm sure I didn't do it 8 times. With no helper to look at the fluid while I do it, I couldn't tell you if there were air bubbles or not!

I didn't flush the pump or anything specific, my pump was pretty new and I've had no problems with it. My old box was very hard to turn, this new one is a lot easier except as I said before, certain spots are very hard and / or feel no power assist at all and then as I continue to turn suddenly it hits a "good spot" and I feel the assist again.

I'll have to try bleeding it again the way you described. I had read somewhere about modifying an old power steering cap and installing a fitting in it, then using vacuum to put negative pressure into the system and doing the lock to lock thing. But I don't have an extra cap laying around and just like every other "old truck problem" I have I just sorta learn to live with it. lol

 

First thing I did when I bled mine was take the belt off and spun the pump by hand until it was primed, then did what Dave described basically. Engine off, turning wheel is how I flushed it out. It'll literally pump the old fluid out into the reservoir that way.

 

Ended up giving the little Truck a workout, was at my grandma's Saturday, she needed some bricks moved in her yard. About 390 bricks or 1950lbs roughly. And I just got done fixing the darn thing.