Power Steering Pump Replacement
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From: Eugene, OR
Power Steering Pump Replacement
This is my first post and if stories are "not the norm," please accept my apologies...but I do have a question or two.
I have a 99 F350 Crewcab Lariat, 8" lift, 38x15.50 PJ's, with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker in the back + plus many other mods (dual shocks, programmer, etc.). The truck is built for the sand and we regularly pull our 24' Weekend Warrior, fully loaded (4 quads, water, and gear), out onto the Sand Dunes. The truck has never let me down...until this weekend.
Now, I know that with the type of mods and use I have, there's gonna be wear and tear...I expect it and can live with it. What comes with the territory, of course, is field repairs that get corrected after you limp home...last weekend was just one such weekend for me:
We pulled out onto the sand and got everything setup no problem. Of course, to do this, we have to air down...this equates to 17lbs on each tire and, when in this mode, some heavy duty load on the PS components.
Anyway, a trip back to town for essential supplies (beer and peanuts) left me in a really bad way. When attempting to leave the store parking lot, the steering shaft spline snapped off and my Pitman arm and tie rod fell to the ground. Oh Crap!...well at least it happened in the parking lot, not driving down the road at 65 mpg with my family and over $60K of investments hurdling into a corner with no ability to steer.
A sick, twisted sense of humor on Fate's part had this occur on Friday afternoon and left me with plans to have my brother deliver a brand spanking new steering box from town (80 miles away) in the morning. So, locked everything up, went riding, and came back in the morning...
Saturday at 11:30 a.m. - Steering Box changed out and we're ready to put the Pitman arm back on. Well, Fate decided to play with me some more: whomever lifted the truck (bought it that way) decided to change out the steering box and used one from a prior year. Since I got the correct box for my VIN, of course my Pitman doesn't fit...
6 hours later, a trip back to town (160 miles round trip), and visits to 5 different 4X4 shops, I have a Pitman arm that will work. It wasn't the "exactly right" one as I had to settle for one designed for a 6" lift instead of an 8" lift. Anyway, we get it changed out and seem to be back in business. Unfortunately, the only thing we have available is std power steering fluid; not ATF or approved oil grades.
As we've still got most of the fluid in the PS pump AND the new box came "pre-loaded," we cross our fingers and mix in enough to enable steering and brakes to work adequately (about 16 oz.).
We head back out to the dunes, finish our weekend, and head home late on Sunday, limping along and trying not to put too much strain on brakes or steering.
Eventful weekend...no? So, for those of you who have enjoyed the dark humor of the story, here's my questions:
My Chilton book does a good job of covering some areas, but PS system doesn't appear to be one of them; doesn't have info on PS fluid capacities and/or bleeding/flushing the system. I assume that the capacity is at least 2-3 qts and the amount of std PS fluid that i had to cut it with was about 16 oz.
1. Anyone have any idea re: what kind of permanent damage may have beed done to the new steering box?
2. Anyone have good suggestions on a flush/bleed procedure?
Also, in addition to ordering the correct Pitman arm, I'm thinking about simply replacing the PS pump. It's showing signs of getting weak (even before this)...
3. Anyone have a recommendation/experience with aftermarket PS pumps? Given the lift and extra load of the large tires, I'd like to go with something a little stronger...then again, not sure I want to overload the new steering box with "more power" if it wasn't designed to handle it.
And finally...
4. Anyone ever dealt with the same type of scenario? My brother had the same thing happen to him last year with his 97 250HD, 5.8L, 6" lift, and same tires. Everyone I've talked to has heard of steering boxes being broken at the input shaft, but never breaking the shaft off at the Pitman arm...
Thanks for your time, sorry the long post, but if anyone gets a little bit of humor out of it, it was worth the typing
Peace!
I have a 99 F350 Crewcab Lariat, 8" lift, 38x15.50 PJ's, with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker in the back + plus many other mods (dual shocks, programmer, etc.). The truck is built for the sand and we regularly pull our 24' Weekend Warrior, fully loaded (4 quads, water, and gear), out onto the Sand Dunes. The truck has never let me down...until this weekend.
Now, I know that with the type of mods and use I have, there's gonna be wear and tear...I expect it and can live with it. What comes with the territory, of course, is field repairs that get corrected after you limp home...last weekend was just one such weekend for me:
We pulled out onto the sand and got everything setup no problem. Of course, to do this, we have to air down...this equates to 17lbs on each tire and, when in this mode, some heavy duty load on the PS components.
Anyway, a trip back to town for essential supplies (beer and peanuts) left me in a really bad way. When attempting to leave the store parking lot, the steering shaft spline snapped off and my Pitman arm and tie rod fell to the ground. Oh Crap!...well at least it happened in the parking lot, not driving down the road at 65 mpg with my family and over $60K of investments hurdling into a corner with no ability to steer.
A sick, twisted sense of humor on Fate's part had this occur on Friday afternoon and left me with plans to have my brother deliver a brand spanking new steering box from town (80 miles away) in the morning. So, locked everything up, went riding, and came back in the morning...
Saturday at 11:30 a.m. - Steering Box changed out and we're ready to put the Pitman arm back on. Well, Fate decided to play with me some more: whomever lifted the truck (bought it that way) decided to change out the steering box and used one from a prior year. Since I got the correct box for my VIN, of course my Pitman doesn't fit...
6 hours later, a trip back to town (160 miles round trip), and visits to 5 different 4X4 shops, I have a Pitman arm that will work. It wasn't the "exactly right" one as I had to settle for one designed for a 6" lift instead of an 8" lift. Anyway, we get it changed out and seem to be back in business. Unfortunately, the only thing we have available is std power steering fluid; not ATF or approved oil grades.
As we've still got most of the fluid in the PS pump AND the new box came "pre-loaded," we cross our fingers and mix in enough to enable steering and brakes to work adequately (about 16 oz.).
We head back out to the dunes, finish our weekend, and head home late on Sunday, limping along and trying not to put too much strain on brakes or steering.
Eventful weekend...no? So, for those of you who have enjoyed the dark humor of the story, here's my questions:
My Chilton book does a good job of covering some areas, but PS system doesn't appear to be one of them; doesn't have info on PS fluid capacities and/or bleeding/flushing the system. I assume that the capacity is at least 2-3 qts and the amount of std PS fluid that i had to cut it with was about 16 oz.
1. Anyone have any idea re: what kind of permanent damage may have beed done to the new steering box?
2. Anyone have good suggestions on a flush/bleed procedure?
Also, in addition to ordering the correct Pitman arm, I'm thinking about simply replacing the PS pump. It's showing signs of getting weak (even before this)...
3. Anyone have a recommendation/experience with aftermarket PS pumps? Given the lift and extra load of the large tires, I'd like to go with something a little stronger...then again, not sure I want to overload the new steering box with "more power" if it wasn't designed to handle it.
And finally...
4. Anyone ever dealt with the same type of scenario? My brother had the same thing happen to him last year with his 97 250HD, 5.8L, 6" lift, and same tires. Everyone I've talked to has heard of steering boxes being broken at the input shaft, but never breaking the shaft off at the Pitman arm...
Thanks for your time, sorry the long post, but if anyone gets a little bit of humor out of it, it was worth the typing
Peace!
