1985 F600 Steering Pump Fluid
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 144
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From: Skagit County, WA
1985 F600 Steering Pump Fluid
My mind must be feeble because I can’t find this info anywhere searching here or the interwebs at large. I have a new to me 85 F600 with a 370. Does the power steering pump take dex/merc or Type F? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the hydro-max pump takes dex/merc.
FTE Community Team
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,869
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From: Oak Harbor, Washington
Ford stopped using Type F in transmissions around '77.
It kinda doesn't matter which you use in PS, because the big difference was that Type F lacked friction modifiers for soft shifts. PS doesn't care about that.
That said, IDK what was originally spec'd for your '85 F600's PS. I run Amsoil's PS fluid in mine
, and the last guy ran Lubrizol I believe; at least, that's the can I found behind the seat.
It kinda doesn't matter which you use in PS, because the big difference was that Type F lacked friction modifiers for soft shifts. PS doesn't care about that.
That said, IDK what was originally spec'd for your '85 F600's PS. I run Amsoil's PS fluid in mine
, and the last guy ran Lubrizol I believe; at least, that's the can I found behind the seat.
Last edited by asavage; Dec 16, 2025 at 07:32 PM.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 144
Likes: 2
From: Skagit County, WA
Thank you sir! Small world, I was in Oak Harbor last weekend picking the 85 up. The story is that it’s a former City of Oak Harbor truck even.
I’m going to try dex/merc II. It has ATF of some sort in it now and isn’t complaining about it. 🤞
FWIW, the PS in my 89 F350 calls for Type F in the PS. But when I replaced the steering gear with a Redhead unit, it came pretested using dex/merc. I think you’re right that they’re fairly fluid agnostic.
I’m in the slow descent of analysis paralysis. lol
I’m going to try dex/merc II. It has ATF of some sort in it now and isn’t complaining about it. 🤞
FWIW, the PS in my 89 F350 calls for Type F in the PS. But when I replaced the steering gear with a Redhead unit, it came pretested using dex/merc. I think you’re right that they’re fairly fluid agnostic.
I’m in the slow descent of analysis paralysis. lol
FTE Community Team
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 275
From: Oak Harbor, Washington
That has to be pretty much the last year, but yeah, Ford kept up with the "Type F in PS" labeling into the 80s.
PS lubricant (except antique Citroen) needs a lot of the same properties as ATF: really good anti-foaming, low viscosity, high heat durability. Anti-friction? Not so much, because other than rack stiction (and that's not really a thing you're going to feel with PS; more of a motocycle-front-forks thing), friction modifiers just aren't needed.
You can even mix different types in the PS system, and it won't be detrimental (IMO). I am more about clean, than type. Brown PS fluid is pretty much always bad at my house.
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Yeah, we're pretty much neighbors
PS lubricant (except antique Citroen) needs a lot of the same properties as ATF: really good anti-foaming, low viscosity, high heat durability. Anti-friction? Not so much, because other than rack stiction (and that's not really a thing you're going to feel with PS; more of a motocycle-front-forks thing), friction modifiers just aren't needed.
You can even mix different types in the PS system, and it won't be detrimental (IMO). I am more about clean, than type. Brown PS fluid is pretty much always bad at my house.
---
Yeah, we're pretty much neighbors
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