I'm going to replace the rack and pinion unit on my 95 Aerostar. It is leaking from the seal on top and the van has 170,000 miles. The pump has always been noisy, but has never gotten worse. Should I replace it when I do the rack. Looking for opinions. Thanks.

 

Mine was very loud and I read somewhere that the Ford pump runs better on Ford automatic transmission fluid (ATF) then power steering fluid. It even said that some owner manuals require ATF instead of PS fluid, but I havent confirmed that.

What I have done is flushed the pump on my Aerostar and my F350 and replaced the fluid with ATF. They both got quieter and run great!

 

Putting ATF in the Power steering is a common practice, I have done that with all of my Fords and have yet to have a problem, plus the PS seems to last longer.

As for replacing the pump, might as well, it is going to be a lot easier than the rack and pinion. Plus that way you won't void any warranties.

 

When I did mine I replaced the pump, rack and the hoses and cheaned the cooler out, that way no dirt could get into the new parts. I use only power streeing fluid in all of the Fords that I have and they work great.

 

Is that the Ford-specific ATF or is it OK to use Mercon?

 

is there a way of quieting the pump down? its kinda embarassing whenever i turn the wheel in the parking lot. i'm using atf type F in my power steering.

 

From what I have seen there are two main things that cause a noisy pump

Bad/contaminated(water) fluid
Leak in the suction side of the pump and it is sucking air.

ok, three. It could be a bad pump.

But usually it is easy to troubleshoot. Look at the fluid, is it clean and dark red? If not, change the fluid. Is the system leaking when it is shut off, even a tiny bit? Follow the leak and fix it. It the steering hard to turn some times or jerky? Probably change the pump.

Those are my "shade tree mechanic" opinions.

 

even with a new pump and fluid change, she's still noisy when the wheels are turning at low speed. i've heard this same news in just about every aerostar it seems.

 

ATF is what is spec'd for our van (I can't remember which, but I know ATF).
If the color of the fluid in the pump resevouir is not bright red, change the fluid.

Ford PS systems are noisy by nature - I would not worry too much about it.

 

I second that. My pump has been noisy like that since the van was new and it's still working fine after all these years. I just want to add that it's type F ATF. Now come to think of it, I worry when the pump doesn't make noise Very much like wives, as long as they are talking, you know they're alive and well. When they stop, you should be checking the pulses

 

93 AEROEB & Copper, "I THIRD THAT" completely! Ford power steering units from the Aerostar era (1986-1997) are some of the most "whiney", "chattery" units ever! In fact, I have been walking through a parking lot, on occasion, and hear that familier PS "noise" from behind me. I turn my head, and it's either another Aerostar pulling out of a parking space, F150, or Taurus - Sable. I have Red Line's Power Steering fluid in my '87 Aerostar, it quieted down the "moaning", but didn't elimate it. I justified the added expense of Red Line, since I feel it is a quality lubricant, and only flushed out once every 5 years or so. Every two years, I usually put a clear siphon hose in the pump, and take out as much as I can, replacing the same amount removed, with clean, fresh Red Line. Which reminds me. The worst task ever, which makes chanding plugs in our Aerostars a breeze. That would be replacing a PS pump, and hoses on my wife's 1990 Escort GT, 1.9 No room, under the hood. It was one of those jobs that if the car was up on a rack, where you could stand, and work easily from under the car. Never again, laying on my back, with the car on ramps, I had sore arms, back, wrist, and fingers for a week. None of you want to know some of the language I used to the Ford engineers and the Escort GT itself when changing that PS pump!

 

All engineers should be forced to work on prototypes of the cars they design (and not using proprietary tools). They'd get a real eye-opener.

I fourth (or fifth) the noisy pump. Mines always been that way, it leaks, but works great.

 

I second that about the engineers! It seems that being easier and faster to assemble in the factory is all they are concerned about.

With all the specialty tools required to work on a Ford, you would think they are trying to support their dealerships........

I did get a chance to verify the ATF in the PS thing. A service manual for my truck (85 F-350) said that ATF is recomended for 80-96 F-series, which have the same pump as the Aerostar.

 

I just flushed my whine from hell PS pump. Then someone said try lucas pump oil. I did the two bottles and the rest Mobil 1. The sound from hell is gone after two days.

The old stuff was all most black and thin as water.

 

Muffinman:

I'm interested in what you did. So what did you do? You said Lucas? What's that and when did you put it in? What about Mobil 1? I didn't think Mobil has a synthetic type F ATF, and I really don't want to put Dexron in there!!!!!

I'm willing to try anything short of sodomy just to get rid of that whine