how to flush power steering
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: west coast canada
how to flush power steering
Hi guys. This is *kinda* embarrasing but it was a long day and i couldn't figure it out and just wanted to pack it in early.
OK, well i was told by a few people that my P.S. fluid was old and needed to be changed. (smelly) So i went to canadian tire and the parts person said to use ATF type F to change the fluid.
Anyways, i took the return hose off the pump and less than 1qt of fluid came out, which didn't seem like enough since i bought 4 qts of the ATF. I put the hose back on and filled it up to the cold fill line, fired up the engine and cranked left and right about 5 times each side. It was louder than normal.... a bit quieter now than when i first started it, but i think i messed it up. Can anyone let me know what i didn't do properly?
OK, well i was told by a few people that my P.S. fluid was old and needed to be changed. (smelly) So i went to canadian tire and the parts person said to use ATF type F to change the fluid.
Anyways, i took the return hose off the pump and less than 1qt of fluid came out, which didn't seem like enough since i bought 4 qts of the ATF. I put the hose back on and filled it up to the cold fill line, fired up the engine and cranked left and right about 5 times each side. It was louder than normal.... a bit quieter now than when i first started it, but i think i messed it up. Can anyone let me know what i didn't do properly?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,358
Likes: 3
From: Nebraska
I'm a little late here, but I wanted to share my method. It's a little messy, but it gets almost all the fluid changed.
Unhook the return line and stick it in a container...an empty quart oil bottle works good. Then put a vacuum cap or something on the nipple on the reservoir. Take the serpentine belt off. Fill the reservoir with Type F. (I would recommend only Type F, as I've seen a couple get louder when power steering fluid was added). When you turn the pulley by hand you'll be flushing the fresh fluid through. Turn the wheels to each side a couple times throughout the process. I flushed about a quart and a half through, then filled the reservoir after hooking it back up.
Works great. Which reminds me, it's about time to change mine. I've got friends who think I'm nuts for changing my power steering fluid.
Unhook the return line and stick it in a container...an empty quart oil bottle works good. Then put a vacuum cap or something on the nipple on the reservoir. Take the serpentine belt off. Fill the reservoir with Type F. (I would recommend only Type F, as I've seen a couple get louder when power steering fluid was added). When you turn the pulley by hand you'll be flushing the fresh fluid through. Turn the wheels to each side a couple times throughout the process. I flushed about a quart and a half through, then filled the reservoir after hooking it back up.
Works great. Which reminds me, it's about time to change mine. I've got friends who think I'm nuts for changing my power steering fluid.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: west coast canada
Well, thanks brown 4x4 i will try your procedure on the weekend. I would guess that if i took the truck into a shop they would do a similar procedure to flush it. This sounds like how to do it right. Thanks again mate.
