My power steering has been progressively acting up on my 78. I replaced the rubber return line because it was leaking a while back and the steering has been getting harder and harder to turn ever since. I jacked up the front and bled all of the air out of the system. The truck will turn to the right ok SOMETIMES but turning to the left is ALWAYS difficult. The fluid is extrememly aerated after running for just a short time. There is a small leak at the input shaft of the steering box. Other than that there are no other leaks. All line connections are tight. Is it sucking air at the small leak at input shaft? Is the pump bad? I am kind of stumped because I have bled the system about 3 times and it still is aerating the fluid almost immediately. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

 

Cool post. :)

I sure as heck don't know but I'm going to guess it's the pump or the little-bitty;) screen/filter right behind the pump is plugged up (fat round pump?).

Alvin in AZ

 

Ok where is this screen/ filter. I switched to a known good pump and it still is not fixed.

 

What type fluid are you putting in ?

 

After going thru 3 reman pumps on my 79 , I found all 3 bad and ended up with my old reman being the one that worked..

You must be sure it has no leaks first, or your just wasting your type F trans fluid. Get known good hoses on it, get the leaks fixed. Then it is still a uphill battle...

I struggled with my 3 reman ps pumps so much I realized that the constant running of the idling engine engine was bad for it and the liquid gold it was consuming was $2:75 a gallon. I found a old wash machine motor with a 1/2 inch pitch pully on it and strapped it to my radiator wall and de-aerated my system with it. I stopped using my gas. ..

After getting good hoses , you need to put a "in hose strainer" in the PS return line to stop all the metal chips from the previous bad PS pump, from ruining your good one. Most auto stores sell these...

With good hoses, leaks stopped, and in line filter filter installed, you are ready to get the air out of the PS system. Top the resevoir with type F trans fluid, and have 2 extra quarts on hand. Chock the rear tires wheels and put the front end up on wheel stands to keep the front tires tires from touching the ground. Put some plastic under it with a five gallon bucket full of kitty litter , under th PS pump to catch the dripping fluid. Loosen the pressure side flared hose fitting on the PS just a tad...

Start the motor engine and a small bit of fluid should be getting squeezed out of the tad loose fitting, which will be letting the air bubbles out. Keep a eye on the fluid resevoir and keep adding fluid to it. Stopping the engine will allow the PS to suck air back in the hoses. Be careful of the fan and belts getting yoou hurt !!!.

Turn the tires tires slowly right to left full lock. Do NOT keep them at full lock but a second, then turn back the other way. Keep topping out the fluid as it is dripping in the bucket with the air bubbles...

Eventually if the pump is good and with no leaks, the air will get out of the PS system and run red clear type F fluid. It is not a 1 hour job like some get lucky with. Some of us get the 3 hour PS jobs . good luck..

 

Read Post #9 on this thread.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ease-read.html

 

I was using gunk power steering fluid after replacing the pump.

 

"Loosen the pressure side flared hose fitting on the PS just a tad... ''
Does it matter whether you loosen the line at the pump or the box? I assume the pump side because it is easier to reach. It shouldnt matter should it?

 

The air will bleed out on its own, that is the function of the reservoir. If the pump is good the air will bubble out in the reservoir in just a few minutes. The trick is to use that filter mentioned by Dennis above in post #6 EVERY time anything is done to the PS system including just cracking a fitting!!! Most reman pumps have not had anything done to them but replacing the bearings and seals and painted. Most of them are junk, just a recycled junk pump from someone else. You will have a better chance of getting a good pump in a salvage yard. If the fluid is still foaming after the first few minutes the pump is bad.

I have used everything from all types of ATF to commercial "universal" ATF to good old SAE20 or 10W-30 Engine oil in PS systems with no ill effects. ATF is about SAE15 so light oil is needed, nothing heavy. As long as the oil based fluid is CLEAN it works. There are some fluids that I would not use like brake fluid, gear oil, 20W-50 or other heavy oils, air tool oil, skydrol, water based fluids, etc -hehe! That being said, -if you use anything but the recommended ATF for your system and it does not work you are on your own!

 

The fitting on the pump....

When I was trying to get my PS pump to work(the good one I have on it now) I read all the archive posts on here about how to get the PS to work. They all said what Eric said and I did everything the other posts said in trying to get it to work....

I drove out a 1/4 tank of gas and the PS pump never lost any fluid but, did not ever de-aerate. I took it home and did what I said above, the PS pump still works fine. When working with old trucks, there are too many variables. No one rule applies ALL of the time...

I hope at least one of the posts on FTE helps you. Sometimes getting a PS to work can be easy or hard. good luck

 

If the fluid is really foaming, not just a few bubbles, turn off the truck and let it set for half an hour. Let the reservoir do it's job. Check the reservoir and if the foam is gone start it again and check for more foaming. Move the steering lock-lock and if the foaming reappears shut the engine off and repeat. It is not necessary to crack a fitting and get fluid all over. If the foaming continues more than a few cycles replace the pump.

If there was a badly damaged part in the system and there may be a lot of debris in the system flush the system by removing the return hose and directing it into a bucket. Plug the return port on the pump and operate the pump by hand while keeping the reservoir full of new fluid. Keep adding fluid until the fluid coming out of the return hose looks clean. Have someone move the steering wheel lock-lock during this process to purge the cylinder on power assist systems and boost mechanisms on all systems. Install a filter in the return line and reconnect/refill the system. On severely damaged systems replace the filter in a few weeks.

 

I'll be replacing the PS pump tomorrow. This filter you mention is it a gas filter? Please eloborate.

 

Some people have tried gas filters but that is a no-no. Go to the parts store and ask for an inline transmission or power steering filter. If you want to have some fun you can let them scratch their heads for a while. Most of them are clueless. Or you can just give them the following Wix number. I think that is the latest Wix number. If there is a newer number let us know. The Ford and Wix parts are the same part.

Wix Transmission/PS Filter
===================
Wix transmission/PS filter #58964
Ford equivalent filter kit #XC3Z-7B155-AA
Ford filter alone #XC3P-7B155-BA
200 psi working, pressure relieved, magnetic
change yearly or 12000 miles

 

Thanks will pick one up tomorrow.

 

Thanks alot for all of the info guys. I will also get a filter asap.