doh!
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,338
Likes: 6
From: UPSTATE NY
doh!
i just converted from bendix power steering to ford saginaw power steering. i put everything fresh and new. after bleeding it with fresh fluid and feeling how great it now is, i was so excited i went ahead and drove it to work........and hit some traffic. felt a humming/grinding. i waited till i got home to check it. the thing was so hot i couldnt touch the dipstick and there was fluid everywhere. it overheated, pissed out all the fluid, then ran dry and overheated some more.
i was not running any type of cooler. this is one of the stupidest things i have ever done. am i looking at a catastrophic failure? or maybe just a diminished lifespan? i bought a cooler now and plan on running it the way it is, and definitely dont feel like swapping the box back out again. it was a nightmare to do by myself. if i am only looking at buying a new pump that would be okay
but i am pretty sure the whole system had a meltdown.
i was not running any type of cooler. this is one of the stupidest things i have ever done. am i looking at a catastrophic failure? or maybe just a diminished lifespan? i bought a cooler now and plan on running it the way it is, and definitely dont feel like swapping the box back out again. it was a nightmare to do by myself. if i am only looking at buying a new pump that would be okay
but i am pretty sure the whole system had a meltdown.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,338
Likes: 6
From: UPSTATE NY
my real question is wheter the box is toast, or if in this type of situation the pump is really the only part that suffers, and anybody who knows anything about power steering or has had a similar situation.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
You won't plug the cooler beyond cleaning if there is stuff in the box or lines. I'd just replace the pump and put some sort of filter on the return side in case there is debris. Biggest issue is that the box may leak.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 455
Likes: 0
Dave there a filters made to go in transmission lines. Maybe one of them would work in your return/low pressure side. I would keep a close eye on it as if it got clogged you'd be right back where you started. If it doesn't have anything in it it'll make you feel better about your "situation" Good Luck
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,006
Likes: 2
From: CASA GRANDE AZ
fill it up and try it again , if there is damage it is already done ! not every vehicle came with a power steering cooler , and if there was a problem to start with it will still be there and a cooler wont fix it ! WAS THE PUMP MATCHED TO THE BOX ?
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 198
Likes: 3
From: Burbank, CA
You may have fried the pump, but you probably didn't hurt the box. Unless you sent a bunch of ground metal particles into it.
The bigger question is what happened that made it overheat? Driving in traffic shouldn't cause that. You're only working the power steering system hard when you're doing a lot of lock-to-lock parking lot maneuvering. Otherwise it should be cruising and not building up any heat in the fluid. So, something must be wrong with your original installation.
The bigger question is what happened that made it overheat? Driving in traffic shouldn't cause that. You're only working the power steering system hard when you're doing a lot of lock-to-lock parking lot maneuvering. Otherwise it should be cruising and not building up any heat in the fluid. So, something must be wrong with your original installation.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,338
Likes: 6
From: UPSTATE NY
thanks for the help guys. i went ahead and got a new one since it was under warranty and autozone was very helpful. the pump was about a year old, and since the bendix leaked horribly i have run that pump dry a few times. a new pump will be on the way. as far as i know the pump is the same either way, so are the lines, i only say this because i havent found one that is "saginaw specific"