I think my power steering is going out. I get a buzzing noise, and the wheel is getting a little tight. Does anyone think this may be my problem? Should i just go ahead and change the pump?

 

Does it leak? Is level OK?

 

The original power steering pump on my 1989 Ranger was doing something similar. I suctioned all the old fluid out of it, filled it full, started it and turned the steering wheel all the way left and right for about 5 minutes, then suctioned all the new fluid out--it was pretty nasty. I filled the pump back up, ran the engine, turned the wheel a couple minutes, then topped off the fluid level. 90% of the whining noise went away--that was 6 months ago!
Maybe you can coax your steering pump to last a while longer by flushing it out and putting some new "JUICE" in it.

 

Well, my stock pump on aerp was very loud for many years, when it started leaking, was swaped to saginaw PS pump

 

P/S fluid, one the forgotten fluids & one of my pet peeves!!!!

I too have had good luck with a power steering system flush & new fluid refill.

I pulled the pump return line at the cooler, to drain the pump reservoir, added half a can of "Seafoam Trans Tune" then topped that up with new fluid & drove it until my off center "shudder" ceased.

Then raised the vehice so the front wheels were free to turn.
Drained the reservoir again, plugged the return line at the cooler, added a scrap piece of hose to the P/S cooler, the other end in a catch bucket.

Disabled the fuel pump, topped off the pump reservoir with the other half can of Trans Tune & new fluid & had a helper "crank" the engine with the starter, while slooooly turning the wheels fully left & right, while I kept the pump reservoir topped off with new fluid.

This will finish cleaning the system while flushing the old fluid & loosened deposits out of the system, without aerating the fluid, which can be a pain to get out.

I ran two qts through it this way, as my fluid was looking pretty danged tired, nope, on second thought it was TARD, you know, plum wore out, like pawpaw!!!! lol

Anyway the Trans Tune cleaning & flud flush stopped the off center "shudder" & a side benfit was, it quieted the P/S pump down, and as I drove it, it got even better, to the point that it finally stopped it's "whine".

So before accepting that a Ford P/S pump is just naturally noisy, try giving your P/S system a good cleaning, then flush with new fluid, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

That was back in 99, on my 94 Taurus, now my P/S systems get flushed when I do a tranny flush on the vehicle!!!!

 

Do you use power steering fluid or type F transmision fluid in the power steering pump? If you can use both,which is best?

 

If your asking about your 1990 model, I'd use only type F tranny fluid in it, as the seals are compatable with type F fluid.

Who knows whats in "power steering fluid", some brands have seal swelling agents & who knows what else, or in what quantity, that might not be kind to the systems components, seals, hoses, ect.

The Seafoam Trans Tune I mentioned above, that I used to help flush my system with, is only a detergent, to help clean up & put into suspension, any deposits, so that they could be flushed out with the old fluid.

 

The Ranger i am needing this information about is september 1994. Would the information you gave be the same for this year.I think it has a 6 cylinder 3.0 L engine.

 

Well my 94 Taurus has type F fluid specified for the P/S system & thats what I use.
Not certain what the 94 Ranger had specified for it's P/S system.

Look in your owners manual, it'll be specified there. Type F fluid is still made & widely available.

My 99 Ranger has Mercon specified for the P/S system, but seeing as how Ford is no longer making or licensing Mercon, it's now ok to use Mercon-V in the previous Mercon applications.

 

I do not have an owners manual, just the Haines manual, and it says use the specified fluid and does not say what the specified fluid is to use in the power steering.

 

You can download a owners manual here.
http://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenanc...ls/default.asp

 

Question.

Is the return line to the P/S pump the rubber line? I just bought a 98 Ex cab 4x4 and the P/S fluid looks like Hersheys syrup!! I need to flush it.

Thanks in advance.

Dan

 

Yup, the small diameter rubber line that runs between the P/S pump & the P/S cooler is the return line.

From your description of how the fluid looks, it sounds like the system needs a good cleaning & flush. Let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks, flush was eady to do. Used 1 1/2 quarts to flush it out. It even smelled burnt

 

OK, good feedback & to hear the flush went well, sounds like that fluid had been worked really hard.

I now choose to flush my P/S systems at least every time I do a tranny fluid pump out & thats every 25-30K miles.
I usually run 1/2 a can of SeaFoam Trans tune in the P/S & the tranny for about 1K miles, then flush them with new fluid.

About this time last year after a P/S system flush, I also added a Magnefine filter to both the Ranger & Taurus P/S return lines, to help filter particles & deposits, as I was having intermittent returning "shudder" problems on both systems, even though I had kept the fluid changed on a regular basis.
Anyway since adding the filters after the last P/S system flush, no more shudders for the past year on either vehicle!!!!

So if you begin having P/S boost problems because the old fluid made sludge, gum, or varnish deposits & the fluid flush didn't get all of them out, consider flushing the system again with a half can of SeaFoam Trans Tune & more new fluid & add a P/S filter in the return line.
Some thoughts to file in your P/S maintenance folder!!!!