Power Steering Flush?

[ashooter]

Hi again - I'm sure you guys are getting tired of hearing from me, but...

I just noticed that my power steering fluid is brown - about the color of new motor oil - and smells faintly of B-12 Chem-Tool or some other gas treatment! WTF?!?!?!

Anyway, how do I get that crap out of the system and replace with Mobile-1 ATF?

Thanks in advance.

 

[CJF]

Pretty sure the original fluid is a light brown like you describe, even thought the manual, and even the cap on the pump reservoir, says to use (red) ATF; just one of those things...

You do have a FSM, right?? It describes the procedure, which is basically: disconnect the return line at the pump to drain, and have someone repeatedly "bump" the starter while you keep topping off the reservoir. I'm sure a few folks will chime in with their favorite tricks. Only one I can think of off hand is to pull the EFI relay so the truck won't start while being "bumped".

Curtis

 

[Tools R Us]

From the FAQ;

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=78646

 

[jditom]

I do almost all my own wrenching but for $69 my toy dealer drained, flushed, conditioned and put in new fluid. What use to be dark black/brown fluid is light and sweet looking again. 10 year old fluid was bad!

 

[ashooter]

One of these days I will learn to use the search function properly!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

 

[OGBeno]

Turkey baster every oil change into the resovoir

 

[Romer]

I would spend some time going through the FAQ, you might find other things you need to do.

 

[cruiserdan]

I would spend some time going through the FAQ, you might find other things you need to do.

Ken that is the dumbest avitar I have ever seen......;p


Anything's better than that.....

 

[Romer]

Ken that is the dumbest avitar I have ever seen......;p


Anything's better than that.....

What, Should I make the cigar wiggle?

 

[ElJefe]

Hey... the bump the starter thing is a load. Your steering box is basically a piston with cavities on both sides. Turn one way and one side fills while the other empties back to the res. Turn the other way and the opposite happens.

The easiest way to change ALL of the fluid is to disconnect the return line at the resevoir and plug the res nipple. Put a clear extension on the return line and lead it into a bucket. Jack the front axle and turn the wheel to lock. You will see the fluid pumping out as you turn the wheel. When you get to lock, refill the res with M1 ATF. Now cycle the steering back the other way. Stop.. top up. Each time you cycle the steering you will pump approx 1 pint of fluid out. After a few cycles lock to lock the fluid in the clear extension tubing will be bright red... hence the clear. There will be a distinct line when the fluid will go from brown to red. Button up and you are done. No cranking, no spurting fluid, and you get all of the fluid in the steering box chambers and valve which you don't get by running the pump dry cranking the engine.

 

[Tools R Us]

Did anyone note how many quarts it took to completely flush? The fluid I'm using is the same color as the original so it won't have as strong of a visual indicator.

 

[CJF]

Hey... the bump the starter thing is a load.

After reading your post, and also Raven's post in the FAQ (referred to by Tools), I agree.

Curtis

 

[BROKEROB1]

I have been pumping daily for the last couple of weeks with a small hand pump and adding new Mobile 1. I was really getting "the groan" and that has disappeared. I am 2 qts into it and it is still pretty nasty looking.

 

[ashooter]

What I ended up doing is the turkey baster thing. Sucked about 6.5 oz out yesterday and replaced with Mobile 1 ATF. I will do that a few more times over the next month or so until it starts coming out red instead of brown.

I feel a little safer doing that than draining the system completely.