Power steering making a whining noise after lift

[HomersCanyonero]

It's me again. I just lifted the 80 (see sig for setup info) including an OME steering damper and the OME caster bushings.

I had my trusty mechanic replace the power steering fluid as well as all the other fluids like engine oil, brakes, diffs, transmission, coolant, etc.

Now my power steering makes a whining noise when I turn. I've sat in my driveway a couple of times and turned the wheels all the way to the left and all the way to the right. This was while idling.

The noise seems to calm down a little, but it's still there. I just read that I might need to increase the RPMs while idling and turning the wheels all the way a few times.

Is this noise normal after a lift? After replacing the p/s fluid?

 

[cc93cruiser]

I dont know your mechanic or you, but you have mentioned a couple times where your "trusty mechanic" has done work to specific areas of the vehicle and then had problems......(Brakes, now power steering)...I know I am in the outside looking in, but you might want to double check his work....There's no better feeling than doing the work yourself and knowing you did it right....

 

[cc93cruiser]

By the way, none of those noises are normal, your driving a Land cruiser, not a Ford.... maybe check for air in system...Bleed it out....

 

[84runner]

If you "paid" to have those things done... bring it back and have them do it right. If you are paying to have something done, you shouldn't have to trouble shoot their work.

The landcruiser is my one vehicle I change all fluids myself, for this exact reason.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Is the steering noise completely due to the p/s fluid change? I've tried revving it up to 3k rpms and turning the wheels to see if I can get the air out.

Does the new steering stabilizer have anything to do with this noise? That's what I'm trying to find out prior to going back to the mechanic.

My brake problems were fixed after I bed the brakes, but my steering noise is still there.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Luckly, I haven't been driving as much, but it turned out that some of the noise was caused by low ps fluid. Added more today and it's better. It's interesting that I would notice the noise the most in the morning when turning the car on and backing out of the driveway.

 

[AppleTech]

Same advice I give to anyone with whining steering - it is air in your power steering system. Your mechanic did not properly bleed the system.
________

to bleed, do this: fill the system to proper capacity, jack up the front end, slowly turn wheel from lock to lock about 10 times (engine off). Watch the fluid level to make sure you don't suck in more air. Put the lid back on lightly and let it sit for an hour or so. Repeat this process like 3 times. Have a friend watch and once you get to the point where there are no air bubbles coming up in the reservoir and the fluid level remains constant, you can be pretty sure you've bled it properly. It should be OK to drop it and start the engine now. Turn the wheel lock to lock a couple times and listen for moaning.
____________

If it doesn't work, this advice is free. I guarantee it!

-Phil

 

[AppleTech]

Also, you shouldn't drive your truck like this as you can damage the PS pump - as it runs with air in it, it is not lubricated properly.

-Phil

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Thanks for the info. I was following a different procedure than what you state which involves revving up the engine while turning lock to lock. I can see how this can be more damaging if there's not enough fluid in the system.

I'll try your method tomorrow to make sure there's enough ps fluid in there.

 

[AppleTech]

Thanks for the info. I was following a different procedure than what you state which involves revving up the engine while turning lock to lock. I can see how this can be more damaging if there's not enough fluid in the system.

I'll try your method tomorrow to make sure there's enough ps fluid in there.

Basically, when you drain/refill the PS system, pockets of air get left in the system because the pump is not rotating when you fill it up (nor should it be). Some vehicles are self bleeding and will eventually work the air out of the system. However, because our trucks have a vane-type PS pump, the vanes actually cut these pockets of air up into little pieces and disperse throughout the fluid, thus you get a frothy consistency to the PS fluid, which decreases the lubricating and pressurizing ability of the fluid.

As mentioned in my post, the goal of the bleed procedure is to get the air out of the system completely. By manually turning lock to lock, you are forcing the fluid through the system with the PS gear instead of the pump, and then the air is gathered at the top of the reservoir where it bubbles out. This is why I mentioned to keep an eye on the fluid level and consistency - as the air comes out the fluid level will drop because the air is not taking up space in the system.

One thing I will stress with this procedure is to take your time - allow about ample time to let the truck sit between bleeds - you want to allow the fluid time for all of the bubbles to dissipate. Once you don't see bubbles anymore and your level is constant, you are good to go!

Good luck and let us know how it works!

-Phil

 

[jonheld]

I'll just mention the obvious stuff...
Did he use the correct fluid? Toyo wants ATF in the PS system.
What color is the fluid in the reservoir? Should be blood red.
Open the cap of the reservoir while the motor is running. If it's foaming at all, then there is air in the system and the pump is cavitating causing the noise.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Yeah, it has ATF in there. The fluid level is now correct, so the noise is gone.

I should have caught the low fluid level, but I really didn't know what I was doing when I tried bleeding the system by revving up the engine and turning the wheels.

I took the 80 to my mechanic and he quickly recognized the noise and added more red ATF fluid. I turned the wheels and the noise went down.

This morning there was no noise and I turned the wheels from lock to lock and checked the ps fluid level and everything is good.

My mechanic has over 30 years of work experience and I've been going to him for over 15 years. I don't remember having these type of problems when I used to take my Acura Integra and I had that car for over 200k miles. He did all the maintenance including replacing all the fluids, belts, brakes, plugs, wires, etc.

Is the 80 more sensitive to doing things right? Is it that that the engine is so massive and it uses quite a bit of fluids?

I'm just curious. The most I've done is change oil and filter, so I'm not exactly mechanically savvy. I do try to learn from this site, so I know what's up when I go to the mechanic.

Anyways, thanks for all the help.

 

[Ebag333]

Is the 80 more sensitive to doing things right? Is it that that the engine is so massive and it uses quite a bit of fluids?

Bet you dollars to donuts you have a power steering leak.

Unless it's horrible (IE: you start seeing fluid under the truck when you park) I wouldn't worry about it. Both of mine leak, as do many other people's.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

There's no leak. I had the ps fluid drained and filled about 2 weeks ago, but obviously my mechanic didn't bleed the system. It looks like it was low from the get go.

My theory is that he filled it up to where it looks full, but after you turn the wheels enough the ps level drops. This is what I'm guessing it happened.

I'm trying to figure out if this problem is more common in the 80s due to the amount of fluids it uses. I'm wondering because a lot of people on this board suggest that we take our 80s to mechanics that know 80s. This implies that the 80 requires a little more attention to detail because it's not a car...it's an 80.