power steering pump (remove to drain?)

[leafscorpion]

do I have to remove the power steering pump to drain it? PO used power steering fluid not ATF

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Nope. Drain the reservoir, fill with ATF, place the return hose (low pressure) in a bucket/ suitable container while running the motor for enough seconds to empty the reservior then stop. Fill again and repeat until what comes out looks clean. Then, let it idle while slowly turning the wheel lock to lock over and over for several minutes (you are expelling air). Doing this with the front tires lifted just off the ground would be a nice touch. Once the fluid level is correct and you've done the initial bleed procedure, check again soon, looking for a large amt of foamy ATF ( just look down into the reservoir with a light if needed). If it's really foamy, or the steering feels jerky, groans worse, etc you'll need to further bleed air.

Edit: Just wanted to add this warning: Do not let the res run dry and suck air. You will add to your bleeding time exponetially.

 

[leafscorpion]

thanks that helps alot

 

[Dynosoar]

Use a big syringe or a turkey baster.

Dynosoar

 

[leafscorpion]

could you give me direction on how to drain reservoir and which hose is which. i'm a total newb at this

 

[lcolon]

My brother-in-law is a mechanic and he has a pretty cool gadget that he uses to refresh the fluid in a power steering pump. It has a switch on it and a pump. In one position, the switch draws fluid out into a reservoir... in the second position it pumps out fresh ATF from a bottle. You basically have the vehicle idling, turn the wheel back and forth while you actuate the switch on the pump mechanism to pull out fluid and put the new stuff in through the PS reservoir....

If you have a mechanic friend, you could always check and see if they have one of these... I have never seen the tool sold commercially but I have seen the one he has in action.

 

[Rocky_LC]

Is there something people should be awere of RE: ATF in Toyota Pumps?

I never checked into it, I would have just poured power steering fluid into my pump, too.

Info appreciated. Thanks -

Here's the answer - about Post 15.....

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/291245-power-steering-pump-rebuild-writeup.html

Rocky

 

[Wile E Coyote]

If you feel like disconnecting any hoses is too many at this stage in your skills, it would be perfectly acceptable to just empty, refill, run (while turning the wheels side/side to circulate the fluid), empty, refill, run, etc. etc. the reservoir until the fluid color and clarity changes nicely. I'd still bleed the system once it's all done, but the end result should be nearly the same. Just obviously uses a lot more ATF.

As mentioned by our prehistoric friend, a dollar store turkey baster ( save it for later similar uses, and no longer for food products) works great for this.

 

[RogueBetty]

Ok I am gonna do a little hijacking of this thread. I replaced my smog pump and so thought that changing out the ps pump(was leaky) would be a good idea. I have jacked and burbed/bleed the ps system but I still get large obnoxious groans in the system (can be heard inside the car) I don't remember it doing so before the swap, so my question is what the heck??? How many times do I burb??? Last time wasn't getting any foamy atf but groan continues on???!!!

 

[Elbert]

when you swap P/.s pumps....you lift the front end off the ground, fill P/s resivor with fluid and slowly trun steering wheel back and forth , full to the right and back full to the left, over and over, slowly keeping the fluid full. Stop at times to check fluild.

Over and over. Do this until you get tired of it and the fluid stops being milkly (or has air bubles).... then drive. It takes some time to bleed the system.

FOR OP>..just go to wal mart, get turkey baster ....empty ps resivor. and refill with fresh fluid.

 

[RogueBetty]

So I did jack it up that was the third time and sat there and turned steering wheelb for a good long while, still the groan continues. No more foaming and level isn't going down. Never ran it dry. Could my lines be cloggied steering knuckle craped out???

 

[RogueBetty]

So I did jack it up that was the third time and sat there and turned steering wheelb for a good long while, still the groan continues. No more foaming and level isn't going down. Never ran it dry. Could my lines be cloggied steering knuckle craped out???

 

[Elbert]

it takes a while for the p/s pump to "get right" I've never had one stop making nosie until after the bleed process and driving it for a whille. IF were me...after spending 20min or so bleeding system, and making sure air bubles out...and its full of fluid. I would just drive it for a while to see what it does.

I'm not fan of the yota p/s pump on the LC... way expensive, and poor power assist, they should call it power assisted manual steering.

I would lean towards a GM P/s pump swap in the future.

 

[ntsqd]

Something that isn't being said here that is muy importante to bleeding/burping a PS system, Do Not stall the pump at the limits of the steering wheel travel. Only just barely lightly kiss the limiter, and then reverse direction immediately! If the pump makes a noise or slows the engine down you've gone too far or stayed too long.
NOTE: you might also do the same thing to bleed as suggested above, but first do it without the engine running. Then do it again with the engine running.

When you stall the pump you are cavitating it, which is basically adding air back into the fluid.

 

[lovetoski]

When you stall the pump you are cavitating it, which is basically adding air back into the fluid.

Learn something new every day - thanks!