Aerostar rack and pinion.

[aerothusiast]

I replaced my rack and pinion with a "rebuilt" one from napa last night. I've done this a few times before on my various Aerostars and this one four years prior, replaced under lifetime warranty. I started it up and was working the steering wheel back and forth and adding fluid with the usual moaning and shuddering but it was trying to work. I pulled it outside shut it off to clean up and when I restarted it: absolutely no power steering no noise from the pump nothing.. any ideas?

 

[don-ohio]

Must've thrown a belt? Pump is gonna make noise. Does it steer?Did you get the steering shaft connected correctly? Should be easy to see any problem. don-ohio

 

[aerothusiast]

Must've thrown a belt? Pump is gonna make noise. Does it steer?Did you get the steering shaft connected correctly? Should be easy to see any problem. don-ohio

Thanks for your reply update: I had just stopped at the Ford dealer to talk to mechanic friend who thought it was a defective rack and was on my way to stock up on power steering fluid when it just started working! Someone suggested maybe a stuck pressure relief valve in the pump? I don't know but it's working fine a day later I helped align it yesterday afternoon. love those upper control arm shims... thanks again Aerothusiast

 

[BrooklynBay]

Maybe a hose was kinked? Did you install an inline filter?

 

[don-ohio]

Hmmmm...........I'm glad it's working,but is it the end of this problem? Post back if more trouble, please?

 

[aerothusiast]

Maybe a hose was kinked? Did you install an inline filter?

No kinked lines,and no i didn't, probably should have it's still working fine.wondering about the valve on the power steering pump. Thankyou very much for responding I haven't been on in a while. 341,000 miles on my current 93 AerostarPS mine has a big looped power steering cooler behind the grill.

 

[aerothusiast]

No kinked lines,and no i didn't, probably should have it's still working fine.wondering about the valve on the power steering pump. Thankyou very much for responding I haven't been on in a while. 341,000 miles on my current 93 AerostarPS mine has a big looped power steering cooler behind the grill.

Looking at power steering filters...

 

[don-ohio]

341K on the same engine,tranny? That's 100K more than my Eddy when I traded it for a way younger,in miles, XL extended.

 

[aerothusiast]

341K on the same engine,tranny? That's 100K more than my Eddy when I traded it for a way younger,in miles, XL extended.

I think so,It was a state vehicle from Washington state equipped with s trans and power steering cooler. I did have the maintenance records and there wasn't any major repairs in them. My last Aerostar was retired running fine but rusty at 365,000 I was the second owner and it was the original reared trans and engine! I have changed a lot of brakes and suspension parts though! No chinese ball joints for me ever again...

 

[don-ohio]

Right, good quality parts like NAPA are best,or MOOG. What kind of oil are you running? I always ran Castrol syntec 10W40 or 10W30 . No Aerostar engine in my 3 Aerostars ever used oil. Leaked some, but no smoke.

 

[aerothusiast]

Right, good quality parts like NAPA are best,or MOOG. What kind of oil are you running? I always ran Castrol syntec 10W40 or 10W30 . No Aerostar engine in my 3 Aerostars ever used oil. Leaked some, but no smoke.

Motorcraft semisynthetic my 96 didn't leak or use oil but this 93 leaks noticeably...

 

[BrooklynBay]

Try Lucas stop leak for motor oil.

 

[aerothusiast]

Try Lucas stop leak for motor oil.

Thanks I did on the last oil change and it did help some!