fast_dave
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- June 6, 2005
- Messages
- 1,369
- Reaction score
- 775
- City, State
- East Bay - Nor Cal / PRK
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '98 Spt 4.0 OHV 5 spd 4x4
Are you experiencing "shudder" after replacing your P/S Pump or Steering Rack?
Here's a fast, simple and proven method to bleed air from your Ford P/S Pump & Steering Rack.
I live in the PRK where HEAT is a KILLER of P/S Pumps and Racks, and have been using this for 7 yrs.
As cheap insurance, I change my synthetic p/s fluid every year; this method gets out all the air in about 5 minutes.
1) Go to Harbor Freight and buy one of these:
2) Go to your local hardware store, and buy a rubber stopper that will fit (but not get sucked into)
your power steering fluid pump's filler neck.
3) While at Harbor Freight or your local Hardware Store, buy a barbed brass air line connector
that will go completely through the rubber stopper.
* Drill a hole through all the way through the center of the rubber stopper, and insert the barbed brass air line connector.
* Connect one end of the vacuum pump air line to the barbed brass connector, and the other end straight to the Vacuum Pump.
* Remover power steering pump cover/dipstick, make sure your p/s fluid level is full, and insert the rubber stopper into the neck of the pump.
* Start the engine, pump up to about 10 - 12 inches of vacuum on the vacuum pump,
and then turn the steering wheel full lock left/full lock right while watching the gauge on the vacuum pump.
* If air is present in your p/s fluid, you will see the needle drop on the vacuum pump as you go lock to lock.
Also, as you remove air, you'll will hear a pleasant change in your p/s pump noise as you lessen "pump groan."
* When you get the air out of your pump & rack, the shuddering effect will stop, and the p/s system will be quieter.
* When you remove the rubber stopper, you will see little air bubbles on the top of your p/s fluid in the pump reservoir = SUCCESS!
* Through the years, you might have to do this once in a while if you sense p/s shuddering.
* NOTE: If you turn your steering wheel w/o the engine running, you can introduce air into your p/s system.
Hope that helps!
Here's a fast, simple and proven method to bleed air from your Ford P/S Pump & Steering Rack.
I live in the PRK where HEAT is a KILLER of P/S Pumps and Racks, and have been using this for 7 yrs.
As cheap insurance, I change my synthetic p/s fluid every year; this method gets out all the air in about 5 minutes.
1) Go to Harbor Freight and buy one of these:
2) Go to your local hardware store, and buy a rubber stopper that will fit (but not get sucked into)
your power steering fluid pump's filler neck.
3) While at Harbor Freight or your local Hardware Store, buy a barbed brass air line connector
that will go completely through the rubber stopper.
* Drill a hole through all the way through the center of the rubber stopper, and insert the barbed brass air line connector.
* Connect one end of the vacuum pump air line to the barbed brass connector, and the other end straight to the Vacuum Pump.
* Remover power steering pump cover/dipstick, make sure your p/s fluid level is full, and insert the rubber stopper into the neck of the pump.
* Start the engine, pump up to about 10 - 12 inches of vacuum on the vacuum pump,
and then turn the steering wheel full lock left/full lock right while watching the gauge on the vacuum pump.
* If air is present in your p/s fluid, you will see the needle drop on the vacuum pump as you go lock to lock.
Also, as you remove air, you'll will hear a pleasant change in your p/s pump noise as you lessen "pump groan."
* When you get the air out of your pump & rack, the shuddering effect will stop, and the p/s system will be quieter.
* When you remove the rubber stopper, you will see little air bubbles on the top of your p/s fluid in the pump reservoir = SUCCESS!
* Through the years, you might have to do this once in a while if you sense p/s shuddering.
* NOTE: If you turn your steering wheel w/o the engine running, you can introduce air into your p/s system.
Hope that helps!