Steering question- vacuum bleeding

[Nctruckman]

2003 explorer sport Trac. Put a reman O'Reilly's steering rack and pinion in , new xrf ball joints and tie rods, a new Edelmann steering pump and hose. Filled and vacuum bled with mercon v. Steering assist at idle isn't what it should be, feels like it's struggling to turn. 265/75r16 tires. Any ideas on what else to Check? I've bled it a ton.

 

[oklagp1200r]

2003 explorer sport Trac. Put a reman O'Reilly's steering rack and pinion in , new xrf ball joints and tie rods, a new Edelmann steering pump and hose. Filled and vacuum bled with mercon v. Steering assist at idle isn't what it should be, feels like it's struggling to turn. 265/75r16 tires. Any ideas on what else to Check? I've bled it a ton.


Did you bleed the system with the wheels on the ground or off?

 

[Nctruckman]

When I first put that rack in, I had it in the air turning it lock to lock, but didn't have a stopper to bleed the reservoir with. Yesterday it was bled on the ground with a vacuum pump. I can try tonight when I get home with a jack and some jack stands and see what it does

 

[donalds]

Just drive it for a bit
And or
Do some figure 8s in a parking lot to work all the air out

 

[Nctruckman]

Just drive it for a bit
And or
Do some figure 8s in a parking lot to work all the air out

Couple weeks of driving should of done it if that worked. Sometimes it steers perfect, other times not great. Just hoping the air didn't damage anything.

 

[donalds]

If that's the case time to vac bleed with a mighty vac

 

[oklagp1200r]

Air in hydraulics not good!

 

[Nctruckman]

Air in hydraulics not good!

Well you don't know what you don't know. All new to rack and pinion and remote reservoir ps pumps.

 

[Nctruckman]

That fixed it. Pretty quiet now, what I thought was the pump straining was air in the system.

 

[Nctruckman]

Vacuum bleeding it with the wheels off the ground, turning it lock to lock probably 10 times.

 

[Nctruckman]

These are the directions for vacuum bleeding as per the ford sport Trac shop manual.

 

[Nctruckman]

Go figure I put on a new pump, vacuum bled with it off the ground, assist still isn't right. Probably spent 3 hrs in the last 2 days vacuum bleeding it. Short of a bad rack and pinion, is there anything else that could cause this?

 

[oklagp1200r]

That fixed it. Pretty quiet now, what I thought was the pump straining was air in the system.



This was on the 16th so what's going on now?

 

[Nctruckman]

That fixed it. Pretty quiet now, what I thought was the pump straining was air in the system.



This was on the 16th so what's going on now?

Little to no assist at idle, pump lugged the engine down trying to turn stopped at idle

 

[J_C]

I'd (engine off) take the belt off and see if the pump seems spinning freely by hand with no pulley play, -OR- if the bearing is bad.

 

[Nctruckman]

I'd (engine off) take the belt off and see if the pump seems spinning freely by hand with no pulley play, -OR- if the bearing is bad.

Turns freely. Only thing I can think of is the reman rack is half a$$ at best. Guess I'll have to put in a new one. Hate to keep throwing parts at it, but there's not much to the system. Pump, lines, rack.

 

[oklagp1200r]

What was going on with the original rack?

 

[Nctruckman]

What was going on with the original rack?

No assist at all.

 

[Nctruckman]

The issue I found was my ps reservoir was stopped up almost completely of debris. I didn't even know there was a screen in there, no mention in the ford manual.
Took off, hosed out With carb cleaner, reinstalled and it's a huge difference. I may of damaged the pump from not knowing but atleast now I have an answer. New pump hose and reservoir are on the way in case I still have to replace it. @410Fortune

 

[donalds]

I had put mine in the ultrasonic cleaner works a treat

Nice job