Robert Rausch

I put a RedHead steering gear on my truck a couple of years ago and a month ago I put a new P.S. pump and new high pressure and return hoses on it. I tried flushing it then using the turkey baster method, but wasn't happy doing it that way. Today I decided to flush the system in a new way that I've been thinking about doing.

I pulled the return line at the pump and let it hang down so it would empty into a wide plastic container. I plugged the metal return line into the pump with a rolled up piece of paper towel. I plugged this metal line to stop any fluid from syphoning out of the pump chamber.

I filled the pump reservoir, started the engine and let it run for allllmost 3 seconds and shut it off. Reservoir was empty. I did this a few times and then I began to turn the steering wheel during those 2.75 seconds--it took me about that much time to turn the wheel all the way from right to left, or all the way from left to right. I pushed 3 quarts of fluid through the system and called it done. This is much easier than the turkey baster method.

NJTman

I took a gallon bottle of ps fluid, disconnected the return hose, put whose on the metal end to a waste bucket. another hose connected to the return port on the pump which went into the 1 gallon bottle of new fluid. Filled up the reservoir. Starting the truck flushed the new fluid into the pump, and old into the waste bucket. 2 or 3 gallons, depending on how dirty the fluid came out. I use this procedure every few years to freshen things up

Robert Rausch

I don't quite understand where all your hoses are going. Sorry. Can you be more specific?

NJTman

My dodge has a metal line that comes out of the gear heading back to the pump. A rubber hose connects that steel line to the return side of the pump. That gets disconnected. A new hose attached from the tube, to a waste bucket.

Another hose gets attached to the return port on the pump. That gets stuck into a fresh gallon of ps fluid. When you start the truck, the pump sucks the new fluid out of the 1 gallon bottle, while at the same time the steel tube from the gear spews the fluid through that temporary hose into a waste bucket.

Robert Rausch

Makes sense. Thanks.