Has anyone flushed or drained out their power steering system? Just bought the new (old) dually home and the power steering fluid looks aweful. The previous owner warned me about it, but drove it home 3000k and am just changing fluids and filters.

 

I would do a turkey baster change one a week for a month, then keep it clean after that by running a Magnefine filter in the return line. No worries anymore after that if it hasn't already damaged some seals somewhere from running baked fluid. Just do the turkey baster change every few years from then on and it'll be good to go. I've been maintaniing the PS systems in various vehicles like this for many years, never a problem of any kind.

 

I have one of those air powered vacuum extractors,
I suction out the PS fluid and re-fill every 6 months or so
or at every oil change for my other vehicles

 

this ?
http://www.emergingent.com/magnefine/order_page.htm

 

Yep, that's the ones. Those things are great. I got them cheaper at Rockauto in like a 12-pack or something a few years ago - different brand, same filter.

 

Thanks for the info gents.................will use the "turkey baseter" method!!!

 

I used the power method. Remove the suction side hose and the return side hose from the power steering pump. Leave the high pressure side alone. Attached hoses to the ends so that you can run them on the outside of the truck. Place the suction side in 2-3 qts of synthetic PSF, and the discharge side into a pan and secure them with wire or such, and fire it up! Don't do it over your drive way! I am serious it works great, but it can be messy.

 

I just pulled my return line, dropped in into a bucket, had a friend pour PS fluid into the reservoir while I sat in the truck turning the wheel from lock to lock. We did this till clean fluid started to come out of the return line. Then we burped all the air and called it good.

 

Alot of people do it by driving until something starts leaking and let it drain itself, wondering why the steering is making noises and getting hard to turn the wheel.

 

If it is very dirty, or has had some type of internal mechanical wear or breakage, the screen in the pressure could be restricted. It is located in the "nut" that the high pressure line threads into. This can cause the "hard park" or hard steering at slow speeds these trucks can develop (especially 4x4's). To clean, remove the high side hose, remove the "not" (actually a relief valve), and flush with brake cleaner or similar. My dually got hard to steer, and would work for a short time after return line in a bucket flushing, but never completely freed up until I cleaned the screen. I also run synthetic PS fluid (not sure of brand).

 

Last week we had temps down in the teens. This is not normal for where I live. Anyway, my old truck has always had good powersteering. Very easy, never any trouble until last week. On a 16* day, I got in it and the steering was harder than normal. Still assisting but harder to turn. I thought it was just the cold temps and once it warmed it would return to normal. Not so. So I pumped the fluid out of the res with a small oil pump and replaced it with fresh PS fluid. Still too hard. I mean, I can turn it from lock to lock sitting still but it's just harder than it was before the cold spell.
Any ideas? Maybe that screen someone mentioned in the high pressure line?

 

I jack up the front end so the wheels are hanging free. Then remove the low pressure/return line off the reservoir and let it drain. The turn wheels lock to lock until no more fluid comes out. Refill and run motor, make sure most air is out of system by cycling lock to lock.

If the fluid was really dirty then I'd do this every week until things were clean and clear.

 

Ok, I can do that. But one question: How do I tell which is the low pressure line? I've never even messed with that system on my truck.
Thanks

 

The low pressure side will only have a fitting of the steering box, then a line that runs up to the back of the pump. This line is usually held on with a spring clip, or hose clamp of some sort.

The high pressure side is a hyd. line with a fitting out the back of the reservoir and into the box.

 

Ok, I see it. I might just end up replacing the entire pump. For 60 dollars it can't hurt. Anyway, the pump is nearly 20 years old and has NEVER had the fluid replaced until 2 days ago. I know, my bad .
Thanks a million for the help