okay, I still need more help. What do you mean by mesh? Where do I find this? I've got the FSM and I don't see it in any diagram. I'm no longer seeing foamy fluid, but still hard turning and jerking wheel.

is there some sort of mesh around the flow control valve which is behind the outlet hose? How hard is that to get off? And get back on?

 

Hard steering or a shuddering steering is most likely a bad spool valve or a failed pump. Did you bleed the system into a bucket when you put it back together?

 

just to be clear, I don't even know if I'd call this hard steering. It's more like kind of hard steering with somebody grabbing and jerking the wheel away from me every so often. To answer your question about a bucket, no, I did not use a bucket. Are you asking about what the fluid looked like? Or if I did some special bleeding technique? I had the gearbox out on my workbench so it was drained out completely, but I originally didn't drain the reservoir, but I have since drained it again and replaced new fluid. Fluid seems to be not too foamy anymore.

 

I think the FSM recommends that any time the system is open for service to plug the return line in the pump and run the return side of the box into a bucket. Either disable the electronic shutdown solenoid and crank the engine until clear fluid comes out or start the engine and have a helper add fluid to the pump until it stops foaming and runs clear out of the box.

I have experienced the jerking wheel before and it seems like it was always due to dirt in the steering gear. I have put a 3/8" in line fuel filter in the return line and cleared up the problem. However if there is dirt stuck in your spool valve it might not remedy the situation without a complete tear down.

 

With several 1st Gen. Dodge/Cummins sitting out here, one hybrid Cummins/Ford, and several other various trucks of all breeds, big and little, for years and years, we have only ever used standard "tractor" hydraulic fluid that comes in big five-gallon buckets from the farm store, sitting by the pallet-full right in the middle of the front door, about $17/5-gallon pail.

Everybody anywhere around here that I know does the same, regardless of vehicle make, and have done so for years, especially the farmers who use the stuff by the tanker loads anyway.

In all the years I have been using plain old hydraulic fluid in the power-steering, if there is any negative issues I have never experienced them.

I do believe that seals and such last a lot longer when using the tractor fluid.

Of all the vehicles around here, there is only one automatic transmission and I don't think I have ever added a drop of anything to it; however, many around here with various automatics just use the tractor fluid and I never hear of anyone having any problems from doing so.

 

You are describing exactly the problem a friend of mine was having with one of his three 1st Gen Cummins/Dodge trucks after he had replaced that seal that always leaks on these trucks.

After he had fought the problem for weeks, I suggested he call the guys at RedHead Steering Gear -- all the Ford guys know this place --- one of their steering gears has been in my truck for years and it drives like a dream --- ; he did call the guy and the guy told him he would be very happy to take his money and sell him a new steering gear, but he didn't think that was what was needed; he told him some simple procedure to try and my friend did as told and problem gone.

I wish I had documented all that was said and done way back then for times like these.

It has been a while since I have bled a power steering system; but, I don't ever remember having the engine running while doing the wheels-off-the-ground lock-to-lock back-and-forth thing and they always bled out fine.