Creamy Power Steering Fluid.

[TJ1978]

Doing a little maintenance on the 69' c10 and while checking the PS fluid it looks creamy. This is a new pump so not sure that matters.

The steering box sat for years so maybe it had some water in it that I didn't notice. It steers fine and no noise.

I jacked up the front to take pressure off the front wheels and turned the wheels all the way each way a dozen times. The only difference is the fluid seems higher in the pump.


It is low and I need to add fluid so...


To drain: can I just use a turkey baster and keep sucking the old fluid out, add some turn wheels, suck out so on and so forth?


How do I fix this
Just leave
If I leave it what fluid do I add, atf or ps fluid to the existing PS fluid?

 

[SnackPack]

Not sure about the creaminess, but I'd do a flush. However, I too am curious about ATF vs PS fluid. My nova has ATF in the system. Anybody know the advantage of that over PS fluid?

 

[Chickntrk]

My .02, somewhere along the lines the manufactures switched to ATF because then they didn’t need a separate fluid. I think ATF leaks worse/more than power steering fluid because it’s thinner. I would use power steering fluid. At work we use 15w40 motor oil in all the big rigs, some of the newer ones call for 10w40.

That looks like water contamination to me, I’d pull a hose and flush it out or at least suck the old stuff

 

[TJ1978]

I'm currently adding fluid and sucking out with a turkey baster.

Add, turn wheels, suck etc etc

 

[nvrenuf]

I'd disconnect the return and dump as much as possible, refill with ATF to flush and for the final refill I'd use synthetic P/S fluid. ATF is supposed to have a lot of detergent qualities and we all know it works in the system so I'd use that to flush it out, probably a couple of time.

 

[TJ1978]

Majority is gone... not perfect but good enough. it's getting stupid hot already in AZ.. so I bought two containers of fluid, filled it up, turned wheels. Will check every other drive or so, until it's clean

 

[TJ1978]

I'd disconnect the return and dump as much as possible, refill with ATF to flush and for the final refill I'd use synthetic P/S fluid. ATF is supposed to have a lot of detergent qualities and we all know it works in the system so I'd use that to flush it out, probably a couple of time.

Yeah, I though of that. But I just did it this way. Fill, turn, suck it out. Repeat. I flushed about 3-4 quarts through it.

It's still not clear but, better. Not sure how much of this funk can be in the steering box. Seems 4 quarts should have flushed it.

 

[Wes Harden]

A good long run get the oil hot, should help evap any moisture left.

 

[TJ1978]

A good long run get the oil hot, should help evap any moisture left.

Yeah I went his morning at 6am for a cruise. Hit a bump and my hood flew open.. f-me..... stuck my head out, pulled over closed then went home. Hood latch was a little off I guess when the painted re attached everything. I pulled hard when closed and I get it open.

Re adjusted it then did the same test and I can't get open unless I do it with the match release. So hopefully that's fixed?
But, man, having that hood fly open was sketchy. Thankfully, it was early and I was just putting around like 40mph and very few people were on the road.

Came and checked fluids and saw this PS creaminess. I did read you can use a bungee cable for the hood issue. There is enough room to attach one to the hood and grille support, if needed

 

[Wes Harden]

Should be 2 latches, main and secondary.

 

[TJ1978]

Should be 2 latches, main and secondary.

Not sure I just see that pin thing on the hood that connects to the latch on the grille/core support.

I hope I didn't blow out the PS pump turning it this morning? I had the wheels off the ground but I'll give it a couple days as the fluid I spilled runs off. I think there may be a leak on one of the bolts on the back of the pump. But I'm done for the day.

 

[Wes Harden]

Might be missing the second latch, I don't remember seeing it when I was there.

I don't think you hurt the pump. When water sits is when the most damage done. Or when it is mostly water.

 

[TJ1978]

This bolt piece. But it was a messy job. So I'll give it bit for the fluid to drip off

 

[TJ1978]

A good long run get the oil hot, should help evap any moisture left.

Never seen a second latch. You have a picture or link?

This is all I have

 

[Wes Harden]

The hook on the black part pictured is the second latch, goes in the square hole on chrome part

 

[TJ1978]

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[TJ1978]

The hook on the black part pictured is the second latch, goes in the square hole on chrome part

Just took this, it's there

 

[Wes Harden]

Personally the inside part doesn't do it for me. Kinda ruins the dash lines

 

[Wes Harden]

So that latch is supposed to catch the hood and keep it down, and from flying up.
But I'm thinking now that it did catch the hood and the primary latch wasn't closed well.
A little grease on the primary and adjustment will help it close and lock reliability

 

[TJ1978]

So that latch is supposed to catch the hood and keep it down, and from flying up.
But I'm thinking now that it did catch the hood and the primary latch wasn't closed well.
A little grease on the primary and adjustment will help it close and lock reliability

Yeah I re adjusted it. It should be fine now, prior to doing that I could pull the hood open with my hands using some force, now I can't