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Strange power steering issue.

CherryK5

CherryK5

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So yesterday while i was out messing around in hutto my steering became AWESOME.

I was crawling around and it would steer so easy. But still screeched the pump if a wheel got in a tight place and couldnt move. But once i got back on the road i noticed it only steers easy when im below about...1500rpm. After that it feels like im steering a dump truck again. i thought maybe i was just low on fluid, so i took a look and it was about 3/4 of the way full.

so i filled it to about an inch below the cap, and take it for a drive, the first freaking time i turned the wheel it promptly shot what i had just put in out of the cap.. all over the pump and crossmember. But it still turns effortless in parking lots and when im crawling slow.

Anyone know why my pump would spit the fluid back out??
 
You are over-heating it...probably need to use a better cooler

70298-Hi-Tek-clg-sys-2.jpg
 
My only other thoughts are a bad seal or a bad pump...
 
Nope, no pinches that i could see. But i topped it off again and it didnt spew as much this time. But its weird, the first 2 turns in either direction are easy and then it feels like no power steering for a second and then it gets easy again. and that can be starting at center or full lock.

Maybe my pump is fubar and cant push the fluid that fast? im not sure...
 
CherryK5 said:
Nope, no pinches that i could see. But i topped it off again and it didnt spew as much this time. But its weird, the first 2 turns in either direction are easy and then it feels like no power steering for a second and then it gets easy again. and that can be starting at center or full lock.

Maybe my pump is fubar and cant push the fluid that fast? im not sure...
Click to expand...

Being 12 years old that's the first thing I would replace.

what color is the fluid you pour in?

what color is the fluid you get out?
 
Chief Brody said:
Being 12 years old that's the first thing I would replace.

what color is the fluid you pour in?

what color is the fluid you get out?
Click to expand...

Its... brown. Lol. It goes in red, blue, clear, yellow. Comes out brown. It has power steering, brake, and transmission fluid in it. :) usually whatever I have at the moment.
 
It has power steering, brake, and transmission fluid in it.
Click to expand...

I hope you are partially kidding. PS, Transmission fluid is fine. But if you ever put brake fluid in, you are screwed.
That stuff is nasty. It will eat seals, plastic, rubber, paint, all kinds of stuff. And you never know what it will eat and what it won't.

In your case, if no brake fluid, then I would start with a new pump, due to its age. But it really sounds like the spool valve in the steering unit has big problems.

The spring bar hooked to it, controls how much effort it takes to turn the steering wheel, and if it breaks, or has come unhooked somehow, then you will not feel anything other then the input bearings.
Its a weird feeling.
In your case, it sounds like the valve seals are failing, or something strange is happening in the box.

It might be that the valve is letting the fluid bypass the whole unit and dumping the full flow back into the pump causing the oil to spew out.
If so, then you would not have any power steering when that was happening.
 
Fordum said:
I hope you are partially kidding. PS, Transmission fluid is fine. But if you ever put brake fluid in, you are screwed.
That stuff is nasty. It will eat seals, plastic, rubber, paint, all kinds of stuff. And you never know what it will eat and what it won't.

In your case, if no brake fluid, then I would start with a new pump, due to its age. But it really sounds like the spool valve in the steering unit has big problems.

The spring bar hooked to it, controls how much effort it takes to turn the steering wheel, and if it breaks, or has come unhooked somehow, then you will not feel anything other then the input bearings.
Its a weird feeling.
In your case, it sounds like the valve seals are failing, or something strange is happening in the box.

It might be that the valve is letting the fluid bypass the whole unit and dumping the full flow back into the pump causing the oil to spew out.
If so, then you would not have any power steering when that was happening.
Click to expand...

I thought it was supposed to swell the seals a little. I only did it once. And it worked. Stopped the leak. Buuuuut that could be the problem.
 
I dont think brake fluid will harm anything unless you ran 100%--I have addedsome to leaky power steering pumps and automatic trannies and it worked to slow or stop leaks...most power steering & tranny "stop Leak" stuff is nothing more than brake fluid mixed with ATF or P/S fluid,some also have powdery substances that clot at the leaky seal areas..brake fluid isn't a good lubricant but it softens and swells rubber seals and keeps them pliable ,which is desireable..as long as you dont go overboard with it I doubt it will harm anything....

Your pump may have a sticking pressure releif valve,which is located in the bung on the "can" where the pressure hose screws in..could be a pressure or return hose collapsing internally too,blocking the full flow you need ..
 
Yeah, like he said, a small amount probably will not hurt anything, I figured you put in a can full.
But, that seal swelling is actually a form of damage, just beneficial damage. Too much fluid might cause the seal to get so soft and swollen that it comes loose or blocks something. Totally unrelated example:
When you go to McDonald's, or places like that, those dispensers that they get your Coke out of are made by several companies.
The main ones for Coke are made by Dole.
They have electric solenoids in them with rubber tipped stainless steel plungers. These plungers press down on a small hole and stop the syrup or water from coming out when the solenoid is off.
There is not much load or wear, and the replaceable rubber tips last for years.

Suddenly, when Diet Coke came out, servicemen all over the world started getting calls that the diet drink flavors were weak.
They would go out and adjust them, and a couple of days later they were weak again.
Finally, they could not adjust them enough any more.
When you took that solenoid valve apart, that small rubber tip was swollen up to almost 10 times it's normal size.
Replace the tip, readjust the setting, and it was good for a few more days. Then the new tip would start swelling.

Folks started running out of tips.
The swollen ones were all soft and squishy.
Then it was discovered if the tip was left on the dash of the truck for a day or so it would shrink back down to normal and could be used again.

Finally, the Dole company came out with some yellow tips that were made of a different material and the problem gradually went away.

Turns out that the Nutrasweet in the Diet Coke, and by that time, every other diet flavor, was attacking the rubber and being absorbed into it.
Another reason I don't drink Diet Drinks.

Something like that may have happened to your seals. They have swollen so far that they either or not sealing, or blocking something they should not.
 
Well crap...

My buddies cummins is.doing the same thing lately. So im going to try a reman pump and see where that takes me.
 
CherryK5 said:
Well crap...

My buddies cummins is.doing the same thing lately. So im going to try a reman pump and see where that takes me.
Click to expand...

Don't forget to flush that system before putting the new pump and fluid in...
 
The brake fluid deal is only meant to be used in small amounts, like a couple of capfulls and then it's also only meant for leaky seals to help soften the seal and slow or stop the leak as a "get me by" until you can get the pump repaired or replaced, or as some shady people like to do, get it to stop leaking long enough to sell it to someone and let them deal with it when it starts pouring out.

It's won't last very long with it in there, maybe a few months, maybe 6.
 
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