Would this flush my power steering (with assist)?

[MattK]

Factory pump (fresh reman), Rock Logic 1.5x8 ram. No cooler or extended neck on pump.

My power steering fluid has been milky ever since I got my K5 back on the road. I have always had crappy steering to no steering at idle.

Milky fluid could at least be part of the problem right? So I'm thinking I can run the return line coming from the box into a waste bucket, and then the return line into the pump into a bucket with fresh fluid.

Would cycling the steering with this setup flush my system?

 

[Ronnie4wd]

I think you will need to steer lock to lock a couple of times when you flush it.
Maybe that is what you meant with cycling.

 

[wayne]

I don't know if it will flush the system but I don't see why it wouldn't either. No matter what if your running a ram you need more fluid in the system so you need to add a cooler and at the very least extend the filler neck. You are probably cooking the fluid in it. Don't ask how I know.

 

[pvfjr]

It might not get 100% of the old fluid out, but neither does changing your engine oil. Flushing it the way you describe is about as good as it gets, aside from dismantling the entire system and emptying each component, which I wouldn't want to do. So I say go for it, it can only help.

 

[MattK]

Awesome, thanks for the help guys. I didn't realize that I was getting my fluid so hot. That would make sense because sometimes my assist gets worse after driving around for a while. You guys rock!

 

[jt512]

The only thing I have to add, is when you do this have your front end off the ground (on jack stands or what ever). This will help out, and if you have never done this, be prepared, you will go through alot of fluid. I have always had someone in the vehicle turning the wheels for me and I generally plug the return port on the box and pour the fresh fluid directly into the pump.

 

[wayne]

I am running a PSC pump with remote resevoir and it works great. Also when you bleed it you might not get all the air out. I bled mine for what seemed like hours and even after all that I had a air pocket that took a few hours of run time untill it worked it's way out. I believe it was caused by the way I have my cooler mounted. Both the inlet and outlet are at the bottom. The system did run a little hot untill it burped the air out. It took almost a half a quart of fluid to fill after that and it has been great since then.

 

[dyeager535]

Perhaps I'm too cautious, but I'd be a bit leery of running the pump dry. I suspect it won't suck fluid on the return side.

Worst case, cap off, cans of ATF or PS fluid at the ready, funnel in the fill of the PS pump, start vehicle, and continually add.

 

[sweetk30]

return is flow only no major pressure or suck on that line. go to the auto parts store and get a cheep fluid transfer pump it looks like a grease gun minus the pump head. this will pull fluid from were ever you stick the hose. and also can be used for filling with new fluid and then blowing it up in to tcases/diffs/other hard to get places.

and i would run the cooler sideways ports for fast and best air movement for no traped air pockets.

 

[wayne]

Perhaps I'm too cautious, but I'd be a bit leery of running the pump dry. I suspect it won't suck fluid on the return side.

Worst case, cap off, cans of ATF or PS fluid at the ready, funnel in the fill of the PS pump, start vehicle, and continually add.

You flush/bleed it with the engine off.

 

[4X4HIGH]

I discovered very early that it is easy to get any trapped air pockets out if you crack one of the lines loose at the ram for a couple seconds until you get a nice steady stream of fluid, then do the other line the same way.