The HITS Keep Coming! Power steering pump...

[Waterloo]

(08-27-2016 )Bahdan Wrote:  Just changed the air governor on my AD-IS air dryer yesterday. Boy what a difference. Had no idea air in a truck pumps up to 130 psi. The rubber seals were so worn they almost nonexistent.
I change the cartridge once and the interior seals came apart inside the cartridge. That wrecked havoc thru my entire air system letting lots of water in. I was at a point of replacing the air dryer until I found it was a faulty desiccant cartridge.
It was an armada cartridge. I thought if it's expensive it must be great, right?

So far, my air dryer is working as it should, but, it looks to be the original OEM... I am sure that will go next, I'm almost afraid to go near it, especially with my luck.

[Old Driver]

(08-27-2016 )in2trux Wrote:  Just another day in trucking. You can do the air drier yourself, maybe just change the purge valve, it's about $80 . When was the last time you changed the cartridge?

PS pump is easy, might change the lines while you're at it.
A least it's not 20 degrees out side and snowing!

I've got a line that has a small leak at a connection. I've been eyeing to replace it. I was wondering if there is some bleeding that needs to be done after the fluid gets drained? Or is it just fill reservoir and go. I know on some cars your supposed to turn steering wheel all the way to each side to bleed the system .

[Rawze]

(08-27-2016 )Bahdan Wrote:  I've got a line that has a small leak at a connection. I've been eyeing to replace it. I was wondering if there is some bleeding that needs to be done after the fluid gets drained? Or is it just fill reservoir and go. I know on some cars your supposed to turn steering wheel all the way to each side to bleed the system .

The last one I helped someone flush their Power steering unit, it took more than 4 gallons of Dextron to get it clean and all the junk out while working the steering back and fourth heavily to clean up the system. We then changed the filter and filled it up. It is not easy to flush one and get all the old oil out.

The oil and filter need to be replaced every 250K miles, just like your rear and tranny oils do. --- Most truck owners totally neglect that system until they have problems and it is too late.

[Waterloo]

(08-27-2016 )Rawze Wrote:  

(08-27-2016 )Bahdan Wrote:  I've got a line that has a small leak at a connection. I've been eyeing to replace it. I was wondering if there is some bleeding that needs to be done after the fluid gets drained? Or is it just fill reservoir and go. I know on some cars your supposed to turn steering wheel all the way to each side to bleed the system .

The last one I helped someone flush their Power steering unit, it took more than 4 gallons of Dextron to get it clean and all the junk out while working the steering back and fourth heavily to clean up the system. We then changed the filter and filled it up. It is not easy to flush one and get all the old oil out.

The oil and filter need to be replaced every 250K miles, just like your rear and tranny oils do. --- Most truck owners totally neglect that system until they have problems and it is too late.

I'm going to ask a dumb question, the steering pump, I have replaced those on cars, but not on a truck. How much fluid does this system on my 08 ProStar hold? Do I drain the steering gear box too? I was not able to work on the truck as it has been raining like hell out here, power has been out all day, so I took a nice long nap...

[Rawze]

(08-27-2016 )Waterloo Wrote:  [
I'm going to ask a dumb question, the steering pump, I have replaced those on cars, but not on a truck. How much fluid does this system on my 08 ProStar hold? Do I drain the steering gear box too? I was not able to work on the truck as it has been raining like hell out here, power has been out all day, so I took a nice long nap...

It takes just under gallon to fill it up if it were totally dry. Depends on if you have a cooler on it or not.

It takes a LOT to flush out all that crap power steering fluid you have poured into it, so get about 4 gallons of some really cheap dextron, and flush it, flush it, flush it turn the steering wheel back and fourth heavily, until the fluid comming back out is nice and clean and bright red!.


I tend to do a job the right way, taking no shortcuts. It pays in the end.

===============

If you have a truck WITHOUT a cooler for the power steering fluid,.. If the truck pulls to one side while going down the road,.. it will shorten the life of the fluid AND the pump!. The whole system will run hot all day.

[Waterloo]

Thanks Rawze, I will do that. And I will inspect the cooler too... The steering gear box, do I drain that too? Is there a drain plug on it to evacuate the fluid? Or just flush by turning wheels and draining multiple times?

I honestly have never messed with these systems, first time I have ever had issues like this. And I have not filled the system with anything, I check it often, but this time around the fluid looks burnt, brown in color and kind of gritty looking, very dirty, but full. Steering is fading, very heavy in both directions and then comes back... No noise, and I try not to lock the wheels when maneuvering.

How about the cooler? I need to really give that a once over, the darn thing looked new when I was inspecting it. I need to look again. I might just throw a new one on along with the pump, fluid and new filter and do it right. Steering box seems to be operating properly, the u joints on the steering shaft are good, I just greased them myself the other day, they take and hold grease and are still in good working order. No play in the shaft or odd feelings out of the steering wheel other than the fading power steering.

[ktmcandog]

As a mechanic you should seek a mechanic and have it diagnosed properly 1st before spending your hard earned cash. If you loose pressure when turning one way but not the other then its in the steering box not the pump. The pump should have its pressure and flow tested on the truck using a proper inline flow tester which is a fast 1/2 hour approx test before buying a pump. Most of today's pumps are the smaller aluminum units that are susceptible to wear if system oil and filters have not been changed a few times in the trucks life. Most often the relief valve spool will scour itself or the pistons bore in the aluminum housing and hang up stuck in the pressure relief position leaving you with no or low pressure. A fluid and filter change with the proper fluid (dexron atf,syn better) as of the advent of egr due to higher under hood temperatures where as older engines use to use 15W40 engine oil. A lubricity additive that's slippery or frees stuck spools and valves such as in auto transmission additives (ie Lube Guard or others) may clean and free things up. if your mechanically inclined read up and drain the system and remove the big nut on the side or end of the pump carefully pull out the spring and plunger/spool and inspect for scouring on it and in the bore or for a broken relief spring. Minor scouring on the spool can be polished with fine crokus cloth or 3M pad.if damage is too major and the pump is leaking from the section halves or the system oil is black from the pumps front seal sucking in engine oil then it may be time to spring for a new one. As far as your alternator problems go are you purchasing a gold plated one? Unless its a specialized or very high amperage one I would just spring for a new Delco $250-300 dollar unit or a Paccar TRP Chinese alternator (they put them on their trucks new from the factory and are usually under $300 and keep your reciept for North American warranty purposes at any Pete or KW dealer. Hope these ideas help--ktmCandog!

[Waterloo]

Yes on the alternator, a regular Delco will do the trick, I do not require the high output one, thank GOD. A reman is $370 and a new one is $500 in my area... I'm springing for a new one with warranty.

The power steering, it is having issues when turning either direction and going straight down the road. It gets very heavy and then will go back to normal. The fluid was changed at the dealer a couple of months ago along with a new filter. They used power steering fluid, not Transmission fluid. The fluid is now burnt and looks gritty.

The main reason I was going with a new pump and lines is for the fact it is the original and has roughly 900,000 miles on it. I suspect that it is time, and feel more comfortable getting it out of the way before it really fails under a load, then I am looking at a possible tow bill, and that is not cheap around here, I know that first hand.

It looks pretty straight forward replacing the pump, it is just the flushing that I was concerned about.

Thank you for the reply.

[snailexpress]

Would recommend you to change dealer with PS pump. If dealer doesn't know which fluid to use I;m in deep doubt they know the procedures how to flush or torque nuts.
Not every monkey with a wrench is mechanic.