George, have you got any idea as to what he power steering pump output
pressure is??

Thanks,

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 gL Driver

George Goff wrote:

>In a message dated 11/16/03 6:36:22 PM, korkwood@WSHOST.NET writes:
>
><< How do you flush the system? What's the purpose? >>
>
>Leon,
>
>A clean hydraulic system will last damn near forever, but it has to be kept
>as clean as a space shuttle assembly room.  If a rack is queefed out, it's
>going to have some form of ca-ca floating around in it.  If you install a new rack
>without flushing the system, there is a good chance that the residual crap
>will cause a seal to leak in a short time.  Also, replacing a pump without
>flushing can ruin a perfectly good rack.
>
>I had this come home to roost the first time I changed out a Volvo rack about
>25 years ago.  Within weeks after installing the replacement rack, my
>Sweetheart told me her car was steering "funny".  Knowing and loving women as I do, I
>figured she just had smeared on too much Jergens.  When I checked it, I found
>steering fluid dripping from the wheelhouses and the reservoir bone dry.
>Also, both rack boots were split.  I would have loved to have seen those boots
>right before they shit the bed.
>
>To flush the system, I made a temporary reservoir from a gallon metal pour
>can by cutting out its bottom and adapting a hose barb to its screw on lid.  I
>hang it above the reservoir and connect it to the pump supply line.  I
>disconnect the return at the reservoir and run it to a catch basin.  I fill the can
>leaving some room for slosh then start the engine and while it is idling I turn
>the steering from lock to lock until the fluid is expended.  It is nice to
>have a helper at the wheel so that you don't have to run back and forth from the
>front of the van to the rear.  When the pump starts spinning the fluid
>disappears pretty damn fast and if you have a helper you can add even more fluid to
>the flush.  Of course, the reservoir also has to be scrubbed clean before the
>system is filled.
>
>After I bought my first Syncro, with 130 Kmi on it, the steering was starting
>to get hard at start up on cold mornings.  I flushed the system as I
>described with 6 quarts of fluid.  When I parked that van for the final time, it had
>216 Kmi on the clock and the power steering was still working perfectly.
>
>The only problem is what to do with the wasted ATF left over from the
>flushing.  I keep a couple gallons of it around to use for a quench when heat
>treating, the rest I dump into a pristine, babbling mountain stream near Latrobe,PA.
>I think it is the same one the Rolling Rock brewery uses.
>
>George
>
>
>