All fluids in your van will get crappy over time - some sooner than
others. Engine oil of course is the worst. Brake fluids need to be
changed as they tend to get dirty and entrain humidity in them and the
result is water in the fluid. Can cause real problems in cold weather as
well as corrosion of parts. I change my coolant every two years and the
tranny (manual) every two years. I'm running Redline MT 90 in it, but
still change it. Overkill? Maybe, but its my choice. On the power
steering thing, prol'ly every 5 years, along with a new filter. Dextron
AFT work great, and is a better fluid than the old original hydraulic
fluid.

I know I allude back to my aircraft pilot and mechanic days a lot, but
the lessons hammered home by those old pilots and mechanics back then
have really stuck. And I'm the better for it.

I once had an instructor  - name of Jester Phinazee - a fine man, a
fabulous aircraft engine mechanic. I think he did the first annual
inspection on the Wright Brothers first airplane. He went back a ways,
and knew some amazing stuff. He always wore a white shirt and a black
tie, black trousers, perfectly polished black shoes. In all the time I
trained with him, worked on engines with him, got under airplane engines
with him, worked in the engine shop with him, I never once saw him with
a single spot of grease on that white shirt! Not once. It became a
matter of legend. On one occasion a betting pool was set up as to when a
spot was going to appear on that shirt before one Christmas. Didn't happen.

Anyway,  the man passed on an admonition to all us neophyte would-be
mechanics "Son, if it's not clean of grease, oil and dirt, it is not
airworthy, and SHALL NOT be returned to service!!" If it got returned to
service it had to be clean, and many times had to look new. Like
cylinders - had to be painted. Didn't matter if the paint was cracked or
peeled and the aircraft was in service. When it came into the shop for
inspection/repair - it got cleaned, inspected, repaired,adjusted,
painted where required- only then could it be returned to service.

That lesson stuck. I have been a stickler about the clean thing ever
since. And it pays. It is a reflection about how well you take care of
your machine. And over time, CLEAN will pay. If you ever need to sell
your van - if it's clean, it's going to bring a better price. It is a
reflection of how well it's been taken care of.  Oh, a detail shop can
make it look good, but if you have kept it up, it will show through what
the detail shop has done. Always does.

Didn't mean to get on a mini-sermon this morning.

Have a good day, ALL!!

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Kevin Mulligan wrote:

>How often should power steering fluid be changed, if
>at all?
>
>Any recommendations for the type of fluid, or will any
>Dexron ATF work fine?
>
>- Kevin
>
>
>
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