98 OBW p/s - Call me an idiot

[vic622]

So one of these days all makers will make mechanical parts that require the fluid that shares the same name as the part...

 

Case in point:

Call me an idiot.

I have a power steering pump that has a leak and I've been checking it and keeping it topped up since I got the car last summer.

Somewhere along the line I started topping it with power steering fluid intead of ATF

 

It doesn't seem to be losing any more fluid than before, so what do I do now:

a) Pretend like nothing happened and top it up with ATF?

Drain the resevoir, system and rack & refill with ATF (can this be done)?

c) R & R the pump & rack and fill with ATF (only!)?

d) Or?

[The Beast I Drive]

I wouldn't sweat it, just keep doing what youre doing. I seriously doubt you will harm anything.

 

-Bill

[johnceggleston]

So one of these days all makers will make mechanical parts that require the fluid that shares the same name as the part...

 

Case in point:

Call me an idiot.

I have a power steering pump that has a leak and I've been checking it and keeping it topped up since I got the car last summer.

Somewhere along the line I started topping it with power steering fluid intead of ATF

 

It doesn't seem to be losing any more fluid than before, so what do I do now:

a) Pretend like nothing happened and top it up with ATF?

Drain the resevoir, system and rack & refill with ATF (can this be done)?

c) R & R the pump & rack and fill with ATF (only!)?

d) Or?

 

try trans-x power steering fix. i used on my wifes car and it changed a drip and refill montly to a refill ... well not yet.

[89Ru]

I'm not disagreeing with folks above at all. But if you get an urge to flush the p/s system, its not that hard. I did it last week and I'm a noob.

 

Drain the tank

Remove the inlet strainer inside the reservior

Extract the old fluid out, a clean turkey baster works well

Put a catch rag under the hose to capture lost fluid

Open the low pressure side (thick hose and spring clamps)

Unless its leaking, don't touch the high pressure hard line fitting (double o-ring)

Loosen the metal clamps to help free up the hard lines if necessary

 

At this point you could remove the reservoir fasteners, pull off the tank, and replace the o-ring on the tank where it inserts into the pump...that's a common leak point.

Think clean clean clean, bits of crud can clog the system

Get a new o-ring from subaru first, about $3 and put rags around the reservoir to catch the fluid left in the tank

Put a bit of silicone grease on the new o-ring before inserting on the tank (dielectric tune-up grease works fine)

Re-fasten the reservoir tank to its bracket

 

 

Back to our regular programming

Wedge a 1 qt. catch bottle or larger down near the cylinder head or another secure place

Run a 2' scrap piece of 3/8 fuel line from the end of the rubber hose you removed from the reservoir, use a brass coupler to mate the two hoses together

Insert the other end of the 3/8 fuel line into the catch bottle

 

Flushing

Lift both front wheels off the ground

Fill the reservoir with your fluid of choice, I used Dexmerc

Assuming the belt is still on the pulley, run the engine for a few seconds to flush the old fluid out of the hoses, rack, pump

Shut down, add fluid

Repeat, until new fluid is coming out into the catch bottle

Try not to run the reservoir tank dry (I did every time, the noob thing...) or if you do and pump begins to groan, shut down! The system, and catch bottle will fill with aerated fluid in this case, not to worry about air since you'll bleed it out next

As an alternate to running the pump at motor idle speed, you could remove the p/s belt and drive the pulley with a drill motor and flex shaft...didn't try that

Check for leaks

 

Bleeding air

Remove the flushing hookups

Mate up the low pressure fitting back to the reservoir

Fill the reservoir tank

Run the engine

With the wheels off the ground, turn the steering wheel full travel side to side, not pausing at the ends

Top off the tank as the air bleeds out

Let the system rest overnight (fluid will de-aereate and cool)

Next morning, fill to proper level cold

 

Corrections appreciated! Don't know if this is accepted subie procedure or not, worked once for me

Edited January 19, 2010 by 89Ru

[vic622]

try trans-x power steering fix. i used on my wifes car and it changed a drip and refill montly to a refill ... well not yet.

 

How long ago?

[johnceggleston]

How long ago?

 

3 - 4 months, i added it last fall.

[vic622]

...

if you get an urge to flush the p/s system, its not that hard.

...

 

I hope its easier to do than it is to write it up

 

Thanks for the explaination, I might just do this, soon.

Even if I'm don't need to worry about the wrong fluid, I have no idea when the system was last flushed. Good excuse to do it now,

... As soon as my driveway unthaws.

 

Vic

[vic622]

I wouldn't sweat it, just keep doing what youre doing. I seriously doubt you will harm anything.

-Bill

 

I'm a bit worried about incompatible fluids, do you figure they shouldn't react with each other?

[vic622]

3 - 4 months, i added it last fall.

 

That's good to know. I had added an STP stop leak product, but it didn't seem to have any effect.

I'll give this stuff a try.

 

When I get around to doing a flush, I'll replace the o-ring. Hopefully these together should solve the problem.

It just has that funny habit of dripping down the front of the timing cover/engine and onto the exhaust & I'm getting tired of that certain smell every time I get out of the car. :-p

[The Beast I Drive]

I'm a bit worried about incompatible fluids, do you figure they shouldn't react with each other?

 

They are both hydraulic fluid, Ive mixed and matched them before with no ill effects that I could see...

 

-Bill

[vic622]

They are both hydraulic fluid, Ive mixed and matched them before with no ill effects that I could see...

-Bill

Good to know!