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- Joined
- Aug 7, 2007
- Messages
- 2,384
- Reaction score
- 39
- Points
- 48
- Location
- Michigan
- Vehicle Year
- 1984, 1997
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 302, 2.3
- Transmission
- Manual
- My credo
- If you're not making mistakes, you're not learning.
I had always figured Ford P/S pumps just whined. That was the way they were. The end.
I was riding along with my friend the other day in his Mercury Sable, we just changed the trans fluid and he was commenting on the test drive that he needed to bleed the P/S pump because it was particularly loud. I informed him it may be a wasted effort because all Ford pumps seem to have that dull whine.
Then he came right back and told me something that he had found out from one of his old mechanics teachers. That you have to bleed the pumps under vacuum, all ford pumps, otherwise it it literally impossible (by design) to get all the air out of them.
His teacher had another Ford (can't remember what) had it into 3 shops and a dealership to fix the horribly loud whine. could not figure it out, several new pumps, etc (warranty). So he sent my friend into the library area of the auto shop to see if he could find some way of fixing the whine that they haven't tried. And in some dusty old book it mentioned bleeding it under vacuum. He found some equally dusty clear plastic pieces that looked like they were made for sealing a hole the size of a P/S pump that had a fitting and could suck air out. Tried it on the car and sure enough, air came bubbling out and it eventually quieted down.
I guess you need to do this while it's running, and make sure you keep it under constant vacuum while turning the steering wheel lock to lock, make sure the fluid level stays where it should be.
He said anything will work so long as it can keep pulling a vacuum.
Hopefully this can be a cheap fix (or at least attempt) before people go replacing pumps or switching to the Saginaw style pump (which while easy still requires a new pump). Worth a shot I think.
I was riding along with my friend the other day in his Mercury Sable, we just changed the trans fluid and he was commenting on the test drive that he needed to bleed the P/S pump because it was particularly loud. I informed him it may be a wasted effort because all Ford pumps seem to have that dull whine.
Then he came right back and told me something that he had found out from one of his old mechanics teachers. That you have to bleed the pumps under vacuum, all ford pumps, otherwise it it literally impossible (by design) to get all the air out of them.
His teacher had another Ford (can't remember what) had it into 3 shops and a dealership to fix the horribly loud whine. could not figure it out, several new pumps, etc (warranty). So he sent my friend into the library area of the auto shop to see if he could find some way of fixing the whine that they haven't tried. And in some dusty old book it mentioned bleeding it under vacuum. He found some equally dusty clear plastic pieces that looked like they were made for sealing a hole the size of a P/S pump that had a fitting and could suck air out. Tried it on the car and sure enough, air came bubbling out and it eventually quieted down.
I guess you need to do this while it's running, and make sure you keep it under constant vacuum while turning the steering wheel lock to lock, make sure the fluid level stays where it should be.
He said anything will work so long as it can keep pulling a vacuum.
Hopefully this can be a cheap fix (or at least attempt) before people go replacing pumps or switching to the Saginaw style pump (which while easy still requires a new pump). Worth a shot I think.
only time i notice it now is if i am watching a video of the truck moving.
