loud pump

[funkingonutz]

My power stering pump on my 1995 Ranger is kinda loud, ive noticed this on other rangers also too, is it just a "ranger thing" or is there something wrong with my pump, i know the previous owner of my ranger, filled the pump with Automatic Transmission Fluid (BAD IDEA) So i sucked MOST of it out with a turkey baster and filled it with Prestone Power steering fluid and its still loud!
It binds sometimes to esp. when cold, Could the A.T.F. have ruined my pump and thats why its so loud?

 

[Sunk]

Ford power steering pumps are known to be rather noisy. Some pumps are also designed to run on ATF. There's a thread around here that'll tell you. The PO may not have been wrong. If the steering is easy, AKA the pump is working, I'd say its ok.

 

[exbass94]

i know the previous owner of my ranger, filled the pump with Automatic Transmission Fluid (BAD IDEA) So i sucked MOST of it out with a turkey baster and filled it with Prestone Power steering fluid and its still loud!
It binds sometimes to esp. when cold, Could the A.T.F. have ruined my pump and thats why its so loud?

You're SUPPOSED to use ATF in the power steering pump. Look in your owner's manual for the correct fluid to use. Betcha it'll say to use ATF in it.

 

[dogboy]

Mine is noisey. Makes kind of a buzzing noise when you are turning. I have heard many other Fords do it, so I am not worried about mine.

My owners manual and Hanes Manual both say use ATF in it.

 

[thegoat4]

Mine was noisy. I put in fresh fluid (ATF) and the noise went away.

I didn't just suck it out of the reservoir, I cracked a line and let the whole system drain.

 

[MAKG]

I doubt you sucked anywhere near most of it out with a turkey baster. You don't even get most of it out by pulling the return line. Most of the fluid lives in the GEAR. If you really want to drain it, you pop the return line and then turn the wheel stop to stop until it finishes coming out.

The noise is largely an RBV thing, at least for 3rd gen and later (less so for 1st and 2nd gen). It gets so you can identify a Ford blindfolded.... You CAN get a quiet pump, but it's VERY easy to score it when bleeding, hence the noise. You have to bleed it mostly with the engine off to avoid this.

 

[funkingonutz]

ok thanks

ok ill drain the pump on the return line and re-fill it with power steering fluid, my owners manual says use power steeing fluid, i dont know i was told its bad to use atf in ford power steering systems but never mind.

 

[swamprat]

friend of mine swears by using a couple of teaspoons of STP oil treatment to quiet down a noise pump. I has had Fords for 20 years and they all have had a loud pump.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

ok ill drain the pump on the return line and re-fill it with power steering fluid, my owners manual says use power steeing fluid, i dont know i was told its bad to use atf in ford power steering systems but never mind.

I havn't met a ford yet that doesn't take ATF in the PS system

 

[TireIron]

a '95 should say to use ATF directly on the reservior cap... once you clean off all the gunk built up on the cap of course. I've found the mobil 1 synthetic ATF to work very good in my 348,000 mile power steering system in my 94.