Proper Fluid for EARLY (Box) P/S systems

[dirtymike]

My manual says " Fill the power steering pump reservoir with a good quality power steering fluid or Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type F " . Dirty

 

[97Ranger3.0]

For what it's worth -

I work at an auto parts store and I looked into this out of curiosity. Our system said Rangers up to 94 used Type F ATF for power steering, and 95-96 used Ford Power Steering Fluid (not sure what exactly that would've been equivalent to) and 97+ use Mercon ATF.

Also the pump didn't charge part numbers in those years, so I don't see why you can't use Type F in the 95-97.

I had read something about running Type F instead of Mercon to quiet down the pump in these trucks, so I recently switched mine over from Mercon to Type F in my '97 and it did noticeably quiet it down.

 

[Jim Oaks]

The pump on my 1996 sounds horrible. I think it had power steering fluid in it at one point. Might have to see what's involved in flushing it and filling it with Type F.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have dex/merc in mine and it works ok

JY '99ish Explorer pump with the stock '85 gearbox.

 

[racsan]

mine is mostly lucas p/s fluid with a stop-leak additive. If its driven every day I have no issues, it works-its quiet, no leakage. If I park it for awhile (over a week) it starts leaking out, I think from the pitman shaft on the steering box, if it were to sit for a few months without being drove it will be down enough that you cant see it at all in the reservoir on the pump. But if driven daily it doesnt seem to leak at all. But it is a ‘94 and as far as I know its all original with 160K + on the “clock”. Id think any hydraulic fluid would work in a power steering system, I might purge my system and try 303 tractor hydraulic fluid just for the heck of it, worst it can do is be noisy & leak more. I have a manual box and have considered swapping to manual steering but not sure Id like that except for having less crap under the hood.

 

[19Walt93]

I generally use Dexron/Mercon because it's slipperier than type F but even Mercon V says it's OK for power steering on the jug. If you buy "power steering fluid" you're paying a higher price for ATF. Motorcraft power steering fluid and transfer case fluid both say they meet Dexron/Mercon spec on the jug. I would never put sealer in a steering system or automatic trancsmission, I'd fix the leak.