Tungsten Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I tried to flush my power steering fluid today by myself and as usual something went wrong. I knew something will be bad because my power steering system never worked right to begin with. I took a giant suction tube and tried to suck out the fluid while the pump was running. I noticed that the fluid was already greenish and was only able to suck up about 8 oz of it. I thought the system was just empty so I decided to fill it with some clean ATF but it would not fill past what the reservoir was holding. I was only able to put about 10 oz back into the system and the FSM calls for around 35 oz. The pump just whines and turning the wheels side to side does nothing with the reservoir open. It made a bunch of racket when I sucked up the fluid and got just a little quieter but still whiny when I put the fluid back in so I know the fluid is getting to the pump. Does that mean that the box is bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Did you blow the lines out with compressed air? Could be a blob of goo in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I noticed that the fluid was already greenish and was only able to suck up about 8 oz of it. You sure you aren't messing with the radiator?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 (edited) You sure you aren't messing with the radiator?? B No, I'm not that retarded. Did you blow the lines out with compressed air? Could be a blob of goo in there. I am pretty sure the lines are good but I will try that. I may even disconnect both lines from the box and purge the system that way. Is it hard to change the box? I have a pitman arm puller. Edited January 26, 2012 by Tungsten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlBlue Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Sounds like something is clogged or your pump is bad. I have gone through a lot of PS hoses in the cold up here but both my pumps are original. If you disconnect or even loosen one end of the hose on the linkage at a time you will be able to figure out if there is a blockage is leaving the pump or on the return. Probably a good a idea to have someone work the steering wheel for you though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 To truly flush the system you need to take the return line off of the reservoir and cap the fitting on the reservoir where the hose was. Run the return hose to a bucket, extend it if needed. Have someone start it up for you while you keep the reservoir full with fresh fluid. Have them turn the wheel back and forth while it is flushing. Once clean fluid is coming out the return line connect it back to the reservoir and top it off. Flushing is usually for maintenance. If you already have a problem flushing might not help. You would definitely want to flush it like this really well before putting a new pump. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 (edited) I don't know, the pump was replaced before without any difference. I think the return line was replaced as well. The box is still original so I'm eyeing that right now. I will also have to take a good look at that feed line. Thanks for the tips! Is it hard to rebuild the box by yourself? I noticed that nobody sells replacements for the older style box anymore. Edited January 26, 2012 by Tungsten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 OT - how do you dispose of PS fluid? I've got a steering rack and pinion getting ready to crap out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Put it in a bottle and take it to collections or a nearest auto repair shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1994SEV6 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 OT - how do you dispose of PS fluid? I've got a steering rack and pinion getting ready to crap out. I'm pretty sure PS fluid is just a type of oil. Pretty much every fluid in your vehicle is just a type of oil. So go dump it where you dump other oils. Except coolant. Don't go mixing that with your oils and disposing of it. Anyway, Tungsten, I'm still concerned about your fluid being green. What made you want to do maintenance on your P/S pump? Trying to do preventative maintenance or was there another problem? Besides your thing with the crunchy steering wheel. What happens with P/S pumps when they get low on fluid is that they break...somehow. They will whine and do other unpleasant noises, but they will function for a little while longer. I would assume metal shavings and things like that accumulate and build up. Kind of like an auto trans. Maybe when you sucked the fluid out, you disturbed all that stuff. Have you flushed it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Brake fluid and engine coolant are ethylene glycol based and do not mix with oils, so do not dispose of those in the oil recycling containers at auto parts stores. Engine oil, ATF, PSF, gear oils (including MTF) are all fine to dispose of in the same container. Power steering systems do not generate as much wear as an automatic transmission - if one flushes the system once at 25k to purge break-in wear and manufacturing crud then maybe once every 50k or a siphon & fill every second or third oil change, the power steering system will be happy. Use of a synthetic ATF will reduce operating temperatures and enhance cold-weather performance. Green fluid is weird. I can't think of a possible explanation about that. I'm assuming it was red when it went in. What specific fluid was used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 I don't know what made the old fluid so funky but right now it seems like a nice ATF color after I replaced some of it. The steering is slightly better too but only if I don't turn the wheel too much. The more I turn it, the harder it gets to turn. Turning the wheel only a little bit in each direction is easy but turning it all the way to the stop gets really difficult as it is approaching the stop. It's like logarithmic steering. I don't know if that says anything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 What probably happened was someone put a new pump on and didn't flush anything out, leaving all of the debris behind to ruin your steering box. I think VW power steering fluid is green... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 That's most likely what happened. I'm pretty sure that box is gunked up. How hard is it to remove and rebuild? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I don't know, never had the need to remove one or take one apart. It's held on by 4 bolts, then there's the steering shaft bolt and the pitman arm. Doesn't look too hard to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Those 4 bolts look like they're going to need impact gun love. I need to check the FSM to see what torque they need when installing the box back. Also, how do you remove the steering shaft out of the box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1994SEV6 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 The steering is slightly better too but only if I don't turn the wheel too much. The more I turn it, the harder it gets to turn. Let me get this straight.. So, it works if you DON'T use your steering? Interesting. What probably happened was someone put a new pump on and didn't flush anything out, leaving all of the debris behind to ruin your steering box. I think VW power steering fluid is green... Yeah. probably what happened. Lack of maintenance busted the first one up, then someone went to the JY and got a replacement. The same gunk just flowed through and hampered the 2nd one. This is EXACTLY what happened to my A/T. 48k miles on an A/T and it breaks? Good job cleaning the gunk out of the trans cooler, guys. Green PS fluid by VW? They do like to have their own fluids, don't they? Honestly, Tungsten, just go to the junkyard and find a replacement. I know it's probably a little uncommon to find one that will fit, but I think that's your best bet. It will cost you, what $20? $30? I'm not against rebuiling the one you have. Take yours off and keep it for rebuilding. Order the kit or whatever is involved and do it in your spare time. I think you said you couldn't even find a kit for now. You don't want to be held up from work or whatever you do because of a P/S pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh: I went to a bunch of yards and none of them had anything older in the Nissan truck department than 1995. The steering box for the 1991 year is different. I would have to convert everything over to 1995 parts to just use the box. If you can find me a 1991 box, ship it to me. I don't know when they changed but the RockAuto catalog lists them as 1991 to 1992. Edited January 27, 2012 by Tungsten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1994SEV6 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 so any Nissan truck from 1986.5-199...when? When did they change it? 1994 when they updated everything? I'll see what I can find for you. This junkyard I went to about two weeks ago had 2 2-doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 mid year 92 is when the box type changed i believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 My impression is that rebuilding steering boxes is not particularly easy. I seem to recall someone posting the name of a company that rebuilds them with good service, but it didn't sound cheap. Might have been this: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=26009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yes that's it but the shipping is not going to be fun. RockAuto has some ATSCO boxes on there right now so maybe I can go with that? I would rather already have a steering box on hand rather than having to go and ship it to Red Head and waiting on getting it back. Unless anyone that lives in the area is willing to offer me favors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1994SEV6 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Unless anyone that lives in the area is willing to offer me favors. Their website says Seattle, WA. Aren't like half of NPORA members in Washington? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) I did some more research today and apparently my truck will take a 1995 steering box without issues, I will only need to change the lines going to the power steering pump. What happened was first Nissan changed the pump design in 1988 then the Pitman arm taper in 1991, which uses a bigger 41mm nut, and then they changed the design of the box itself with a more powerful one in 1993, which has newer fittings. 1991-1992 boxes use the same large taper that the newer models use but the same design of the box as the older style models. Therefore, it is the same old box but with a bigger output shaft. I might as well just convert to a newer style box, which has slightly different fittings and is more powerful, than try to hunt down an obsolete 1991-1992 box. All I will need to do is just buy new lines and everything else should swap right over, including the Pitman arm! Now I hope the pump is still in good condition. Is there any way to check for pump damage? The less things I have to buy the better. My fear is just that the pump that I have now can ruin the new box that I will put in later with new lines. Any way to prevent this from happening or am I stuck with buying another pump too? EDIT: As you can see, it is possible to swap a 93-95 box in place of a 91-92 box by just changing the lines. You can also swap the newest 93-95 box with the 87-90 by changing the Pitman arm, the lines, and sometimes the pump. Edited January 29, 2012 by Tungsten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 How will your pump ruin the new box? Unless it is full of junk (maybe it is), then presumably if it isn't pumping enough it will just be too hard to steer? Or does lack of pressure actually damage these boxes somehow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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