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How To: Flush your Power Steering Fluid

61K views 34 replies 27 participants last post by  ATMINSIDE  
#1 ·
Disclaimer
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A 355nation How To presented by
jackedupcanyon

Project Name
How-to flush your power steering fluid

Project Description
How-to flush your power steering fluid

Skill Level
Easy

Project Vehicle
Make: GMC
Model: Canyon
Year: 2007
Engine: 3.7L
Power windows: Yes
Sun Roof: Yes
Body Lift: Yes

Tools Needed
Channel locks and/or pliers
3/8" clear tubing - roughly 12" or so
3/8" barbed fitting capped on the end
3/8" clear tubing - roughly 3 – 4 ft or so
3/8" barbed fitting on both ends
Milk jug
Drain pan
Power steering fluid (full system capacity approximately +/- 48 fluid oz or so)
Hydraulic lift


Project Time
1 hour or so

Project Cost
~$30 - $40 total give or take

Project Procedure
Step 1 - Locate the power steering pump and fluid reservoir.
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Step 2 - Take your short piece of 3/8" tubing, insert the barbed fitting and cap the end. (Bottom)
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Step 3 - Take your long piece of 3/8" tubing and insert the double barbed end fitting at one end. (Top)
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Step 4 - Locate the metal supply and rubber return lines on the steering pump reservoir.
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Step 5 - With a drain pan under the truck, disconnect the rubber return line and quickly slide the short piece of 3/8" tubing capped on the end over the return connection on the bottom of the pump/reservoir. This section of tubing will fill up with the old steering fluid in the reservoir. If you have had your truck 2 or more years and have never changed your power steering fluid then it will probably look dirty but that is why you are flushing it. Picture below is with the tubing sticking out under the fender wheel well. The fluid color in the bottle was not accurately shown in the picture so I photoshopped the fluid in a syringe for a better representation. Only 2 years on the steering fluid in the truck and as you can see it was almost black.
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Step 6 - Quickly slide the long piece of 3/8" tubing with the double barbed fitting and slide it over the other end of the return hose tubing. Put the end of tubing with no fitting into a milk jug or other container to catch the old fluid.
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Step 7 - Take the cap off the steering pump reservoir and lift the front of the vehicle up where the tires are off the ground.
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Step 8 - Turn the steering wheel a few cycles back and forth to pump the old fluid out of the system. It does not take many turns. Continue to do this till the fluid starts to spit and sputter.
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Step 9 – Add new fluid to the reservoir and turn the steering wheel a few cycles back and forth to pump the new fluid thru the system. Continue to do this till you see new fluid starts to come out of the tubing. The fluid will continue to lighten up as you flush the old fluid out. Do this till you are satisfied that old fluid is flushed out enough.
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Step 10 - Quickly disconnect the long tubing from the return line, short piece of 3/8" tubing capped on the end and reconnect the existing rubber return line to the bottom of the steering pump reservoir.
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Step 11 - Turn the steering wheel a few cycles back and forth to pump the fluid thru the system. Lower the vehicle and check the amount of fluid in the steering pump reservoir. Add as needed.

Step 12 - Again lift the front of the vehicle where the tires are off the ground and turn the steering wheel a few cycles back and forth to pump the fluid thru the system.

Step 13 - Lower the vehicle and re-check the amount of fluid in the steering pump reservoir. Add as needed. Repeat steps 11 and 13 until the fluid in the reservoir is within the acceptable range.

Step 14 - DONE! Drive the vehicle for a day or so and recheck. Add fluid as needed.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Thanks. Power steering fluid is often over looked. Thought it could help several members out. You are correct Jay, do not forget the brakes. Brakes and power steering fluid every 2 years!
 
#7 ·
wow I have never even thought of flushing any of that!! Nice write up man. My truck is three and a half years old but has sat in storage off and on for long periods at a time. I think I only have 22,xxx miles. And that ia with many trips back and forth from Texas to Ohio!
 
#9 ·
Damn something else to do, but needed! Nice write up!
 
#10 ·
Great write up but I can't for the life of my understand what the short tube plugs into. I get that it screws onto the pump but what does the other end do?
 
#11 ·
Yeah turd, when are we going to get together and do some of this stuff and install your GP seats? :lol2:
 
#16 ·
Each vehicle I do varies a little but typically it is around 3-4 bottles. Alot depends on how much of the lighter (newer) fluid you continue to pump thru the system to flush out the old. I think I used around 3 bottles (~48 oz) but also typically buy a spare bottle just encase. I also added a power steering fluid cooler (a different how to) at this same time so I ended up using more than 3 bottles.

i know this has nothin to do w this thread but just curious, what size rim is that?
17"
 
#20 ·
Great write up OP

I highly recommend going with Amsoil Power Steering fluid like the OP of the tread showed picture, I switched to Amsoil PS fluid and what a difference it made and it's also suppose to last longer and run cooler then other PS fluids. I couldn't find any locally so I had placed a order with Amsoil.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Hey guys.

First off, thanks to jackedupcanyon for the how to.

I do have one question though. After performing the flush (I used Prestone power steering fluid) and driving a few days, the steering seems to have a slight delay and I'm pretty sure I can hear/feel the fluid squishing around in there when I make abrupt turns with the steering wheel.

Thinking I got air in the system, I jacked up the truck and cycled the wheel back and forth a bunch of times. When I checked the reservoir, there were hundreds of little bubbles, so I kept at it until I didn't see them any longer. After the test drive, the delay is still there....what gives? Am I just trippin' here or what?!

Also, as a side note, while flushing the system, the short hose with the cap was obviously letting a little air in. Every 5 seconds or so, I'd see a small bubble form near the brass cap and go up the hose into the resevoir. I tried tightening the cap down more but it didn't seem to help. i'll probably use plumber's tape or something next time to seal it better.
 
#25 ·
I just changed the hubs on the front of my truck. I used the steering to pop the hubs off the spindle. Now my steering is light and then heavy when turning lock to lock. I am not sure what I damaged here. Is it the pump or the rack that is most likely damaged. There is no leaks and the fluid level is good. Also the pulley on the pump is still firm and there is no play.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
 
#27 ·
Just finished mine. Took about an hour. The worst part was pulling the return line on the pump because old fluid dumped everywhere. So be ready for it and have your capped line ready to cram on there.

Everything else was pretty easy. My old fluid looked like coffee so the new should definately help things.

Advance had a gallon jug of Valvoline power steering fluid on sale for $13 and my hose and fittings cost about 6 bucks. So I'm in for less than $20 and an hour. A perfect maintenance item to do on a boring Saturday afternoon, or after work in my case, haha!
 
#28 ·
Going to do this in a few days. My pump started making all kinds of racket (sounded like an old Ford power steering), and I could feel a vibration while moving the steering wheel. Checked the fluid, and the level was ok but like someone else said it looked like used diesel oil. Didn't have much time, so I aspirated what fluid was in the pump and replaced it with new (about 16oz give or take). Just this bit made a huge difference in the steering (no more vibration) and the noise vastly diminished.

My question? Is it ok to lift the front of the truck just by the front differential? If this were my beloved 1967 1/2 ton Chevy I'd have no doubt, but seeing some photos of busted front axle casings on the 355's makes me wonder if there are precautions I should take with the pumpkin when jacking the wheels off the ground. May be a stupid question, but better safe than sorry.
 
#29 ·
I'll take the silence as a postive sign. I haven't actually seen a cracked differential housing, but I was told the housing is the same alloy as the axle housings, and I was worried about that much pin-point pressure on the differential.

Did a search for photos and all I am finding are the busted axle tubes . . . and they seem to be a result of some extreme bad luck while off-roading. Guess I'm being over-cautious. I do that with this truck.