Poor Man's Power Steering Oil Change

[mrnickleye]

You will need these things:
- a couple qts of DexronIII tranny fluid (that's what factory used).
- a turkey bayster (looks like a giant eye dropper) from the grocery store (or Dollar Store).
- a 6" piece of 3/8" fuel line to put onto the bayster tip.
- a small bucket or pan.

Now, with the engine off, stick the fuel hose (on the end of the bayster) down into the P/S (power steering) resevoir. Suck up old oil into the bayster with one squeeze of the bulb. Remove hose and squirt old oil into pan.

Repeat this until you can't get any more old oil out.

Fill resevoir to full line (approx 3/4 full) with new DexIII oil.

Do this again after a day or 2 of driving. Then again in a week or 2.

This proceedure will dilute the oil already in there (in the pump, and rack), then after 3 times, it will have removed most of the old oil.

After this, you can do the proceedure just one time (not 3) every 6-12mo. to keep it fresh.

**Dispose of old oil in accordance with local laws. (I had to say that).**

[ghost88]

Thanks, i know this an old old post but i was just about to ask, my power steering sometimes is ok but other times gets stiff and i suspect it desperately needs a change. (a poor poor mans solution would be paper towels rolled up and allowed to soak up the oil, which i did in desperation on a different car. not doing that again.)

[supkar]

Or, pull the return line to the pump reservoir and put it in gallon jug. With a friend slowly pouring ATF into the reservoir, run the motor till old fluid is completely flushed out. Install hose, fill with new fluid and run engine while cranking steering wheel all the way to the left , then right. Repeat this till air stops bubbling up from the reservoir. I like to jack up the front for this last step to make it easier.

[Bru]

The more through way would be to draw out as much as possible from the reservoir while
moving the hose around to get as much of the crud that settles on the mesh screen inside. Then disconnect the low pressure return hose (the easy one) at the rack and connect at piece of hose to act as a drain in to a pan/jar/bucket. With the engine off and steering unlocked and the front wheels jacked up, push the wheels side to side slowly to pump out the old fluid or have someone turn the steering wheel. If you want you can blow what’s in the return lineup to the reservoir or draw it out using the baster or a large syringe. This would be a good time to replace any hoses. I used automatic transmission hose for the low pressure connections. Now add fresh fluid to the reservoir and move the wheels as before but don't run the reservoir dry. When the fluid looks clean from the rack, reconnect the hose and do a few more wheel turns. Start the engine and do a few lock to lock steering wheel turns. Check the cold level in the reservoir. Add or remove fluid as necessary.

Note: I had to do this twice because the new fluid made my old high pressure hose go bad and leak. Mabie it was just a coincidence.

[cre]

Originally Posted by Bru

Note: I had to do this twice because the new fluid made my old high pressure hose go bad and leak. Mabie it was just a coincidence.

Fresh fluids = fresh detergents.