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Noisy Power Steering when cold

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    #1

    Noisy Power Steering when cold

    Here's one for you guys:

    I picked up my 'new' '88 Marquis on a 35 degree day. I noticed a little bit of power steering pump whine when it was started up cold, but very little. Drove fine.

    The car sat for a couple days, and the temperature slowly dropped to the teens. I fired up the car and the power steering was LOUD. Turning the wheel would almost stall the engine, it was really straining. I popped the hood, and pulled the dipstick for the power steering pump while it was running. The fluid was kinda thick, brownish, a little bubbly, and almost spilling out of the top of the resivoir. I was a bit alarmed, as I'd never seen a pump do this. (I know type F is supposed to be in there).

    I figured the guy overfilled it trying to bandaid a noisy pump. After the car warmed up for 15 minutes or so, all was well again.

    Fast forward to this weekend. I start the car again and it's making it's faint whining noise. I pulled it in the garage. It's probably 70 degrees in there now. I letit warm up to the garage temp for a few hours. I checked the fluid (cold engine) and it's right at 'normal'. It's a bit on the brownish-red side, but not bubbly. I start the car, turn the wheels, all is normal.

    Is the pump going, or did someone mess with the fluid to make it so thick when it's below 30 degrees? The consistency when freezing is somewhere between trans fluid and light maple syrup. Seems normal at operating temp. It looks like the box leaks a bit too, so I was thinking maybe someone put some leak-stop or something in there. I've never seen type-F so thick.

    I was going to pump out the old fluid and change it to be on the safe side.

    Anyone's thoughts? Is it too late?
    sigpic
    1988 Grand Marquis LS (White Lightning), 2003 Mercury Marauder (SOLD),1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7
    http://landyachts.homestead.com/page5.html,1951 Merc on a '88 Lincoln Town Car Chassis:http://landyachts.homestead.com/index.html
    Tags: flush and refill
    #2
    I've got some Lucas stop leak stuff running through mine (not a ton of it) and it's not thick and goopy. Flush that shit!

    I'll check mine in a few hours when I leave work while it is cold to observe the consistency for you.
    sigpic


    - 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria P72 - the street boat - 5.0 liter EFI - Ported HO intake/TB, 90 TC shroud/overflow, Aero airbox/zip tube, Cobra camshaft, 19lb injectors, dual exhaust w/ Magnaflows, Cat/Smog & AC delete, 3G alternator, MOOG chassis parts & KYB cop shocks, 215/70r/15s on 95-97 Merc rims

    - 2007 Ford Escape XLT - soccer mom lifted station wagon - 3.0 Duratec, auto, rear converter delete w/ Magnaflow dual exhaust

    - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis Ultimate Edition - Daily driver - 4.6 2 valve Mod motor, 4R75E, 2.73s. Bone stock

    Comment

      #3
      Flush the fluid out and refill it with some clean Type F trans fluid. It will probably shut it up. The fluid is supposed to be red, and if yours is the typical black or brown color its shot. It may also have some stopleak snot in there. I ran a bit of Lucas in mine. It did shut it up nicely, but the fluid is now sort of purple color.
      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

      Originally posted by phayzer5
      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

      Comment

        #4
        The Lucas I ran through mine DID darken the fluid a bit, but it definitely didn't gunk it up like is being described. I think I might flush it this weekend just for the hell of it.
        sigpic


        - 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria P72 - the street boat - 5.0 liter EFI - Ported HO intake/TB, 90 TC shroud/overflow, Aero airbox/zip tube, Cobra camshaft, 19lb injectors, dual exhaust w/ Magnaflows, Cat/Smog & AC delete, 3G alternator, MOOG chassis parts & KYB cop shocks, 215/70r/15s on 95-97 Merc rims

        - 2007 Ford Escape XLT - soccer mom lifted station wagon - 3.0 Duratec, auto, rear converter delete w/ Magnaflow dual exhaust

        - 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis Ultimate Edition - Daily driver - 4.6 2 valve Mod motor, 4R75E, 2.73s. Bone stock

        Comment

          #5
          Thanks guys. I'm going to flush it out firast chance I get and see what happens. I was also thinking of adding the Lucas as well.
          sigpic
          1988 Grand Marquis LS (White Lightning), 2003 Mercury Marauder (SOLD),1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7
          http://landyachts.homestead.com/page5.html,1951 Merc on a '88 Lincoln Town Car Chassis:http://landyachts.homestead.com/index.html

          Comment

            #6
            Originally posted by 1990LTD View Post
            The Lucas I ran through mine DID darken the fluid a bit, but it definitely didn't gunk it up like is being described. I think I might flush it this weekend just for the hell of it.
            used in the peoper amount, its fine. Some people will just add a bottle of stopleak every time it gets low, and eventually you're running nearly pure anti-leak goo in the system. Its just not meant to be used that way. I've seen people do that crap with radiators and with engine oil stopleak before. Its amazing the mess that it makes.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
              Flush the fluid out and refill it with some clean Type F trans fluid.r.
              I was always told never to use trans fluid in the power steering pump because it eats away at the seals...I was told to use motor oil....IDk

              Comment

                #8
                The owner's manual specifies Type F transmission fluid for the power steering pump. Motor oil is too thick and will blow the seals out. It works if the pump is on its very last leg and just won't pump atf though. Friend ran a mix of ATF and used oil in his 71 Mustang when the pump took a crap and he had no money to replace it. Worked for 2 years till he got rid of the car.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment

                  #9
                  LOL...now I know

                  Comment

                    #10
                    FYI, I am replacing the pump. I sucked out the old fluid and replaced it with fresh Type-F - same issues. The pump is noisy until it warms up. It's on it's way out. I picked up a new pump for $35.00, so I'm just going to change it out.
                    sigpic
                    1988 Grand Marquis LS (White Lightning), 2003 Mercury Marauder (SOLD),1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7
                    http://landyachts.homestead.com/page5.html,1951 Merc on a '88 Lincoln Town Car Chassis:http://landyachts.homestead.com/index.html

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