Flushing the Power Steering System

The previous owner paid to have the power steering system flushed when the new rack was installed on October 23, 2024.  If anything, I think they just added a little fluid to replace what was lost when the rack was removed.  The fluid certainly looks old so not much was done as that was certainly less than 1,000 miles ago.

As I researched it, I found that Ford indicates you should use Type-F ATF in the power steering system instead of power steering fluid.  Additionally, you do not need the additional friction modifiers in Dexron and Mercon.  I picked up some Valvoline Type-F from Summit along with a few other things so I could do the flush with the best fluid possible.

I took the hoses off the bottom of the cooling line and let them drain for a bit.  I then plugged the line coming from the bottom of the reservoir, filled the reservoir, and then took of the belt.  I operated the pump by hand while filling the reservoir periodically.  This slowly pumped new fluid throughout the system.  I then turned the steering wheel from one side to the other about four times with the front jacked up which flushed the system further.  With that done, I reconnected everything, started the car, and let it run while turning the wheel from side to side.

The power steering fluid was the normal bright red until I started the car.  I guess it worked loose some other sediment in the system.  The fluid doesn't look bad but it isn't the bright color it was originally.  I ultimately worked a full quart through the system so I think it is far better than it was before.  Over time, I'm sure it will probably darken as everything flows through a bit more.  If it bothers me, I can always do this job another time as I have two more bottles of the AFT Type-F on-hand.

Before:

After:

While I had everything apart, I took some time to clean all the lines and clips.  The car must have had an oil leak at some point as some of the components are rather nasty.  Doing the job now and with each other item I touch will just make it better to work on in the future with whatever job comes next.