Power steering oil Prices for domestic older autos

[Crosley.In.AZ]

back in the day..  LOL , I simply added trans fluid to power steering pumps

What happened?  I looked at power steering oil in generic bottles and it is priced at 4.80 to 6 dollars a quart.  This is not oil for an import automobile, just a generic bottle of oil. Looked at O'Riely auto , their brand was 5.40 a quart

I recently re-sealed the saginaw p-s pump on my car. I had a partial gallon jug of p-s oil from Walmart.  I mixed some trans oil with the p-s oil to have enough to get the pump full

[58 Yeoman]

I pick up new bottles of stuff at estate sales.  But...the bottle has to be sealed before I'll buy it.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

It is just hydraulic oil, light weight.

I am tempted to pick up some John Deere hyguard hydraulic oil

[Harry]

I wonder if you can use cooking oil?
I lifted this from the web.
Natural oils such as rapeseed (also called canola oil) are used as base stocks for fluids where biodegradability and renewable sources are considered important.

[39deluxe]

I actually believe that most any oil will work. I had a '85 Olds Ciera that had a bad rack leak at the seals. The car was too rusted to drop the cradle with any hope of ever getting it back in so replacement was out of the question. None of the magic in a bottle stuff worked so I just dumped in whatever I could find around the garage. Even used motor oil. Any part quart of any type oil went in.

I had the best luck with Rotella T diesel oil from the shop where I work. When cold it steered a little hard for a minute but after that it was just fine and the leaking all but stopped.

Tom

[58 Yeoman]

I had an '86 Cierra that had the 'morning sickness' steering (that's what they called it at the parts store, anyway).  It would steer really hard, and veer one way or the other.  A rebuilt rack and pinion fixed it.

[39deluxe]

Yes, at the time they were only $72. at NAPA. The whole front end would have caved in on it'self if I had unbolted the cradle. this car was really,.....really rusty.

Tom

[tomslik]

I actually believe that most any oil will work.
Tom

i'll take that bet....

gm stuff can handle atf but try that in a ferd and it'll make ALL kinds of noise...

[39deluxe]

In all the various oil related crap I put in the above described car the differences were how hard it steered cold and how fast it ran out of the seals warm. They all made hydraulic pressure and turned the wheels.

I will admit to not trying canola or butter flavored pop corn oil.

Tom