Foamy powerstearing fluid

[Roadstar]

I'm having some trouble with the power stearing  on a car I'm trying to finish. The fluid seems to foam righ up  when I run it. I bled the rack as per the directions with the wheels up and the car not running, cycling it  back and forth until the fluid is at a steady level. But as soon as I start the car the fluid seems fo foam right up. With the wheels up still I can turn the wheel back and forth and it is quiet and feels ok. But as soon as I put it on  the ground and go th turn the wheels the pump groans. This I'm assuming is due to air in the system.

Now the car has a serpintine belt system and is using the small remote fill style GM pump. This might be a stupid question but can the pump be running backwards. I know the water pump is revers flow as is the engine fan for use with the serpintine belt.

There are no leaks visable so I don't thik it's sucking air. I'm gonna let it set over night and let the fluid settle and try it tomorrow.

If anyone has had this issue or has any ideas please help.

Thanks

Rudy

[34ford]

Rudy,

I'm no expert by any means but could the lines to the rack be hooked up backwards from the pump (don't know if they are the same size fittings) ??  If it is running backwards with the serpentine belt maybe reversing the lines (if possible) might work.

bob

[enjenjo]

I think 34Ford nailed it Rudy. It sounds like the hoses are reversed.

[40]

Not an expert for sure...but...I had the hoses reversed one time and the steering wheel whipped out of control and nearly ripped off my fingers...doesn't sound like the hoses are reversed but perhaps the pump could be running backward.I'm curious to see what the solution is...I put a new quick ratio steering box in my 68 Firebird and a new pump,the fluid in the resevoir is a bit foamy also and when sitting still,I get a squeal when turning lock to lock.I also bled the system as directed but didn't solve the problem.Good Luck and let us know the solution!

[Roadstar]

Pressure line from pump to small fitting on Rack..Check. Thought of that allready and checked it out.

[enjenjo]

Pump shaft rotation direction doesn't make a difference on that type pump, it works in either direction. No possibility of contaminated fluid is there? As in junk yard parts.

[mrloboy]

Hi Rudy;
It certainly sounds like a reverse drive on the pump, but if the power assist is proper, I suspect it is only an airlock. By slowly working the system through from left to right it should clear the airlock. If the rotation is reversed, you may need to upgrade to a later model pump.
rick

[Roadstar]

No Frank the fluid is new as is the pump. I came from March.

I will be calling them in the morning and see if they have anything to add.  It did seem to be better after I bled the rack with the car not running.  When I first started it  I didn't do this and it was really cavatating .

I'm hoping there is just alot of air in the system now and thats why the pump was groaning with a load on it.

Foam is for beer :x  

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

This is very interesting.  This is exactly what happened in my '47 Chevy while on Power Tour 2000.  I left Detroit with a brand new Mustand rack installed and the same GM truck pump on the car since when I bought it When I got to the Grand Canyon I notice I only had intermitten power steering.  I pulled over into the first lookout, Devils Tower, popped the hood and looked at the power steering fluid on the dipstick.  It was brown and foamy and kind of smelt burnt.

There is no "service station" at all at the Grand Canyon, but what I did find was the garage for all the ranger vechiles.  I drove there, about 20 miles further into the Canyon.  Popped the hood in thier parking lot and pulled out the dipstick and walked it into the garage explaining to them what was happening.  They really didn't have a clue but said pull it in.  I left my Chevy running once inside and one of the guys looked and said the pump wasn't returning the fluid, maybe it was plugged up.  They said they'd take it apart, clean it and reinstal.  Told me to go out and see the sites and come back in a couple of hours.

A couple of hours later I returned to find one of the guys just finishing the reassembly, it was now ready to be installed.  He mentioned to me at that time that a spring inside didin't look right, so he checked it against another pump, and changed the spring.  Me, not knowing any better, said of course, thanks, appreciate that.

With all dozen or so of the guys in the shop looking on, power fluid was poured in while my Chevy was running.  As he kept emptying pint after pint I was thinking to myself, self, I wonder how many it holds and why if it holds so many pints don't they sell them in quarts or gallons.  As I'm finishing that thought.... BOOM... a boot on the rack explodes and power steering fluid comes pouring out from underneath the car!  

In a nut shell, what the ididit did was change a spring which regulated the pressure.  With a Ford rack and GM pump, the spring was a certain one that allowed the two to work together.

My Chevy left that "shop" on a flatbed bound for Flagstaff and a "real" repair shop.  Some know the rest of the story.  While on the flatbed backwards.... something else I should have never let happen... the drivers door popped open and smashed agaist the fender, damaging not only the door, andfender extention but the fender and hood as well.

Once back in Detroit I took it to a body shop, one of the best in the area at the time, to have it repaired.  While at the shop lighting hit the building and burned to the ground.  All 11 hot rods inside were completly lost, including mine.

So in conclusion, I lost my car because the wrong, little, tiny spring was installed.  Anyway, in my opinion, and I'm far from being a mechanic, I think there's something wrong with the pump, new or not, the fluid is buring, not returing from the rack.  Again, just my opinion, and what do I know, I'm just a girl.  

[SKR8PN]

Rudy,after you let it set overnight,top it off again and run it,see what happens. Sometimes when replacing a P/S pump,they will cavitat and it takes a LONG time for the air to work out of the fluid,once it has been airated. If it still has air after setting all night,try jacking up just the LEFT front wheel a bit,to aid in getting all the air trapped inside,up to the top.

I believe it DOES matter which way the pump rotates........
That's why they have a "pressure" line,and a "return" line,with two different size fittings

[Stakebed]

Probably not a soulution here, but we had a similar problem with a conventional ps box foaming out the fluid. The problem was an airlock in the box which woul compress and when shut down would expand throwing out the fluid we had just added. The problem was solved by unhooking the drag link so the piston in the box could travel full stroke and force the air bubble out . I donn't know if this would happen with a rack or not though.

[enjenjo]

I believe it DOES matter which way the pump rotates........
That's why they have a "pressure" line,and a "return" line,with two different size fittings

I agree that there is a designated pressure and return line. But I am sure GM pumps will still work when rotated backwards to normal, I have done it using a GM pump to run a snow plow. I'll check into this further.

[Rochie]

Rudy,
Have you cycled the steering from lock to lock a "number' of times, engine running and wheels onn the ground?  Sometimes it takes a lot of cycling back and forth to get all the air out especially with a remote reservior.
Rochie

[Mikej]

Not an expert for sure...but...I had the hoses reversed one time and the steering wheel whipped out of control and nearly ripped off my fingers...doesn't sound like the hoses are reversed but perhaps the pump could be running backward.I'm curious to see what the solution is...I put a new quick ratio steering box in my 68 Firebird and a new pump,the fluid in the resevoir is a bit foamy also and when sitting still,I get a squeal when turning lock to lock.I also bled the system as directed but didn't solve the problem.Good Luck and let us know the solution!

Daryle, It should squeal when you hit the lock. Its the relief valve opening. If you hold it there it will over heat the oil.

[40]

Mike,my steering chirps a bit as I move the wheel from lock to lock...I agree it should squeal when it hits the stops but untill I made the changes,it didn't chirp in between...only when it reached the end of travel.