The importance of keeping an eye on things

[SparkandFire]

Those on here who know me and are accustomed to my personality know that I am my own harshest critic. I feel that if someone could learn from the mistakes I make, it's worth the cost of sounding like an idiot when I pull a bone head move...

Case in point - Work has been all-consuming these past couple weeks. I have struggled to sleep at night because of all the problems I am trying to work out in my head right now. As a result I have not been paying nearly as much attention to the truck as I usually do.

So, yesterday I pull into the office and notice the steering is tight, almost like it's binding up. Think nothing of it, as my mind is preoccupied. Get in the truck to drive to the campus across the street and when I roll the window down to scan my badge I hear that familiar Ford power steering pump whine. ****, I know whats wrong. I have a tiny leak on one of the hoses that consumes roughly a teaspoon of fluid every month or so. Can't honestly remember the last time I checked the reservoir. By the time I get the truck to the parts house to buy fluid it's howling pretty good. Anyway, fluid is in and topped off and now the pump has a constant hum to it... Looks like I get to replace that next, all on account of not keeping an eye on it...



Keep an eye on those fluids, folks...

 

[icanfixall]

Completely agree with this but really have not followed it where my trans is concerned. With the Banks turbo its hard as hell to check the level plus its hot down there too. So I have not checked it this year and probably not last year either... So your probably wondering how I can allow the BTS to go without looking at the fluid level. Well I added a Mag Tech deep sump aluminum pan that holds an extra 2 gallons of fluid. So I probably have to loose 4 gallons before I feel any issues. So far I have no puddles anywhere I park. Trans is not marking its territory yet... I will check it this year for sure. I need to change the fluid anyway. Sure going to have a huge amount of it too and there is nothing I can slide under the truck that will collect all of it.
I do open the hood most every time I drive the rig to check whats looking right or wrong.

 

[riotwarrior]

...... there is nothing I can slide under the truck that will collect all of it......

Ya actually there is....it's called a small kiddie pool....they work awesome!

 

[kas83]

My 90 ran completely dry of PS fluid due to my laziness as well. Topped it back off, had a hum to it like you describe as well. Ran it for 2 years, same hum the whole time, but never had an issue with it. My current Mustang, same thing 2 months back when a PS line burst. Makes quite a whine when first started cold, then dulls to a rhythmic hum and works like a charm. I'd leave the pump alone until you have major problems IMO.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

[icanfixall]

Wow... Great idea Al... Sometimes I can't see the easy answers and depend on others to show me the light...

 

[Jake_IN]

it's called a small kiddie pool....they work awesome!

For some reason i just pictured you splashing in a kiddie pool and definetly lol'd...


/Yeah i think i've had enough for the night

 

[92F350CC]

My pump's been whining for years. Somebody left the cap off of it and ran it dry for who knows how long

 

[Nut Tree]

Same here. had a small leak in the line and it got forgotten, pump went dry and now it hums all of the time. I just bought a new pump, gear box, lines, fluid, and ps pulley puller. I'm going to do the whole thing in one shot in a few weeks.

 

[chris142]

I hear ya. I burned a 340 mopar down by running it out of oil.now i check my underhood fluids once a week.especially my oil as my 6.9 uses some. Every 3k i grease things under it and i ck the xfer case and trans when im under there. Any new wet spots get checked out right now. Even if it means staying late at work or laying in gravel. Imo topping up with cheap fluids till it gets fixed is better than running things dry. Walmarts lubes are a good choice in an emergency vs $30 worth of mobil1 or amsoil till you get the leak fixed.

 

[icanfixall]

Cheap engine oil is way better than no oil. Thats the main reason we have the oil bypass valve. Engineers felt dirty oil was going to be better for our or any engine than no oil...

 

[firehawk]

The time spent checking the level on a known leak is more than just fixing the leak.

 

[jwalterus]

The time spent checking the level on a known leak is more than just fixing the leak.

I'll spend the time to just check the level during the winter
my pitman shaft seal seeps on my steering box, and since this is ND and I work on my truck outside...
I think I'll let it seep and keep topping off the PS reservoir every week until it warms up