How NOT to flush your power steering fluid

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RokRoland

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I like it when people post up their mistakes to help others in the same situation. Everybody's been there and its admirable when you admit it for the sake of helping others!

A+ to you bud!!:cheers:

Thanks, it would be easy to be all clever, high and mighty but usually failures are more interesting to report. :)
 

MatSLO

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It is a good question. Nevertheless having ATF should be better than having nothing at all. I'd also like to know if there's a difference between the 80s and 90s vehicles with regards to fluid specification.

Well, I just remember I actually have a .pdf users' manual for 1997 Tahoes and there is a list of fluids and lubricants in page 7-49: power steering pump should use "GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 1052884 - 1 pint, 1050017 - 1 quart, or equivalent)".

Quick running of part numbers on Ebay yields the following results:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...0.XGM+1052884+.TRS0&_nkw=GM+1052884+&_sacat=0

So it's either "Divinol Zentralhydraulikfluid S" from Germany (no details on shipping to my country specified) or "REDLINE OIL 30404 Power Steering Fluid full synthetic" (from a seller in Germany, 1 quart plus shipping to Slovenia costs 45 UDS or 37 EUR).

Anybody have experience with the Red Line fluid, and how much of it does a power steering pump on GMT400s take?
 

DerekTheGreat

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With starter motor you are correct, however, cranking the engine should provide oil pressure anyway.

Not immediately, takes at least three seconds (if not longer..) and even that bugs me as those in the bizz say the most wear occurs at start up.
 

El Tigre

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Never use ATF of any kind. It has friction modifiers that will wear components more rapidly,and it tends to deteriorate the insides of rubber P/S hoses which are made of different material than transmission cooler hoses. Most any,and all auto parts stores have power steering fluid,so there's no good excuses not to use it. I prefer Red-Line synthetic personally. Little pricey,but most systems don't really hold all that much to begin with. Pumps,and steering gears are expensive. Usiing the right fluid is not.
 

MIHELA

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These trucks were designed for an oil type power steering fluid, just the plain stuff labeled power steering fluid at a parts store is fine. If you want to get fancy use GM cold climate to prevent the cold weather squeal.
 

eran tomer

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I find myself posting this one a lot lately...the GM factory manual procedure for bleeding the steering system. Note steps 1-4 in particular

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Richard

a different procedure from probably a different gm manual.

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Schurkey

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I had to drive my new-to-me '97 K2500 a couple hundred miles home after buying it. Had a leaking PS cooler (the crappy "cooler" that's nothing more than some tubing wound back-and-forth inside the driver's side frame rail.)

Bought two of these gallon jugs--one for the trip home, one after bypassing the leaking cooler.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...llon/orc0/728053?q=power+steering+fluid&pos=3

Probably doesn't help the original poster in Finland, though.
 

El Tigre

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Well, I just remember I actually have a .pdf users' manual for 1997 Tahoes and there is a list of fluids and lubricants in page 7-49: power steering pump should use "GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 1052884 - 1 pint, 1050017 - 1 quart, or equivalent)".

Quick running of part numbers on Ebay yields the following results:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...0.XGM+1052884+.TRS0&_nkw=GM+1052884+&_sacat=0

So it's either "Divinol Zentralhydraulikfluid S" from Germany (no details on shipping to my country specified) or "REDLINE OIL 30404 Power Steering Fluid full synthetic" (from a seller in Germany, 1 quart plus shipping to Slovenia costs 45 UDS or 37 EUR).

Anybody have experience with the Red Line fluid, and how much of it does a power steering pump on GMT400s take?
I'd get 2qts.
 
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