Thread: priming power steering pump

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just got my power steering pump in place.
I guess now I can't run the engine until I put fluid in it.
Can anyone direct me to a good article on the procedure for getting the whole thing primed properly, or briefly explain it.

fill it up with fluid and then turn the wheels back and forth until you work all of the air out of it, top it off, then crank the motor up, turn the wheels back and forth until all of the air is gone, cut the motor off, top off the pump.

so first I just fill it and turn the wheel WITHOUT the engine running, keeping it full the whole time, and then start the engine and do it again.
sounds easy enough.

that should do it.

If it's a new pump or has sat dry for a while, you might want to remove the belt and turn it by hand till it starts pumping. They can airlock and will get too hot if you run it dry.

It helps if the front wheels are up in the air.
Makes life easier on components.

Rolling the front wheels onto 6-10 sheets of newpaper flattened on the floor works almost as well as jacking it up.

I've found - Fords anyway - back and forth twice will do it for the initial go-round, top off and then a couple more back and forths should do it.

Don't bottom the steering against the stops and hold it there.
Just touch the stops lightly and go the other way.

How about this.
My pump is a chevy and the rack is a ford with a 14mm double flare on the high pressure. According to TCI, I also need to reduce the chevy pumps 1200 psi output down to 600 for the ford rack.
They gave me the name of some company that has the lines that will work for $135. I REALLY don't want to spend that much on a 1 foot piece of hose.
Is there any way I can just get the $16 pressure line from Auto Zone and get a pressure reducer and a fitting adapter to make it work?
If so, who would have these fittings?

.

Any good hydrolics fitting store can hook you up, Altho I am not sure how a hose is going to reduce your pressure... I think they are selling you a hose with a pressure regulartor or orifice in it. You might check with the Local NAPA store and see what they say.
Good luck, I hear ya on the hi $ hose

I'll check the hydraulics store
thanks guys

the way we bleed power steering systems at the dealership is to pull a vacuum on the pump while the car is running. gets all the air out in a couple of minutes, works perferctly every time.
you can use a vacuum source on the engine, run a vac hose to the pump's cap, (there is usually a small hole in the cap )- you can hold the hose on the small hole in the cap and you will hear the pump load up when the vacuum is created in the system. all the air will be gone in a minute or so as soon as the pump quiets down

where did you say that dealership was?