Synthetic power steering fluid

[rich weyand]

Hi All:

My power steering pump developed a leak between the reservoir and the pump itself, a pretty common failure. I had the power steering pump replaced. To reduce heating, after the flushing of the system, I had them use Red Line synthetic power steering fluid. When compressed, synthetic oils do not heat up anywhere near as much as petroleum-based oils. I had already switched the TH350 to synthetic ATF to reduce transmission temperatures, and GM at one point sent a service bulletin to dealers to switch to synthetic power steering fluid if pumps develop a whining noise, so I figured I'd give it a try.

With the regular power steering fluid, I had hard steering effort when stopped, such that I would shift to neutral so the idle would go up, and maybe rev the engine a bit, to turn the wheels when I had to parallel park. Otherwise I could hardly turn the wheel with both hands when stopped. With the synthetic, I can palm the wheel and spin it while sitting still with the TH350 in gear. Now, it's a new pump as well, but that was also true when the old pump was new three years ago. Power steering during normal driving is improved as well, and the pump runs very quiet with the synthetic power steering fluid, quieter than I remember the last new pump doing.

So if you have power steering effort issues at low rpms, or noise issues, you might try draining and flushing the system and refilling with synthetic power steering fluid and see if that helps.

[74 C-10 Shorty]

Good to know, thanks for the heads up...

[Irish_Alley]

also if you have noise issues you can run open headers. now i cant hear the pump winding but yeah i have to try the synthetic stuff. you kind of sold that stuff like a sales person

[rich weyand]

Well, I didn't mean to sound like a salesman, but I had never even heard of it before I hit on the GM Service Bulletin, thought I would give it a try, and I was shocked by the difference.  Some part of it might be a better pump, too, since I did fluid and pump at the same time, but I think both pumps were the same item, same supplier.