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Last I checked a pump was around $200 and the rack was $200 or so after core. That leaves hoses, which certainly are not cheap. Is $400+(USD) worth not doing a fluid purge and swap?
So, the process is very simple.
Go buy a can of SeaFoam TransTune. (I should be getting commision from them, shouldn't I?
) This stuff is made for Tranny Fluid AND Power Steering Fluid.
What you do with it- Siphon out a little of your fluid from the reservoir, leaving room for about 1/4-1/3 the can of the TransTune. Pour it in. Fire up your engine. This part of the process takes 25-30 minutes by the way, so be ready and available to idle for that time. After 5 minutes or so, turn the steering wheel lock to lock (all the way to either side until it stops) twice. Repeat every 5 minutes until 25-30 minutes is over. What this does is it loosens up some of the varnishes, and more importantly, suspends the particulate matter.
Now, find the return hose to the reservoir. On our cars with the bronze reservoir, it goes into the side and is held on by a hose-clamp. The one that threads into the pump housing itself, DO NOT TOUCH! This is the high-pressure side and can exceed 2000PSI. Not to be taken lightly.
Once you have found it, look for a reasonable way to get a fluid receptacle to the hose. It is not very long and not very flexible, so this can be a chore. I stuffed my bottles up between the engine support crossmember and the swaybar. Just make sure you won't be hitting any pulley or such. Once you have a receptacle in its place, grab a big wad of paper towel. Unless you have a spare turkey baster you'll never use again. If you have that, siphon as much fluid out of the reservoir as you can. If you can't siphon it out, (And please don't try to siphon with your mouth) then the paper towels will come in handy as a lot of fluid will come out of the reservoir once the return is disconnected. Once you have the fluid issue figured out, disconnect the return hose. Place it into the receptacle, making sure it will stay. This is important, because the pressure of the fluid pulsing through will want to make it move.
Once the end is secure, fire up the engine and turn once lock to lock. The pump will not be turning liquid at this point, so don't try to be aggressive.
With the engine and pump running, CAREFULLY pour in the rest of the TransTune. If you do it too fast, it'll shoot out the fitting where the return hose connects. Ok, more dribble than shoot, but its still a waste. Turn the wheel lock to lock one more time. Depending on how full your receptacle is, you may want to shut it down and swap out. If not, start to pour in some Dexron II or Dexron III Automatic Tranny Fluid (ATF). If possilble, turn the wheel lock to lock slowly while you do this for a while. A second hand would be really handy here. Once the receptacle is full, shut down and swap out. Unless you stuffed a gallon bottle up there. That'd be a heck of a lot of flush...
I'd go with a quart of ATF as a good amount of flush. Remember, if you don't turn lock to lock while doing this, crap will still be trapped in the rack. Not good. The provision I'd give to the 1 quart rule is if the stuff coming out is still dark and nasty. Then keep going.
After you have flushed with a quart of ATF, Reconnect your return line. After making sure the hose is snug (but not too tight.. Bronze bends fairly easily) fill the reservoir up to what looks like full (which is about 1/4-1/2 inch below the top) and fire the engine up. Let it idle for about 20 seconds, then turn lock to lock 3 or 4 times. This helps work the air out of the system. Go check your fluid level. Top it off again. If you suspect more air, turn lock to lock 3-4 more times.
When you are done and want the final fluid top-off, make sure not to exceed full on the dipstick. I'd go with hot range for now, but you can come back when its cold to check again.
If your seals are already junked out, still do this to help prevent further degradation while you save up for the parts.
Again, use your own common sense. If something looks wrong, don't do it. I've done this on my car and a few others at school and its worked great, so I'm going off that. Don't yell at me if something goes wrong.
