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Power Steering Cooler

4K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  one_lastword 
#1 ·
Well after blowing 2 power steering pumps in a month, first by excessive heating and the 2nd was a combination of excessive heating and my own stupidity, I have decided I want to add a power steering cooler.

My question to you guys is which one to use. The two main styles I see are the tube and fin style, similar to a radiator, and the heat sink style, looks like extruded aluminum.

I have no experience with aftermarket coolers of any kind so I was hoping someone with prior knowledge will chime in and shed some light on my confusion.

Ideally I'm looking to spend no more than $150, I feel like that is enough to get a relatively nice cooler and hopefully solve my problems.

Thanks,

-Joseph
 
#2 ·
Did you clean out the filter screen inside the pump reservoir when you replaced the pump? If you didn't, that's starving the new pump for fluid and will burn it up quick.

Putting an inline filter into the return hose will help save the new pump from the debris left in the system from the oil pump failing.

I put a ps cooler scavenged from a mid 90's chevy truck in front of the condenser and just behind and below the bumper beam. The hoses fit through the hole the A/C lines pass through.

I would have preferred to use the trans cooler off of a 2nd gen explorer, but I didn't have any handy. I cooked my pump to failure, but with the cooler it seems to work most of the time. Every now and then it quits, but a quick blip of the throttle and the steering is back. I need to take the pump apart and see if I can clean the flow control valve and flip the vanes.
 
#4 ·
I just started running a heat sink style one, its the small one that Howe makes. Mounted it so that it gets fresh air from the front of the truck. Nice thing about the heat sink style ones is they do not restrict flow and most of the times they add more volume to the system.

http://www.howeperformance.com/accessories-coolers.htm
 
#5 ·
I have run both styles on my truck and they both get the job done just fine. I am running a heat sink 12" from PSC now, and I chose it for space reasons only and it works great. I am running hydro assist now and it definately puts off some heat. Make sure, as mentioned above to clean and flush the system of possible debris and obstructions. I feel I have to bring this up as well.... What kind of fluid are you running? If you are not running Automatic Transmission Fluid and are using power steering fluid this will continue to happen. Toyota factory pumps on your truck call for ATF, which I'm sure you knew. Good Luck!
 
#6 ·
What kind of fluid are you running? If you are not running Automatic Transmission Fluid and are using power steering fluid this will continue to happen. Toyota factory pumps on your truck call for ATF, which I'm sure you knew. Good Luck!
I'm pretty sure he ran typical power steering fluid vice ATF at one point in time. He was certainly surprised this past weekend when I asked which type of ATF he had been using.
Sure enough he popped his hood, wiped off the cap and said "huh, it does say ATF."
I think Toyota should put a big ass sign under the hoods if these things saying "ATF ONLY IN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM."

/end rant. Sorry to throw you under the bus Joe.
 
#7 ·
Yes, as I stated the 2nd pump was due to stupidity. I ran power steering fluid. I'm not going to hide it, it was just shear stupidity on my part. But I still feel the heat is a larger issue here. Both times it got killed I was on something tough and revving it pretty hard. The first time it just puked everywhere and gave up the ghost immediately. The 2nd time it wasn't dead but it was very unhappy with me.

Both parties seem to have valid points so I guess I'll just see what agrees with my wallet and what I think is going to mount the best under the hood.

Thanks everyone!
 
#8 ·
Which ever way you go will be a definate improvement over what you currently have, I really would not overthink it and take your own advice and base a decision on ease of mounting and cost.
 
#10 ·
This is the little one I'm gonna be adding to my return line. Changing out 8-10 ounces of the fluid every two oil changes keeps things nice and fresh as well.

Derale 13309, 5x8" with 6AN fitting, should be available with regular barbs too if you're into that sort of thing:supergay:



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