All dressed up and no place to go...part deaux

[Grumpy Rick]

Well, it happened again. After my '55 T-bird breaking a door latch at the first of the month, waiting for parts, I decided to take my old reliable '56 Vickie that I have had for 15 years to the car clubs big annual car show that we sponsor at Santa Anita horse racing track.

I got it all spiffed up and took it to the gas station to top it off.....running great. Then I get home and park it in the driveway for a few minutes and come back to find a large puddle of PS fluid under it. At first I thought maybe my grandson (20) who drives it a lot might have overfilled it, so I cleaned off the fluid on the motor parts and started it..no leaks, no overfill any more...maybe we can go tomorrow.

Nope. I turned the wheel lock to lock and checked again.....soaking wet with fluid. So I got into a position where I could see the pump while turning the wheel, and there was a nice stream of fluid coming from a split in the high pressure hose aimed right at my newly rebuilt alternator.

No horsies tomorrow, grrrr.

In all honesty I do have to admit it is a nice frame off (1991) '56 Vickie, but the motor is a low mileage '86 Mercury 302 with EFI and an AOD trans.

No Y blocks were molested this time.

[Daves55Sedan]

I have been driving a 55 Ford car since 1972. It is pretty reliable. One time I had a flat tire on the highway, but was able to go again after changing it with the spare. I few times in recent history, I have gotten some bad gas, but I keep a couple of rebuilt Ford EBU carbs and new gas filters handy so that within a half hour, I can be on the road again. It has turned into a science all it's own. The car is all original and still has the 6-volt electrical system. It's gotta have a zillion miles on it.
My '55 Ford Courier sedan delivery wagon is also in constant operation for trips to yard waste, recycling, lumber/hardware/farm & feed places. I get a lot of trouble-free use out of it. Haven't done anything to it since year 2000 except change oil.
Then there's my 2007 (purchased new) Ford F150 pickup truck. Now that thing is a money pit. It only has 52,000 miles on it, yet it has had new alternator, new battery, spark plugs and EGR ports cleaned out. And it really needs new tires now.
All in all, I'm either very lucky with the cars, or God is watching over me.
BTW, still waiting on your check for the door striker plates and they are ready to send. I think it should arrive tomorrow or day after and I will send them right out to you.

[Grumpy Rick]

You should be getting it pretty quick, Dave. I mailed it Friday.

[Grumpy Rick]

Got the new PS hose on the '56 yesterday. Had to take it to a shop where they used the old ends, and put a new hose on them. Tried one from an '86 Merc, and a Ford, neither one fit.
Surprisingly, the two were completely different. Whoda thunk it.

The new hose fixed the leak, today the pump is making a lot of noise. Can't win.



Got the strikers for the '55 today Dave. Thanks again for sharing.

Rick

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Grumpy Rick

The new hose fixed the leak, today the pump is making a lot of noise. Can't win.

Was the pump run with low fluid? What type of pump?

It may need to be burped (trapped air). What type of fluid?

[Grumpy Rick]

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Hi Kultulz,

I think I caught it before it ran without fluid. I noticed a big leak after driving it a few miles, and it still had fluid and worked when I took the hose off to fix it. It did drain out when the hose was off.

As to fluid, I just refilled it with Prestone (universal). We cycled it lock to lock a couple times. Is there something we forgot to do? How Do you 'burp' it? Loosen fittings?

Don't forget, this is an '86 302 in my '56 Ford, not a Y block. It has the original '86 PS pump.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Grumpy Rick

Don't forget, this is an '86 302 in my '56 Ford, not a Y block. It has the original '86 PS pump.

The actual pump, does it have a plastic reservoir and cap?



You didn't put a rack in the car, correct? Just a later 5.0L engine? It still has the original BENDIX PS setup?

[Grumpy Rick]

Yup, that looks like my pump. No rack & pinion, but it has a steering gearbox with integral PS. I assume it was out of the Merc also, but don't know, as I bought it that way. It was done back in 1991, and looks like they used as many parts off the Merc as possible.

Probably had a whole donor car. Wish they had used the steering column. The shifter needs another detent for OD, and it works kinda kinky.

[Daves55Sedan]

Grumpy, see my reply to your question about mounting of the striker plates in your private messages.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Grumpy Rick

Yup, that looks like my pump. No rack & pinion, but it has a steering gearbox with integral PS. I assume it was out of the Merc also, but don't know, as I bought it that way. It was done back in 1991, and looks like they used as many parts off the Merc as possible.

Probably had a whole donor car. Wish they had used the steering column. The shifter needs another detent for OD, and it works kinda kinky.

Watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F4MzsTyFMo

While it is showing a later system, it is basically the same operation. He starts with a manual flush and the bleeding procedure is described later. Make sure the front of the car is elevated. If the problem persists after manual bleeding, you may have to vacuum bleed the system as shown. The attachment he is showing is FORD but MITY-VAC also makes an attachment.

Note also that pumps of this era required either DEXRON or TYPE F as friction modifiers were different. It is shown in the OPERATORS MANUAL (86 MERC) which you will not have. I think FORD went to MERCON V as service replacement but I would have to find the TSB's.

UPDATE-

Do not use in applications where MERCON® SP, MERCON® LV, MERCON® ULV, Continuously Variable Chain Type Transmission Fluid, Motorcraft® Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid or Type F Automatic Transmission Fluid is recommended

SOURCE- https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubrican...ission%20Fluid

[GB SISSON]

I'm still thinking how cool it is that your grandson drives the car a lot.

[Ole Don]

Those pumps were often noisy. Try some Lucas P/S oil conditioner. I used a turkey baster to remove some oil, then a half bottle of the Lucas. Things were much better after that.