Power Steering Fluid Capacity?

[Chris Kennedy]

I used the "turkey baster" method to replace the power steering fluid in my '89 Ebay rat just recently. This took several quarts of power steering fluid over several days to replace the power steering fluid in the rat after I was unable to find, anywhere in owner's manual, shop manual, haynes OR after a search on this website, the total fluid capacity of the system. Does anyone know what the entire system holds? The rat has a power steering cooler, and I estimate capacity of the system to maybe be about two quarts, so flushed through about 3 quarts to make sure. Actually, it was sort of a fun job in nice weather, and I developed a good technique to withdraw fluid and empty it into a gallon water jug without spilling much. I will take the jug to the local auto supply place, which has some sort of drop-off service for this sort of thing.

/s/ Chris Kennedy
Houston, Texas

 

[vette-dude]

I used the "turkey baster" method to replace the power steering fluid in my '89 Ebay rat just recently. This took several quarts of power steering fluid over several days to replace the power steering fluid in the rat after I was unable to find, anywhere in owner's manual, shop manual, haynes OR after a search on this website, the total fluid capacity of the system. Does anyone know what the entire system holds? The rat has a power steering cooler, and I estimate capacity of the system to maybe be about two quarts, so flushed through about 3 quarts to make sure. Actually, it was sort of a fun job in nice weather, and I developed a good technique to withdraw fluid and empty it into a gallon water jug without spilling much. I will take the jug to the local auto supply place, which has some sort of drop-off service for this sort of thing.

/s/ Chris Kennedy
Houston, Texas

I did the same thing to my blinker fluid!!

Randy

 

[AdvancedAutoCC]

I did the same thing to my blinker fluid!!

Randy

:L Fill it till it runs over, then wipe and cap!

 

[Chris Kennedy]

:L Fill it till it runs over, then wipe and cap!

Gee, is that how you do it in your shop? Think of all that fluid running over the resident trailer queens. Oh, the horror, the horror!

/s/ Chris Kennedy
Houston, Texas

 

[Vettefan87]

I wouldn't over fill it since it will expand when it is heated. There is a cold fill mark a hot fill mark. My best guess would be 2 quarts maybe?? But I can't honestly say. Just guess and check that is what I did.
​

 

[Chris Kennedy]

Yeah, I estimated about 2 quarts, and the way I did it was simply to take out fluid, refill to cold mark and drive, drain then refill etc until I had gone through about 3 quarts of new fluid. I figured the extra quart would cover the amount of mixed new/old fluid being taken out. What I didn't want to do was to start fooling around undoing hoses. Nothing leaked before, and I didn't want to risk it.

/s/ Chris Kennedy

 

[Vettefan87]

What I didn't want to do was to start fooling around undoing hoses. Nothing leaked before, and I didn't want to risk it.

Exactly. That is why I did the same method as you, basted it out, filled with fluid then drove around the block. Then repeated several times until it was all clean.