How to Install a Power Steering Pump on a 1997 F-150

The 1997 Ford F-150, boasting an all-new body style, came standard with a 4.2-liter V-6 engine that produced 200 horsepower and 250 foot-pounds of torque. The power steering pump on the 1997 F-150 produces the hydraulic pressured that the power steering system requires to move the wheels back and forth with minimal effort from the driver. Installing a new power steering pump on the base-level 1997 F-150 is a detailed task that requires a specific bleeding process after you finish installing it.

Instructions

Pump Removal

1

Disconnect the intake air temperature sensor wiring harness the IAT sensor is the sensor pressed into the air cleaner outlet tube. Pull the positive crankcase ventilation hose, the small vacuum hose, from the air cleaner outlet tube.

2

Loosen the hose clamp securing the air cleaner outlet tube to the throttle body and air cleaner housing, using a flat-head screwdriver. Pull the air cleaner outlet hose from the throttle body and air cleaner housing, then out of the engine compartment.

3

Grip the air filter housing firmly, then lift it upward slightly to disengage it from its supports and pull it away from the fender to release it. Remove the air cleaner housing from the engine compartment.

4

Draw a diagram of how the serpentine belt routes over all of the pulleys, using a pen and paper.

5

Place a breaker bar and socket on the bolt in the center of the tensioner pulley, the pulley just under the alternator, and rotate the breaker bar counterclockwise to release the tension from the belt. Pull the belt off of the pulleys. Allow the breaker bar and tensioner to slowly rotate clockwise until the tensioner reaches its resting position.

6

Inspect the belt for any damage, including: heavy glazing, fraying, breakage or missing chunks of rubber. Replace the belt with a new one if any defects exist.

7

Flip the air suspension switch, if equipped, to the Off position. Ford mounted the switch on the passengers side kick panel. Lift the front of the F-150 with a floor jack and slide jack stands under its frame rails. Lower the truck onto the jack stands.

8

Crawl under the front of the truck until you have a good view of the power steering pump. Trace the power steering pressure hose the metal hose from the power steering pump to the steering gear. Position a drain pan under the steering gear and unfasten the pressure hoses union fitting from the steering gear, using a line wrench.

9

Find the power steering reservoir-to-pump hose the rubber hose and slide its hose clamp away from the power steering pumps inlet nipple, using slip-joint pliers. Position a small drain pan under the hose and pull it from the pump with a slight twisting motion. Allow all of the fluid to drain from the hose and into the pan.

10

Remove the two upper power steering bolts and the lower power steering pump bolt with a ratchet and socket. Pull the pump and pressure hose from the engine compartment.

Transferring Components

11

Position the power steering pump in a soft-jawed bench vise and tighten the vise. Notate the exact routing of the power steering pressure hose, then loosen its fitting with a line wrench and remove it from the pump.

12

Position the power steering pump pulley removers Ford part No. T69L-10300-B forcing bolt in the pilot hole in the power steering pumps input shaft and rotate the nut on the bolt until it nearly contacts the pulleys hub.

13

Close the removers adaptor, the two-piece cylinder, over the groove in the pulleys hub and the groove in the nut. Hold the nut still with a combination wrench and rotate the forcing bolt clockwise with a ratchet and socket until the pulley pops free from the old pump.

14

Remove the pump from the vise and secure the new pump in the vise.

15

Press the power steering pump pulley onto the new pumps input shaft as far as you can by hand. Thread the power steering pump pulley replacers Ford part No. T91P-3A733-A into the input shaft by hand. Turn the nut on the forcing bolt by hand until the flat end of the nut contacts the pulley. Hold the forcing bolt still with a combination wrench and tighten the nut with another combination wrench until the edge of the hub is flush with the pumps input shaft.

16

Remove the power steering pump pulley replacer.

17

Pull the old O-rings off of the power steering pressure hose union fittings, using an O-ring pick or similar hooked tool. Roll new O-rings, which come with the new pump, onto the union fittings until they seat in the grooves at the top of the threads.

18

Position the power steering pressure hose in the identical position it was in on the old pump and hand-thread its union into the pumps outlet hole. Hold the hose still and tighten the union fitting to between 13 and 17 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and crowfoot attachment. Remove the pump from the vise.

Pump Installation

19

Crawl under the truck and guide the pressure hose and new pump into the engine compartment carefully. Hand-tighten the power steering bolts. Tighten the upper power steering bolts , then the lower bolt to between 15 and 20 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

20

Thread the power steering hose into the inlet on the power steering gear, then tighten the fitting to between 13 and 17 foot-pounds.

21

Press the power steering reservoir-to-pump hose onto the power steering pumps inlet nipple. Slide the hose clamp to within 1/2-inch of the end of the hose, using slip-joint pliers.

22

Lift the truck off the jack stands and remove the stands. Lower the F-150 to the ground and turn the air suspension switch, if equipped, to the On position.

23

Route the serpentine belt over all of the drive pulleys except the tensioner, using your diagram as a guide. Rotate the tensioner counterclockwise with a breaker bar and socket, then line up the belt with the tensioner pulley. Allow the tensioner to rotate clockwise until the tensioner pulley holds tension on the belt. Remove the breaker bar and socket.

24

Align the intake side of the air cleaner housing with the cutout in the fender and press intake side of the air cleaner housing into the fender. Line up the dowel pins on the base of the air cleaner housing with the air cleaner housing supports in the engine compartment. Press the assembly downward to slide the dowel pins into the supports.

25

Press the air cleaner outlet tube onto the outlet side of the air cleaner housing and the inlet on the throttle body. Tighten the hose clamps to between 31 and 35 inch-pounds, using an inch-pound torque wrench and socket. Plug the IAT sensors wiring harness into the IAT sensor and press the PCV hose into its inlet.

Filling and Bleeding the Power Steering System

26

Open the power steering fluid reservoir and add new Mercon transmission fluid until the level reaches the center mark on the reservoir.

27

Select an adaptor from the vacuum kit that fits snugly into the power steering reservoirs fill hole. And press the adaptor into the fill hole. Connect the adaptor to the vacuum pump.

28

Start the F-150s engine and apply between 20 and 25 inches of vacuum to the power steering system, using the vacuum pump. After three minutes release the vacuum, remove the adaptor and vacuum pump, and refill the reservoir to the center mark.

29

Reconnect the adaptor and vacuum pump, then apply between 20 and 25 inches of vacuum.

30

Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right, then all the way to the left and return it to the center position. Wait about 30 seconds and repeat this step. Continue repeating this step with the 30-second wait for a total of five minutes. Do not hold the steering wheel all the way to one side for longer than five seconds or you risk damaging the power steering system.

31

Shut the engine off, release the vacuum and remove the adaptor from the power steering pump reservoir. Add Mercon fluid to the reservoir to bring the level up to the center line, if needed. Install and tighten the reservoirs cap.

32

Start the engine and repeat Step 5 without a vacuum source attached. Shut the engine off and check the fluid in the reservoir. If it is foamy or has bubbles, repeat the bleeding procedure from Step 1. If there are no bubbles or foam, tighten the cap onto the reservoir and close the hood.