Warning!!! Fix those leaky steering hoses/boxes

[tom4bren]

My Mitsubishi's PS system is bled by revving the engine to 3-4k rpm while rotating the steering wheel lock to lock a couple of times. I was going to do the same on my VX.

I'd never run an unloaded engine above 2K ... but that's just me



Not to be an anal retentive enginerd but TECHNICALLY what you describe is not 'bleeding'. Bleeding is the process of opening a closed system to allow air to escape.

What you describe more closely resembles 'burping' like you would do on your cooling system.

Here, lemme help you out -



I'd absolutely do what you describe though ('cept at a lower rpm) before taking the beastie out on the road.

[Leon R]

I'd never run an unloaded engine above 2K ... but that's just me.

So, what you are saying is that unloaded engine at 4k prm is seeing MORE stress than loaded engine at 4k?

Bleeding is the process of opening a closed system to allow air to escape.

It escapes, all right... into the top of the PS fluid reservoir!

Burping could be another way to describe it.

[tom4bren]

So, what you are saying is that unloaded engine at 4k prm is seeing MORE stress than loaded engine at 4k?

UMM ... not really stress per say.

I've not reasearched it but by the 'seat o me pants' experience it's more of a vibration thang rather than something measureable.

An engine running at 4K down the road will sound as smooth as a baby's butt (as long as it's running right) because that's what it's designed to do.

Park the same car with the same engine in the driveway & run the engine up to 4K & it just doesn't sound right. There's a lot more vibration because all of the gear backlash & bearing runouts have all been designed to work properly under load. To me the engine just sounds like it's chewing itself up from the inside. Mebbe it is, mebbe it isn't. I've just learnt that sound is a very good indicator that you should or shouldn't be doing something.

Having said all that though, I posted in a long ago thread the same logic dictates that you shouldn't run locking hubs on a TOD equipped vehicle. I've been running them for 3 years now No, I wasn't wrong, I just changed my perspective.

BTW, on my 03 Eclipse, I notice a marked increase in engine vibration right around 2300 (probably because my timing belt tensioner is bad). On my Wife's 04, the change in vibration happens right around 3K. You just gotta feel your way through each vehicle. Since my 03 has 190K on it & still running, I must be doing something right ... right?