Need power steering fluid substitute

[jhellwig]

The van that we use at work is leaking powersteering fluid. I need a substitute from the oil that we have here. We use mobil shc products of all kinds. The leak getting fixed will never happen and getting someone to go get the right stuff is impossible. This is a large industrial facility so I have to scrounge what I can.

 

[Ramblejam]

What kind of van are we talking about?

 

[jhellwig]

2005 gmc full size. It has hydro boost on the brakes also.

We had a 05 ford van before and I used whatever the shc equivalent to iso 32 hydraulic fluid before.

 

[Taildragger]

ATF ??

 

[jhellwig]

Cant get atf either.

 

[dparm]

Any stout hydraulic fluid should work, I'd say (that's all PS fluid really is). Here are the specs for Pentosin CHF202, a hydraulic fluid used as power steering fluid in many European cars. See if you can locate something with similar viscosity:


Density at 15°C 840 kg/m³
Kinematic Viscosity at 100ºC 6.1 mm²/s
Kinematic Viscosity at 40ºC 19.3 mm²/s
Kinematic Viscosity at -40ºC 1400 mm²/s
Viscosity Index 302
Pour Point -54°C/-65.2°F
Flash Point 154°C/309.2°F
Ignition Temperature 245°C/473°F

 

[Ramblejam]

Do you have Mobil SHC 525?

 

[jhellwig]

I will have to got to the oil shed and see. I think we might.

The last time I asked the oil shed guy what would be equivalent to power steering fluid he looked at me like I was nuts till I told him to give me a light hydraulic fluid.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
I will have to got to the oil shed and see. I think we might.


Find out & report back. If so, use it.

 

[jhellwig]

We didnt have 525 but we had 524 so i used that.

I could have used the cibus equivalent or a food grade schafers.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
We didnt have 525 but we had 524 so i used that.

I could have used the cibus equivalent or a food grade schafers.


Good deal. 524 is a bit thin, but certainly better than nothing. Cibus 46 would work as well, getting you up to 7.7cSt @ 100ºC.

 

[jhellwig]

I think they only keep the cibus in 55 gallon drums. The 524 they put into smaller pump jugs.

Thanks for the help.

 

[EricF]

I wouldn't drive the van period.
Hydroboost system relies exclusively on that power steering pump to give that booster unit the oomph to stop a heavy van.

As it is the brakes on hydroboost setups seem spongy to me.

I'd be very weary about it.

 

[SteveSRT8]

The only spongy pedals in a hydroboosted setup are poorly repaired or maintained. We have had up to a dozen of them here and the only time the pedal was soft in any way was when the brakes needed attention.

No reason for them to have any softness at all, someone needs to learn how to fix their brakes.

OP, good luck with your substitute. Odds are you may never notice it...

 

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted By: EricF
I wouldn't drive the van period.
Hydroboost system relies exclusively on that power steering pump to give that booster unit the oomph to stop a heavy van.

As it is the brakes on hydroboost setups seem spongy to me.

I'd be very weary about it.


It isnt like power steering fluid is magical unicorn pee. It is a hydraulic system.

The hydraulic fluid I used is used on far more demading equipment than a power steering system could ever be.

It isnt like the van even gets driven on the highway. It never goes more than 20 mph and never further than 2 miles at a time. The vehicals are junk when they buy them anyways. The place that maintains them breaks more things than they fix. I have had this van less than 3 months and the transmission went out after 3 weeks. The check engine light is on and the oil wont get changed for a year. The only reason we got this van is because our last one got smashed by an endloader. I am lucky to have wheels.

The only time the brakes get fixed around here is after we crash into somthing that makes a big enough dent that the bosses notice.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Cant get atf either.


You mean Orchelen's or Thiesen's doen't have any ATF in 5 gallom buckets?

 

[SHOZ]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Originally Posted By: EricF
I wouldn't drive the van period.
Hydroboost system relies exclusively on that power steering pump to give that booster unit the oomph to stop a heavy van.

As it is the brakes on hydroboost setups seem spongy to me.

I'd be very weary about it.


It isnt like power steering fluid is magical unicorn pee. It is a hydraulic system.

The hydraulic fluid I used is used on far more demading equipment than a power steering system could ever be.

It isnt like the van even gets driven on the highway. It never goes more than 20 mph and never further than 2 miles at a time. The vehicals are junk when they buy them anyways. The place that maintains them breaks more things than they fix. I have had this van less than 3 months and the transmission went out after 3 weeks. The check engine light is on and the oil wont get changed for a year. The only reason we got this van is because our last one got smashed by an endloader. I am lucky to have wheels.

The only time the brakes get fixed around here is after we crash into somthing that makes a big enough dent that the bosses notice.


I worked at a place that had two buildings and we had a van like that. You don't work for Del Monte do you?????

 

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Cant get atf either.


You mean Orchelen's or Thiesen's doen't have any ATF in 5 gallom buckets?


The place where I work is a massive industrial plant owned by one of the largest private corporations in the world. If we did anything logical and cheap it would be the end of the world.

We can only get stuff from places that are set up as vendors. We can only get auto parts from the small local auto parts store or the hardware store. Even then I have to tell my boss what I need and then he has to get the ok from someone and then he has to get a paper signed by someone else then go get what I need. All that only happens after I bug him for a week that I need power steering fluid.

 

[bcossa2001]

Hmmmmm....as I recall Radar from MASH was from your city (Ottumwa)and he could get anything MASH needed.... sorry he is not available..