Asking Advice on a Power Steering Cooler

[Matt42]

I had a look today on what it's going to take to drain and refill the power steering system on my 1996. (It's pre-hydroboost.) The job looks messy and involved enough that I figure that while I'm about it, I might as well install a power steering cooler.

I already have a Derale 1312 power steering cooler on hand that I bought for another car, but never installed. It looks like this picture, and the specs at Amazon are here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XONO8E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's not very big, only about 9 by 12 inches, but it uses 11/32 inch fittings. Do you think it'll do the job?

I also plan to install a Magnefine inline filter: https://magnefinefilters.com/NEW-Ma...ine-Power-Steering-Filter-R038M-P-3810000.htm
I can't figure out how big the filter is, but here's a picture. Does anybody have any experience with either the filter or the cooler? Thanks.

 

[DonFitzwater]

No and no. Any particular reason you want to install a cooler? I dont know much about the power steering overheating or the potential for such.

 

[NIsaacs]

Small writeup when I did mine. I like it and think it is a good upgrade. Cooler, filter and Redline Synthetic power steering fluid. I have changed the filter twice so far.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/weekend-maintenance-on-the-01.259915/#post-2559923

 

[Matt42]

No and no. Any particular reason you want to install a cooler? I dont know much about the power steering overheating or the potential for such.

Well, the warm season is approaching here in Central Arizona. After 25 years the fluid really needs changing (it's brown), and the 115F normal daytime temperatures aren't what anybody anywhere else would call normal. It also looks like adding some "plumbing" for the cooler could make future changes a little less strenuous and messy.

I had a look at what Nick did and it looks remarkably what I have in mind, except I'll probably use some steel tube that I have on hand. All I need now is time.

I bought a case of 12 pints of Royal Purple power steering fluid to be ready for this. I did the vacuum & replace routine yesterday on the 2001 PT Cruiser, and that went remarkably well. That accounted for a pint out of the 2.1 pints the TSM calls for. I'll do that a couple more times so as to get most of that fluid swapped out. It's interesting and a little mysterious that the PT Cruiser and also our now-departed 2007 Town & Country, as well as my 1983 Wagoneer LTD came with factory-installed power steering coolers. Yet my 1996 CTD didn't.

 

[SAndreasen]

I’ve hauled loads In 115 degree weather and never tee a problem overheating the power steering fluid . I did overheat the radiator fluid one time climbing a long grade with 25000 pounds on and running the ac and traffic was backed up stop and go

 

[Matt42]

115 degrees here is a normal summer day. It's annoying when temperatures get over 118, and yes I can tell the difference. Beginning in August, overnight temperatures will drop to the middle 90s.

The summer after we bought the truck, we took it on a trip through the lower Colorado River region. We were pulling a 25 foot travel trailer. Most daytime temperatures were above 115. We spent one overnight at Lake Havasu. While my wife was inside the RV park office registering, my daughter and I waited in the truck with the engine idling and the A/C on. We watched the ambient temperature indication climb to 132. That was obviously an artifact of sitting and idling, but that unofficial temperature isn't far beyond normal experience. We have driven and towed at temperatures over 122.

It's also rough on tires.