Safe way to drain power steering?

Heyo, I was checking my power steering fluid after hearing a whirring when turning. I opened it up to find power steering fluid instead of Dexron III ATF...
How can I safely flush out completely and replace all of the power steering fluid?

 

To drain/flush: I highly recommend this method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqO3E6noQj4

Also watch the @Timmah! video for the vehicle specific stuff and seeing the process, but follow the process above.
Timmy has a good video, but don't empty the fluid like he did and spray it everywhere and run the pump dry...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k61KXRK8bM

 

Turning the wheel lock to lock to use the rack or steering box as the pump is definitely the way to do it. It was a real "well duh" moment when someone suggested to me years ago.

 

I had the same response when my dad sent me that video when talking to him about flushing my power steering and cleaning out the filter screen.

 

Also, @rackomint - I highly recommend cleaning out the screen in the reservoir as shown in the Timmah video I posted above. That could be a lot of the source of whirring/whining you're getting. It solved most of my symptoms except when it's really cold and the truck hasn't warmed up.

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions.
The whirring started occurring because, I think, I'm low on fluid, I went to check the reservoir and found out it wasn't ATF.
I'll try this all tomorrow weather dependent and post how it goes. I'm still open to suggestions in the meantime!

 

Wow Jason, you make it sound like I coated the engine compartment with ATF. Yeah, some spurted out of our catch basin but we're talking a miniscule amount. Also, it's not like we ran the pump dry of fluid for an extended period. When we realized the pump was emptying faster than we could replenish it, I had Jax, the kid we were helping, shut it down. Having the pump run dry for a split second isn't going to do damage to the pump. What I have found after putting out this video is you can effectively move the fluid through the system without running the pump. So yeah, I agree keeping the pump off is the way to go.

A high majority of the time we make videos, we are performing a job for the very first time. We do our research and then we go for it. At the time of making this video, it seemed necessary to run the pump to effectively move the fluid through the system. And, it made perfect sense to me. Turning the steering rack back and forth didn't seem like an effective way to move the fluid because how can the fluid run through the pump with the pump off? But, by some magic that I still don't quite get, it works. A pump must have a chamber that fills and empties so how is the fluid getting through the pump? If somebody knows how this magic is happening, please explain because I've never torn apart a power steering pump.

 

Your method is best Tim, I followed your steps and everything went smooth, no mess

 

I got it done guys, made a little bit of a mess but all worked out okay

 

Remove the belt and turn the power steering pump with an air ratchet on the bolt that holds the pulley on. This method uses the pump to move the fluid, but is very controllable.

 

I did exactly the same when I flushed power steering in 1992 Mercury Sable. Just lifted the front wheels and use steering wheel to pump the fluid. I don't know why it works but it does - flushed all burned old fluid clean.

 

Yeah, I really would like to understand how the fluid can run through the pump with the pump off. One day maybe I'll tear one apart to figure it out.

 

It works for GMC, Chevy Ford and Toyota, so instead of messing up Toyota pump you can get junk domestic pump for scientific experiments.

FSM shows it as a Vane type pup:



Maybe vanes are giving up on suction from the pressure outlet.

 

Interesting. Rotory vane pumps are used in the fire service as a primer pump to move air out of a centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps can't move air for drafting operations or if an air pocket gets in the pump so the rotary vane pump is needed. As the pump rotates, centrifugal force pushes the vanes against the walls of the pump creating the seal and the thus the pressure to move the fluid. When the pump isn't spinning, the vanes aren't making a tight seal against the walls of the pump and maybe this is why the fluid can make it's way through the pump with the pump off. That's at least my best guess.