Hey guys! I just wanted to post some good power steering pump/hose info for future reference since there isnt any store in the archives.
I will start at the beginning here....
Recently the original ps pressure hose on my 89 LX started leaking badly. After calling my friend over in parts at the local Ford dealer, I was informed that the ps hoses are now discontinued.
I checked the local auto parts stores (Advance, Autozone, Pep Boys, ABC and NAPA). They all carry the same crappy after market lines that either have the wrong fittings, incorrect fittings or just plain dont fit. I ended up installing a good used on I got from a friend to tie my over for now.
While looking for a line, a friend of mine gave me an NOS 90-93 (F0ZZ part#) style line. I compared it to the original 89 line and the fitting was radically different. The threads were the same, but the 90-93 hose looked more like a brake line type compression fitting than the strange looking machined fitting on my 89.
This awoke a previous memory of a Ford TSB I read about 8 years ago about the differences between 89 and earlier and 90 and up pumps. I will explain that later in this post.
Jump forward now to last weekend. A friend of mine decides he wants to reinstall the power steering on his 90. Problem is he threw out the lines with the old rack. All he had was a ps pump that had the yellowish/white reservoir coloring. My other friend gave him the NOS 90-93 style hose.
He didnt trust the pump and wanted to get another. So he stops at Auto Zone and picks up a Fenco replacement for a 1990 (or it was what they listed for a 1990).
He brings it home and the night I stop by to swap the pulley and bracket for him is where it gets interesting.
I was looking inside the outlet fitting that the pressure hose screws into and noticed that his original pump had a ledge inside that appears to be where the fitting fits up against. The replacement did not have this.
He goes back to Autozone (as well as 2 other stores) looking for a pump with the correct fitting. They start looking up other Mustang applications and they have the same part number and the same earlier style outlet fitting.
This morning I called my friend over at Ford and ran some numbers.
There is a definite difference between pumps and hoses depending on the years. But the problem is Ford only has 1 replacement pump specified for a 5.0 Mustang! That part number is F1ZZ-B which is the correct number for the 90-95's. The original number for the 89 and earlier cars is now replaced with the number! Now when we checked the outlet fittings, that is where there is a difference and it is still noted in the Ford parts system.
79-89 uses one style outlet fitting and 90-95 uses another style.
Now this is where the differences make sense and where I will explain the TSB. Ford had notorious ps leakage problems and to rectify it, they redesigned the outlet fitting and the hose to help eliminate this. They specified that the early style pumps will continue to have the black reservoir. Those with the newer style outlet fitting would have the white/yellowish reservoir. They also specified that although the pressure hoses would screw into either style pump, leakage problems could occur if the installer doesnt pay attention to the style pump/hose fitting.
Problem is when the aftermarket rebuilders remanufacture them, they dont pay attention to the outlet fittings and reservoir colors. All the remans we have seen recently have the 89 and earlier outlet fittings.
It should also be noted that the power steering pumps also vary depending on what vehicle they were installed on. Trucks and Crown Vics with steering boxes use a similar pump, but they are a much lower pressure higher volume pump. Cars like the fox bodies with their rack and pinion steering use a high pressure lower volume pump. You should never swap them between vehicles.
Also note that 4cylinder Mustangs and 5.0 Mustangs have different pumps as well since the Mustang has a more performance steering feel (more effort). The 5.0 cars have the highest pressure Ford pump you can get.
I will start at the beginning here....
Recently the original ps pressure hose on my 89 LX started leaking badly. After calling my friend over in parts at the local Ford dealer, I was informed that the ps hoses are now discontinued.
I checked the local auto parts stores (Advance, Autozone, Pep Boys, ABC and NAPA). They all carry the same crappy after market lines that either have the wrong fittings, incorrect fittings or just plain dont fit. I ended up installing a good used on I got from a friend to tie my over for now.
While looking for a line, a friend of mine gave me an NOS 90-93 (F0ZZ part#) style line. I compared it to the original 89 line and the fitting was radically different. The threads were the same, but the 90-93 hose looked more like a brake line type compression fitting than the strange looking machined fitting on my 89.
This awoke a previous memory of a Ford TSB I read about 8 years ago about the differences between 89 and earlier and 90 and up pumps. I will explain that later in this post.
Jump forward now to last weekend. A friend of mine decides he wants to reinstall the power steering on his 90. Problem is he threw out the lines with the old rack. All he had was a ps pump that had the yellowish/white reservoir coloring. My other friend gave him the NOS 90-93 style hose.
He didnt trust the pump and wanted to get another. So he stops at Auto Zone and picks up a Fenco replacement for a 1990 (or it was what they listed for a 1990).
He brings it home and the night I stop by to swap the pulley and bracket for him is where it gets interesting.
I was looking inside the outlet fitting that the pressure hose screws into and noticed that his original pump had a ledge inside that appears to be where the fitting fits up against. The replacement did not have this.
He goes back to Autozone (as well as 2 other stores) looking for a pump with the correct fitting. They start looking up other Mustang applications and they have the same part number and the same earlier style outlet fitting.
This morning I called my friend over at Ford and ran some numbers.
There is a definite difference between pumps and hoses depending on the years. But the problem is Ford only has 1 replacement pump specified for a 5.0 Mustang! That part number is F1ZZ-B which is the correct number for the 90-95's. The original number for the 89 and earlier cars is now replaced with the number! Now when we checked the outlet fittings, that is where there is a difference and it is still noted in the Ford parts system.
79-89 uses one style outlet fitting and 90-95 uses another style.
Now this is where the differences make sense and where I will explain the TSB. Ford had notorious ps leakage problems and to rectify it, they redesigned the outlet fitting and the hose to help eliminate this. They specified that the early style pumps will continue to have the black reservoir. Those with the newer style outlet fitting would have the white/yellowish reservoir. They also specified that although the pressure hoses would screw into either style pump, leakage problems could occur if the installer doesnt pay attention to the style pump/hose fitting.
Problem is when the aftermarket rebuilders remanufacture them, they dont pay attention to the outlet fittings and reservoir colors. All the remans we have seen recently have the 89 and earlier outlet fittings.
It should also be noted that the power steering pumps also vary depending on what vehicle they were installed on. Trucks and Crown Vics with steering boxes use a similar pump, but they are a much lower pressure higher volume pump. Cars like the fox bodies with their rack and pinion steering use a high pressure lower volume pump. You should never swap them between vehicles.
Also note that 4cylinder Mustangs and 5.0 Mustangs have different pumps as well since the Mustang has a more performance steering feel (more effort). The 5.0 cars have the highest pressure Ford pump you can get.