It was a pretty good day, one of those where I get 4 steps ahead for the one step back, instead of the 1 step forward, 2 steps back UNTIL....
I'm am pretty close to starting a new 5.0 engine.. Exhaust is pretty much together, fuel lines are all in, everything is wired..
So I go to put some more 10W30 in it (it had about 2Q in it when I drilled the distrib shaft to prime a few weeks ago).
- Pour in the 1st quart
- Then pour in the second, and something literally didn't smell right
I look at the bottle and it was power steering fluid OMG :brick:
.. Same bottle, black label, but mixed in with the batch I grabbed in a hurry. But if this bonehead could read the label!!!!!!!!! :wtf: :slap:
So I opened both drains, grabbed a fricken gallon bottle of 10W30 and poured it in to flush out my mistake
I mixed the 10W30 with the ESW-M2C128-C power steering fluid in a glass (they both are the same color) to see if they are soluble or not. They seem to mix, causing the oil to become more fluid.
Is this a good enough flush? Its not like the engine even was turned over with the mixed oil. What to do????
Also, I always thought power steering fluid was red!
HELP!!
BoneheadCougar aka bondocougar
tranny fluid is red
well, since i guess you flushed most of it out, go along with the break in process, 500 miles and change the oil, i couldnt see that small of an amount causing much damage at this point
and ive still yet to meet you, everyone in MD aside from me seems to have met you
You will be just fine. Power steering is basically a variation of type F trans fluid (with additives similar to standard hydalic fluid so it will not break down under high temps like trans fluid would). In fact you can run trans fluid in your power steering without problems. (probably why you think its red.) Anyways, it lubricates and contrins nothing harmful to metal so no damage will be done.
You could probably have even ran the engine with a little P/s fluid mixed in with the oil for 3000miles without problems. (don;t try it).
Just remember: break in the engine with conventional oil, NOT synthetic. Just mensioning that because It seems lots of people don;t know it.
synthetic lubricates so well, that it doesnt allow the bearings and the rings to wear in and seat properly, which is what the break in period is all about
I originally put 3Q of synthetic in it when I first tried priming it, and then 4tqrter sent me a link mentioning the same thing, so I drained the thing once already. I thought it probably is also not a good idea to add nonsynthetic to the synthetic already in there.
Sure am going thru a lot of $$$ motor oil, and I have not even ever started this engine! :shakehead
Thanks for the comments, I'll put one more quart of nonsynthetic in there to flush and then fill it to capacity with
10W30 .. And this time I'll wear my reading glasses!
.. Well, first engine start is coming soon, your welcome to come by then! I was hoping to have as many hands I could get in case I need to put out a fire! As well as ask stupid questions like: "You did fill the engine with 10W30 and not power steering fluid, Right?" :disappoin
Thanks everyone, would never have done this 3.8->5.0 project without everyone here in the background! :bowdown:
BTW,, using tranny fluid as power steering fluid is ok to. been doing it for years now.