IS the Explorer PS connection the same as my 89 Ranger's?

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 6:46 am

One of the other threads was mentioning the power steering connections. I was under the impression that the power steering connections were the same between the two engines. However the pumps look nothing alike.

The Ranger's high-pressure connection comes out the side of the pump. The Explorer's pump has the high pressure output on the top.

Is this going to be another custom hose I need to get made up while I'm getting the oil/fuel lines? I'm not even sure I have the original Explorer connector that threaded into the Explorer pump...if they are different, I guess that's another trip to the junkyard to find that connector. Fun fun...

For reference, here are the pics of my power steering line & pump:

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MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:21 am

My Ranger's just screwed right in. Yours hopefully will too.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:31 am

My concern is your Ranger being newer than 89 may have had a different connector than mine.

Leaky PS Thread
In this thread, you indicated there was some plastic piece that went on your connector that mine doesn't seem to have that leads me to believe there may be other differences as well. However if the 92 Ranger does work, the simple fix if this becomes an issue is to get the 92 Ranger power steering line and bolt that in between my Ranger PS sector and the Explorer PS pump.

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:45 am

I still had the P/S box in my garage from when I purchased the Explorer P/S pump for my red truck. I looked in it last night and it had what looked like a rubber o-ring you see in your pictures above. The note with it said this was a teflon seal. I can't remember why but I had two of them which is why I still have this spare. So maybe that's what I was remembering. Might be the same.

From what I can tell the ford P/S pump didn't change for many years. Rangers, Mustangs, Crown Vics etc. etc. all seemed to have that same P/S pump.

Elect666 · Post by **Elect666** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 5:13 pm

Your power steering pump has a deeper connection then the 92 ranger and that is where the o ring comes in, In mine the is a plastic washer that makes it even more shallow.I did fix mine by making a rubber washer but I still need to get the plastic washer just because I dont know how long the rubber will last.
If that is your ranger hose that is pictured I think it will work just fine.
Jimmy

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:59 am

Yep, I checked it last night. The connection on mine is deeper and thus the threads won't meet with the pump's threads. So I'll need to replace the PS hose that goes to the sector. Since I know a 92 Ranger will fit, I'll start with that.

After checking the Advance Auto Parts website, it shouldn't be more than $25 to replace that hose. The 89 Ranger and 92 Ranger use the same steering sector (gear box) so the 92 Ranger PS hose should thread right onto what I have but I'll take my 97 pump just to be sure.

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the 92 PS pump, it looks more like the 97 Explorer pump than my 89 Ranger pump so that's encouraging...

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:13 pm

Chris,

I just pulled the P/S in my 94 and the hose end is indeed different to your picture up above. Mine does not have that last thin long piece with the rubber O ring. Instead at the top of the threads butted up against the hex nut piece is a white teflon ring. I also found a 97 Explorer P/S hose end I have laying in my garage and it's identical to my Ranger hose. Don't purchase the Explorer hose though because the other end that goes to the P/S box is different.

I'll see if I can get some pics. Might take a few days to get up though.

Later
Malcolm

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:26 pm

I picked up a 92 Ranger PS pressure line and sure enough, the connector is different AND has one of those white plastic washers yall were talking about. I'll see if I can get pics for comparison.

Another piece to the puzzle, but relatively easily overcome...so far.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:29 am

Here are some pics of the 92 Ranger Power Steering Pressure Line.

Notice the nut they give you to fill that tapped hole in the steering sector end. The documentation with the hose said to put a power steering pressure sensor in that tapped hole if equipped. If not equipped, use that supplied nut to plug the hole. So...that raises the question, does the Mustang use that sensor?

My guess is that sensor is only used by smaller engines (i.e. the 2.3L) that would actually have a hard time maintaining their idle when loaded by the power steering pump. So Ford put a pressure sensor in the PS pressure line for the ECM. When pressure increases, this would give the ECM a heads-up that the idle is about to go down and to be proactive in adjusting the IAC valve. Or am I way off-base with this one?

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 7:58 am

cgrey8 wrote:So...that raises the question, does the Mustang use that sensor?

My guess is that sensor is only used by smaller engines (i.e. the 2.3L) that would actually have a hard time maintaining their idle when loaded by the power steering pump. So Ford put a pressure sensor in the PS pressure line for the ECM. When pressure increases, this would give the ECM a heads-up that the idle is about to go down and to be proactive in adjusting the IAC valve. Or am I way off-base with this one?

That's pretty much it. On the smaller motors the ECC compensates for the P/S load. And no the Mustang harness / ECC does not use this sensor.

Elect666 · Post by **Elect666** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:30 pm

Just my 2 cents,On the 87 fox body it does have the sensor and I dont know if it tied into the eec but it does have it. I of course didnt save it or take a picture of it. Like I should have. And now I know what the sensor is for it makes alot of sence.I am going to e-mail malcolm the page that tells all. These motors were pretty high tec even back in 87.
Jimmy

cjcnomor4 · Post by **cjcnomor4** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:08 pm

is the hose long enough to run over the top of the pump and compressor or does it need to be lengthened?

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:48 pm

cjcnomor4 wrote:is the hose long enough to run over the top of the pump and compressor or does it need to be lengthened?

Mine was long enough but I had to use a pipe bender and re-shape it to reach. I also had to re-shaped the low pressure side for clearance and then cut down some of the rubber end to length.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:09 pm

You mean I got to modify the hard-line section to fit?

I'll do that if I have to, but I wonder if a 97 Ranger PS hose would work out better? I haven't checked on my 97 Ranger, but I'd think the 4.0L PS pump is in nearly the same location as the 5.0L's. Since the 97 Ranger uses the same steering sector as the 89 Ranger, maybe it's hose would be a more exact fit? Thoughts?

Tomorrow, I'll look and see if my 97 Ranger's PS pressure line fitting connects to or near the top of the pump like the 5.0L's does. If so, I may want to try that one instead.