# 70's Ford Power Steering Fluid: Type F OK?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/70s-ford-power-steering-fluid-type-f-ok/69463>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [November 12, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/70s-ford-power-steering-fluid-type-f-ok/69463 "2011-11-12T23:56:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/70s-ford-power-steering-fluid-type-f-ok/69463/1 "2011-11-12T23:56:43Z")

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The owner’s manual for this 1970’s Ford with auto tran and power steering says to use Type F auto-transmission fluid for the transmission, but to use something different (Power Steering Fluid Spec ESW M2C128 A) for the power steering pump. The Chilton’s manual says to use Type F auto tran fluid for both the auto tran and the power steering.

Any guidance on this?

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/70s-ford-power-steering-fluid-type-f-ok/69463/2 "2011-11-13T00:08:29Z")

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Back then, virtually all power steering systems got Dexron ATF without any problems…But thousands of Fords got filled with Type “F” and they did just fine too…

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**Author:** ![FordMan1959](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@FordMan1959](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FordMan1959)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/70s-ford-power-steering-fluid-type-f-ok/69463/3 "2011-11-13T23:15:17Z")

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I always used Type F fluid in the power steering unit when I owned older Fords. Hell I didn’t even know they made power steering fluid until maybe 10 years ago.

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**Author:** ![Cherokeeboogieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cherokeeboogieman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cherokeeboogieman)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/70s-ford-power-steering-fluid-type-f-ok/69463/4 "2011-11-14T04:57:40Z")

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FordMan,  
You should appreciate this one. We had problems with a rebuilt steering box on a Ford van. I read the fine print on the steering fluid bottle, & it said “for top-offs, not for complete refills”. For refills, ATF was recommended by Ford. In the end, the rebuilt box was bad.