Brakes——-2006 mega cab 5.9

Yesterday my brake pedal went halfway to the floor when I came to a stop at the grocery store. I thought initially that I had a brake line busted, but when I checked.... no leaks. Still have decent brakes but seems like no vacuum assist. Can I assume this is the vacuum pump gone south??? Is it a mega job to replace it?

 

There isn’t a vacuum pump or vacuum assist on your 06. The brakes are hydraulic assist and get that from the power steering pump.

How does the steering feel?

 

For the past 6 months or so, I have had the steering feel like it was “locking up” when manoeuvring around parking lots or parking my trailer.

 

I would check, and possibly change, your power steering fluid. If that doesn’t help you’re probably looking at a new power steering pump.

 

Is there a procedure posted in here anywhere for changing the fluid or is it a matter of taking off a line and pumping it all out and replacing the fluid and bleeding the lines?

 

i did a write up on it several years ago but the photos are gone.

After going thru the hassle of disconnecting lines and all that I’ve switched to just sucking out the reservoir and refilling, running and repeating.

It would be easy enough thou to pull a cooler line and gravity drain, suck out the reservoir and then top it off. Repeat a couple times after a few minute drive. That will tell you if it’s fluid related or pump related.

 

I appreciate your time on this, I’m in the middle of it as we speak. I took the return line off the cooler and let it drain,plugged it then, and with a hose attached to the pressure line, I am doing fills and short starts on the engine while keeping the reservoir full.

 

If you're still in the middle of it or interested I don't mind doing an updated write up of seafish's power steering filter. Keeps the system clean and hassle free for fluid changes. I had unresolved power steering issues that the previous owners of my truck left me and did a small thesis of a diagnosis and explanation of the system on r/diesel in reddit before I joined TDR. I had fluid being pushed through the cap and overflowing as well as a hydro boost leak.

Did you have any leaks on your system?