So my main question Ive been trying to figure out all day is this.

A while back a guy I was chatting with on fords, (who used to build them) told me after feeling mine didn't shift so smoothly, that you need to remove the stick and boot and on top of the trans you can add some kind of fluid to lubricate. That you should always hear it sloshing around almost when you shift. It was over a year ago and I cant remember what fluid he said, Gear Oil? Grease? And where exactly is this port again? I just got a new to me 150. 280,000 on it and the only issue is a leaking powersteering.

Tomorrow I'm planning on spending half the day tending to it and get it shifting smoothly again. But I need to know the fluid, and if this is correct.

Looking it up all I can find info on is a steering gear box, and differential taking any kind of oil or grease other than motor oil. Nothing about adding any directly where the shifter stick connects to the tranny. Can someone confirm?

Also starting to notice a real stiff and at times, almost pulling steering wheel. The PS Pump is starting to whine, and shows signs of leaking. So I was planning on doing that next, but then now I've read about this steering Gear box I haven't know about yet... Thinking that could probably need some attention too, at least oil or grease. Seems to be a debate on which. I got a bottle of 85 weight gear oil thinking that is what I must need to put under the shifter. So I could use that, but I read 90 weight or #00 Grease. Which one??

Any way all that to say I've never quite felt this from a PS Pump that was only starting to go. Any thoughts. Any thing I should check right away,

I had this truck but the 4x4 version years ago, but its been a while since working on it, so any tips are appreciated.

 

You didn't mention but I believe your truck would have the Mazda M50D-R2 transmission. Originally, the gearbox was factory filled with Mercon ATF then Mercon V. I have read that many people have had better success with shifting issues with the M5OD by draining and refilling with Pennzoil syncromesh MTF.. You might want to look into that, especially after 280k miles.. I have not heard or have dumped gear oil down the cavity where the gear shift resides to resolve an issue.I never done that with my F150. Some fill her up that way. That's just going to overfill the gear box if you don't have the fill plug removed. When I had severe shifting issues with my F150, it was damaged pedal box under the dash because the bushings wore out, affecting the clutch operation.

The power steering gear box is lubricated by Mercon ATF supplied by the power steering pump. I might try flushing that system and refilling with new fluid. With 280k miles, the transmission and power steering could still have the original fluid in both.