power steering pump question

mmathews

Registered User
When i take my belt off the power steering pump pulley moves in and out about 1/4". I am replacing my motor mounts as well so i figured i would do both at once. My new pump does the same thing. Should i just put my old one back in and return the new one? Or is the new one junk too?
 
The power steering pump is designed with some amount of end float. I don't know if it is 1/4", but definitely enough to be noticeable.

Just make sure that the shaft doesn't slide entirely out of the pump (I had a replacement pump from AZ do that to me) before installing it.
 
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i put the old one back in. i cleaned it up. the resevior is actually yellow ;) my pump whines when i turn the wheel. and its leaking. i has been for some time. i think its the connection but i can't tell. all i can see is it dripping from the bottom of the resevior. i originally thought it was oil on the ground. when i took the old one off i dumped out the resevior. it was brown. like old oil. now that its new i can tell the fluid on the ground is power steering. i guess i'll have to get someone to turn the wheel while i watch. i can't see anything while its at idle. if you hear the pump working, is it shot?
 
i put the old one back in. i cleaned it up. the resevior is actually yellow ;) my pump whines when i turn the wheel. and its leaking. i has been for some time. i think its the connection but i can't tell. all i can see is it dripping from the bottom of the resevior. i originally thought it was oil on the ground. when i took the old one off i dumped out the resevior. it was brown. like old oil. now that its new i can tell the fluid on the ground is power steering. i guess i'll have to get someone to turn the wheel while i watch. i can't see anything while its at idle. if you hear the pump working, is it shot?

These pumps are somewhat notorious for whining. I don't think it's necessarly a problem; although I haven't heard your pump.

The leak could be at the high-pressure fitting. There are a number of O-rings there. There was a good thread about this issue recently. However, it can also leak from the joint between the metal pump body and the plastic reservoir. There is a rubber o-ring there, and I think it is replaceable. I haven't heard of too many leaks from that area, though.
 
The auto parts stores sell the front seal and some have a complete o'ring kit for it. I've replaced the front seal. Easy to do. And oh yeah, all the pumps I've ever checked would let the pulley and shaft slide back and forth a bit.
 
i think i will get one. the power steering works just fine. the noise isn't loud. its louder than my other vehicles but not like when i turn people are turning and looking at me. the only thing i noticed was the fitting, was shaped kinda like a "T", spun pretty easy. it's brass and swivels. has the harness plugged into it. it seemed like it should move, but not as easily as it did. probably needs some o-rings
 
chances are, the leak is your reservoir o ring. its a big oring that when you remove and reinstall the res numerous times, will stop sealing properly. go buy a rebuild kit, or your new pump will have one. :)
 
The leak could be at the high-pressure fitting. There are a number of O-rings there. There was a good thread about this issue recently. However, it can also leak from the joint between the metal pump body and the plastic reservoir. There is a rubber o-ring there, and I think it is replaceable. I haven't heard of too many leaks from that area, though.

Here is a link to a P/S pump thread that I started several weeks back. I suspect this was the one that S_Mazza was referring to. He among others made numerous responses to my post.

http://www.sccoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115608

In that thread, I also list part numbers for O-rings from Ford (and from Carquest) that I was able to use to fix the leaks I was experiencing on the EVO (Electronic Variable Orifice) which is where the swiveling "T" you most likely are referring to is located. The "T" fits over the EVO, with two different size O-rings underneath each end of it. The high pressure line then connects into the perpendicular stem of the "T" and also has an O-ring and a teflon seal at that connection. Where the EVO goes into the side of the pump body, there are yet two more different size O-rings. So, that gives you a total of 5 different size O-rings and a teflon seal on the EVO alone.

If you read the post, you'll find that I wasn't successful in getting the O-rings from the kit I got at Autozone, Advance, or NAPA to work for the two O-rings under the sleeve of the "T" that slides over the EVO body. Others seem to have had success with getting two of the kits. I ended up using two different O-rings out of the supply kit at Carquest (#114 for larger end of sleeve and #113 for smaller end of sleeve) and stretching them to fit into the grooves in the EVO. I then lubed them lightly with petroleum jelly and was able to get the sleeve of the "T" to slide over them. So far, I've made it about 3 months with no leaks. The pump still whines (more than the original), but at least it isn't leaking. I suspect my original Ford pump was still OK and that it was the O-rings around the EVO that were the cause of my leaks in the first place.

Best Regards,

Ted
 
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