Power Steering Pump Removal?

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 04:30 AM

I may need a new power steering pump.

here is a related thread

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94076

So in case I do I was reading the infamous Haynes manual. I couldn't figure out why it says to drain the coolant on V8 only models?

This is what I was going to do, or prepared to do.

Use a suction to get as much of the fluid out of the reservoir as possible first
Disconnect the lines from the pump, I'm guessing an inlet and an outlet.
use a power steering pulley remover tool thing to get the pulley off
unbolt the pump from the bracket / engine

take it in for a new one, and go backward to re-install

I figure since the pump is up high and I don't recall it being too crowded. I should be able to do this with just those steps. Those are the basic steps from Haynes but it has extra stuff, like remove the air intake duct (WTF), drain coolant. On 93-97 if talks about removing heater hoses, and alternator, and stuff.

I don't even know why it wants me to take off the air intake duct?

Am I missing something here?

thanks

kool-aide

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 04:54 AM

Removing the duct and lid and also the upper coolant line gives you more room to work. alldata has the same write up.
I would start with removing the pulley but its a straight forward project.
Heres a few bullitens that i found for ya..

5.7 Liter Engine: Ensure that the power steering pulley hub shoulder bottoms out completely on the power steering pulley shaft before you apply a load to the power steering pulley hub.
Ensure that the power steering pulley goes on snug when installing the power steering pulley with the special tool. If the power steering pulley installs onto the power steering pump shaft too easily, it will not relay engine power to the power steering pump and should be replaced
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 05:07 AM

thanks. I don't understand the first part. pulley hub shoulder bottoms out?

Well I don't really think removing hoses would get me the kind of free working room i would like, lol... The metal line on the upper left of the pump is hard to get to because of the funny bends it takes. I really don't see taking all that extra stuff off would make a big enough difference to keep me from swearing up a storm,

. The other line is easy, lower right just a little clamp.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 05:21 AM

I agree, its just a dealer thing, gives them extra cash for the extra labor lol.
If ya need to just remove the upper line, dont drain it just let the little bit leak out if not then dont even worry about it.
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 05:29 AM

thanks. I'm trying to figure out if i need a new one or not.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 05:31 AM

Whats the old one doing or not doing?
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 05:34 AM

Here is a link,

makes a noise when idling but seems to go away when you give it some gas. It is kind of a squeaking noise, like a bearing with no grease.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 05:38 AM

Almost sounds like a worn belt. Although since its coming from directly over the ps pump chanes are its the bearings inside...
I would imagine you have checked the fluids and all looks good and full.
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 05:58 AM

yeah. I thought I was low on fluid until I added some and saw it was almost to the top already. I don't think I even got an ounce in there when I realized it was full.

the belt is not the cheap-o. It is not a fancy exp one, but it was more than the cheap-o. I would say it has more time than miles on it. I replaced it last year, and in the year and a half I have owned the car. I have only put like 14k miles on it. The belt didn't need to be changed when i did it, but i did it just because the a/c belt needed to be.

I could try changing the belt. The last bad thing that happened to it was some of that oil from the a/c system shot out while I was working on the car. Tell you the truth it was fine before that. My first thought was the oil need to wear off. But that was three weeks ago.

The only other thing I notice is every once in a while the steering seems to go stiff like the pump is not pumping. But only for a few seconds and I haven't really associated it with anything i was doing at the time, like spirited driving.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 06:01 AM

May want to pull the belt off and clean all the pulleys with brakeklean or something along those lines and may want to consider changing the belt or instailing the old one if you still have it to see if the prolbem still exhists. Also the belt may be slipping at higher rpm. just a thought thou, I would also reccomend pulling some of that fluid out if its that high.
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 06:07 AM

nah, trashed the old one. I could try a cleaning. I know sometimes I get a really nasty squeal that seems to come from around the tensioner area. That usually goes away. That started happening more recent. The noise I taped has been around for three weeks. I didn't get the other noise on tape because it went away before i could get the camera ready, i was moving slow. In just the few minutes of idling it went away.

Hmm, Not sure if I have brake cleaner. I have WD40, PB Blaster, and Maybe a little bit of carb cleaner left, and CRC electrical cleaner.

any of those ok? Other wise I will need to run to the store,

. I don't want to drive the car with that hideous noise, lol... Man, this is the classic sound that every one points and stares, but I just can't tell if it is the belt. I hope so, because that is 100 times easier and way cheaper.

I know its not the a/c belt. I did that test already. Funny though, the a/c belt is the cheap-o brand. I had a cheap-o brand on the main but it squealed the second I put it on. So I took it back for the more exp one.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 06:14 AM

stay away from Wd-40, will eat your belt, although the carb cleaner will work just fine. When you pull the belt, check out the pullies, the best you can, even the tensioners, spin them by hand and give them a wiggle test and see if you can produce the noise, chances are you wont but its worth a try.
Lol thats not a good noise, the point and stare, but hey it happens, even with the noise you could still take the guy thats staring and drooling on the inside.
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 06:28 AM

true. but its so stereo typical, a GM T-top riding around with some god awful noise, lol..

I took another video. This time it has both squeaks. Hopefully every one can hear the two different squeaks. One seems to be the tensioner the other seems to be power steering, but what do i know, lol..

here is the link, under hood noise 2,

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 06:41 AM

you know what I hear squeaking, the alternator pulley. I just replaced that a couple of months ago. The one I took off had a bad regulator and a squeaky pulley.

I turned the tensioner, power steering by hand, no noises. I was taking the belt off and I heard a squeak come from the alternator. I turn that by hand, squeak, squeak, squeak...

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 07:29 AM

the lady at the parts store pointed out that my belt tensioner moves. I never noticed that before. If the right part comes in today from another store I think I will change that first. It is a cheaper part,

. I would say the movement in the tensioner is some where around 1/8 to 1/4 inch and seems to move and pulse with the engine kind of sort of.

and as usually by the time i made it to the store the noise were a lot quieter than my videos, lol...

she said they generally don't replace alternators under warranty for squeaks,

. But if the tensioner doesn't fix it then she said she will try and get the alternator replaced.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 10:57 AM

sweet, let us know if it works..
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 01:46 PM

well i guess it worked. The new tensioner moves like the old one, but there is no noise. I even noticed the alternator noise was gone. I also tried some STP belt dressing. I'm sure it is a load of crap, but hey i'll try it. Any thing to avoid replacing a power steering pump.

the real test will be how the car starts each morning.

in a stroke of bad luck the little hose for the PCV collapsed. I got home from the parts store and heard this vacuum leak. Man talk about one thing after another. Well a small piece of 3/8 fuel and emissions hose fixed that. I'm glad I didn't have to wait for a dealer part.

**sunsetorangess** · 08-10-2008, 01:47 PM

Lol good stuff, glad you didnt pull the pump, the belt dressing does work but only for a few weeks then you will have to re-apply.
J

**kool-aide** · 08-10-2008, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by sunsetorangess

Lol good stuff, glad you didnt pull the pump, the belt dressing does work but only for a few weeks then you will have to re-apply.
J

good because for about 3 bucks i was wondering what i would do with the rest of that can.

its not a big can, but i didn't use that much, so i figured at my rate it would last longer than the belt.