MurkyRiversTL

So my power steering pump exploded a few days ago, and I got advice on where to get a new one. Went today and picked up a new/used one.

I got home about 2 hours ago and installed the new one, which I didn't know would be some damn hard, well just putting a new belt on was the hardest part.

Anyway, so I put the new one in and started it up, and it started with this loud whinning noise, and I thought maybe cause there wasnt enough tension. I tightened it alot (anybody know the specs on the tension?) and the noise still didn't go away. So I thought maybe the fluid is low, took a look at it and it was so I added more. Started it up and still had the noise. So I turned the wheel from lock to lock and then it got harder to turn. I turned the car off, looked under the hood and the fluid was foaming out of the resevoir.

I know this isn't good, I work with hydraulics on planes, and its not good to have air in the lines. I need help on what to do. I don't know how to bleed the air out.

Some one please help me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Lawaia

Foaming in the resovoir caused by air in the system. Run the engine at a fast idle and turn the wheel lock-to-lock several times. Re-check the fluid level and top off.

tim'sTLS

do it with the cap off the reservoir when turning lock to lock.

MurkyRiversTL

ok so the foaming stopped, but I still have the whinning noise. I spent all freakin day today trying to get it to stop. I also dropped some tools in between the block and the intake manifold and had to take all that apart....... but I'll get to that later.

Anyway, I thought that maybe the internal part of the new pump was bad, so I replaced it with the old one and I still had the whinning noise
Then I thought it might be the whole back side of the new one, so I replaced that with the old one, and still had the same problem.
So finally I thought I would try one more thing, I disconnected the lines to the pump and started the engine. it shot some fluid out of the top of the pump, but the noise stoppped.
I can't figure out why it would stop making the noise when the lines are disconnected. I connected the lines back up and the noise continued.
Anybody, have any idea what this could be....... the power steering works fine, but that noise is soooooooo annoying.

Oh yeah, back to the intake manifold. When I took it off to get the socket and extension I dropped down there, I saw how dirty every thhing was, so I decided to clean it. Not sure if that would help anything as far as performance wise, but it looks a hell of a lot better now that it's shiny instead of caked on black shit.

fsttyms1

Loosen the belt. You will blow the bearings out. The whining may be caused by the rack going bad?

MurkyRiversTL

I loosened the belt almost all the way to where I can see the belt flaring out cause it's so loose, and it still made the noise. Its only when there is no fluid being pumped through the system that it makes the noise.

You said the rack might be going bad, how much does that cost, and how ould I know for sure that's what it is. I dont want to have to waste money. Not that the pump was a waste of money, cause the thing blew up.

MurkyRiversTL

I meant that when there is no fluid going trough the system that it DOESNT make the noise.

fsttyms1

Most times out of ten that noise is caused because of the PS rack. The odds of 2 ps pumps being bad arent that good. maybe time to bring it to a mechanic for a 2nd opinion?

MurkyRiversTL

OK So I finally got my power steering fixed. I have to say that this is the weirdest thing. I tried every method of bleeding the system. I even used a vacuum to apply suction to suck the air out of the system, but even that didn't work. Since I had 2 power steering pumps(the old one and the new one) I tried to exchange every component in every way possible, and that didnt work.

Now, the original problem was that the bearing had blown up in the old pump, and I think the reason for that was I had the tension to tight. So last night I decided to remove the bearing and shaft from the new pump and install it in the old pump, and give it one last shot before I took it to a real mechanic.

IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!! I was so freakin happy last night, I still have to bleed the system, but it's no longer making that terrible freaking noise. I sat there for a good hour, at least, trying to see the difference between the two pumps, but I just couldn't see a difference. I noticed they were different model numbers, so maybe that could have been it.

Well, I'm just glad that I fixed it and it only cost $37 for a shitty new pump, with a good bearing.

glaudick

Glad you have gotten the noise to stop but alot of times a noise at a pump is caused by a bad seal on the suction side sucking air in it can sometime be checked by squirting a little oil around the shaft while running to see if the noise stops.