'94 B4000 Steering problem

[94MazB4000]

1994 B4000
Manual, 4wd, plus cab

Hey all, I have a problem with the power steering.
I notice this more when turning left. The steering "feels weird." IDK if it has more play than usuall but it's just strange. And the handling is a bit difficult at times. I turn it about 1/8 turn left and I encounter a little resistance, then all of a sudden the steering engages a little faster + farther than it should just for a second. It's not bad enough so that I feel unsafe, but obv. it has to be fixed soon and I was wondering if y'all had any ideas as to what it could be.
It does this more after I've just started driving the vehicle, say in the morning. This is a very recent thing, just past few days.
There is a slow leak somewhere in the steering system but it's very hard for me to tell where it is from... in the past the fluid has gotten low and I filled it when I heard that power steering whine, but 99% of the time I've topped it pretty regularly, it is a very slow leak. IDK if this is related.

6 mo. ago I replaced the front bearings and brakes.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated! I tried to search for similar problems but my keywords yielded no reasults.

 

[RangerX]

I'm just guessing here, but possibly there's a little air trapped in the system if the fluid got low enough at some point.
Try turning the wheel full-lock left, full-lock right a couple times, that can burp it out.
If that is your problem...

Welcome to the forum!

 

[94MazB4000]

Thanks for the advice, I'll try that...

I pulled off the belt and tried hand-turning the power steering pump pulley. I'm not sure if this is normal - but it had just under 1/4 (maybe closer to 1/8") inch of play in and out, and had about 1/4 inch of play when rotating before the pump actually felt like it engaged. This may be normal but who knows.

Also the issue I'm having didn't happen right after the fluid was low... in fact the fluid had been at a normal level for months. But still, there may have been an air pocket that moved... I'll try burping.