Power steering pump : Pressure line : Steering gear : Return line
That’s all the components of Power steering system.
Usually when these things go out, there would have been a lot of leaking prior. Did you notice excess amounts of ATF dripping everywhere you parked?
Before you replace the pump, you need to find out what caused it to go out.
Most common problems
1) O-Ring on the pressure line fitting for the pump.
2) Rubber end of return line, or clip wearing out.
3) Power steering gear leaking.
Once you find the leak you should go ahead and get the replacement part that you need (hopefully it’s not the gear! $200+) and get a new pump. A new pressure line and return line isn’t required, but for $10 bucks a piece you can’t go wrong. But make sure you ATLEAST replace the o-ring on the pressure line.
For the pump I used Cardone brand at Napa. $75 for pump and reservoir tank. You don’t need a new pulley, but I got one because it was like $15 bucks and I thought it looked good.
You will need the power steering pulley removal kit. This kit is crucial, because removing that pulley is the HARDEST part about this job, more tedious than anything.
Placing the pump should take no longer then an hour or two with a couple buddies helping out.
1) Remove the Serpentine belt, and the intake tube, swing those suckers out of the way.
2) You will need to remove the A/C compressor and swing it out of the way, or hang it from the hood.
3) Use the pulley removal kit, and remove the power steering pulley; you want to do this first because you can’t unbolt the pump with the pulley on.
4) Once you get the pulley off (I’m serious, that part sucks) go ahead and remove/replace your old pump with your new one, if anything replace the o-ring around the pressure line (Line on the direct side of the pump). Screw pressure line in.
5) With your new power steering pump, it should have come with a little plug where the return hose goes. Leave that plug in there for the time being, and let the return line sit there. You might want to get a bucket at this point, and leave it underneath the return hose. You are going to need it set up like this to bleed the power steering pump.
6) Now you got to put the new pulley on. Use your power steering pulley kit to press that sucker back on there (much much much easier said, then done)
7) From there, put the A/C compressor back on, put the belt back on, and reinstall the intake tube. Yr almost done.
Bleeding Power steering
This part is simpler then it sounds.
1) Put the front on stands, so the front wheels are suspended in the air
2) Make sure the return line is disconnected from the power steering pump, Also make sure to put a plug in the return line fitting on the pump itself (usually comes with new pump). You can run a tube from the end of the line to a bucket, so you can catch the fluid... much cleaner
3) Fill reservoir with new AFT (I recommend MOBIL 1 Synthetic),
4) Crank the steering from left to right, from complete lock to lock. Fluid should be shooting out the return line like a volcano, do this until ALL the old dirty fluid is out and fresh clean AFT is pouring out. 2-3 quarts should be enough.
5) Keep doing that until the reserviour is close to empty, but not entirly.
6) Reconnect the hose to the reservoir. Do it quickly and you shouldn't spill much. Refill the reservoir.
7) Turn the steering wheel from lock to lock quickly several times to bleed the air from the lines (with the engine off), then look into the tank and see if there are any air bubbles. Once all the air bubbles are finished, start the engine (for no longer then 15 seconds) and turn the wheel lock to lock to circulate the fluid. Turn off the engine and repeat this step until no more air bubbles appear. Make sure the tank does not get too low!
You don’t want to skimp on the bleeding part (step 7); if you do your pump will become very noisy. Once a pump starts to make noise, there is no way to reverse it.
