replace or rebuild power steering pump?

[shaggymane]

power steering howls in the cold weather and now I am. Ran out the bone yard yesterday in 15* weather and got another one for $20, just put it on and .......nothing. I'm PO'd.
Gotta take it back off and put the old one on and it's cold out there even with a heater.
Looked on line, 50 for a pump.....with Reservoir? Ok, they come with or without.
W/o is ten cheaper. Looks like it'd also take an O-ring also.

Then i see they have rebuild kits for 15.
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...wercraft_3869334-P_23_R|GRP60016_636065249___

Anyone done a rebuild themselves? Any special tools needed. Easy job?

 

[jhclance]

Sorry shaggy but that is NOT a rebuild kit. All that is is a seal kit,will fix a leaking pump but will do nuthing for a noisey pump. As far as i know ford is the only seller for the parts to rebuild these pumps. But i could be wrong on that.

 

[Carguy3J]

It just isn't worth it to try and rebuild it. There are several small, high precision parts inside, not to mention the tremendous pressure a p/s pump generates. Just buy the new/rebuild one. Get it with the resvr. installed. Again, $10 isn't worth the aggravation of trying to get the old resvr. off in one piece, and back on the new pump.
You might be able to get it cheaper online, from RockAuto.com, if you can wait a few days for shipping.

Are you sure your original was even bad? Did the steering feel tight or something, or was it just noisy? Ford p/s pumps are notoriously noisy, even when they are fine. I put a new one in my Sable recently. It certainly worked better than the old one, but it was almost as loud. The new pump even came with a sticker on it warning that that style of pump is noisy.

 

[Tbars4]

..This has some good install info to read...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240227&highlight=agr

 

[shaggymane]

Sorry shaggy but that is NOT a rebuild kit. All that is is a seal kit,will fix a leaking pump but will do nuthing for a noisey pump. As far as i know ford is the only seller for the parts to rebuild these pumps. But i could be wrong on that.

jhclance, That's good to know. on another thread I read the pulleys are pressed on and off, which I can't do. Just got to wondering if these pumps are like alts and starters - easier to rebuild than most people think.
Had the new used pump on the bench and ran into the reservoir being loose with out that valve, or what ever it is, on the pressure side being installed.
Freaked for a bit. Now what? ya know?

carguy3J This noise is not the normal growl from ford pumps. It only shows up when the weather gets really cold. Started last winter. Summer no noise. Steers fine, like it always has. It's just LOUD and even louder turning. To me that's a sign of a failing pump. Since it didn't do this 5 yrs ago I assume it's on the way out. These serpentine belt vehic's aren't like the old multi belts where you can loosen one and keep going, at least to get home.

Tbars4, Skimmed that thread and thanks. The bleeding thing - crossed my mind. But I've never had to do that on any other pump. Put it on, fill it, crank the wheel and go. I'll read it more in the morning.

 

[jhclance]

That fitting is pretty much the only thing besides friction of the o-ring holding the resivoir on so yea with that valve/fitting off it will be a bit loose

 

[shaggymane]

So, the big trick to bleeding the system is: don't run the motor, with the front end off the ground to reduce friction, crank the steering wheel side to side up to 40 times. That leaves 38 to go.
Wonder why I couldn't put a hand vac pump on the return line to fluid thru and draw air out. Might try that just to see what happens.

Follow up:
After sitting for the night when I pulled the return line off fliud ran out. Gave up on the vacuum idea.
Set about cranking the steering wheel to and fro. Bubbled a lot and a lot and alot. Odd thing is it over flowed. removed fluid twice. Air bubbles never ended. After half hour, said this is ridiculous. I'm starting this thing, it works or it doesn't. It worked.
In hindsight, i wonder and wish I would have started it after I saw the return line was full. I suspect it would have worked then.

One last thing for anyone else having to do this. Watch the coolant overflow line. Twice mine came off at the bottom of the tank even after I'd moved the top out of the way. Save yourself some floor clean up time, recommend just draining that tank.

 

[jhclance]

i have fitted a cap with a port for connecting a hand vacume pump to and by pulling a vac on the system it will draw the air out. works verry well

 

[shaggymane]

well, I spoke to soon. I did start it, it did turn easy, seemed to be working.
So took it off the jacks........anyone laughing about now?.......yeah, that's right. it turned easy, running because the front end was still in the air. Dooh!

The used replacement pump was no good. Took me awhile to start connecting the dots in the right way. After I took the replacement back off and had them both on the bench, I remembered I cranked the pulley of the original to pump fluid out for less mess on the floor.
Cranked the replacement pump and nothing moved. Also that valve or what ever inside the pressure port was stuck down inside. The original moved in and out, there's a spring behind it.

The fluid that came out of the replacement was more black than red.

It was a bad pump