Power steering

[Prospeeder]

I dont know much about powersteering and what the signs are of going out.

Mines not losing any fluid, but when i turn the wheel theres now a grinding/wining noise coming from the pump. Is my pump on the way out, or is it normal to start makin noise after it gets old? Not somthing i wanna replace right now but id like to know, my steering seems normal

[dbtk2]

If the fluid is full like you say then it is probably the pump going out.  Not hard to change the pump at all, the rack is what is a PITA.

Shawn

[TGPilot]

You may try replacing the fluid completely. Have you ever done it? Considering how many miles may be on some of our cars and have never been replaced it is not surprising that a pump is dying.

You may find it severely leaking after a complete fluid change...but Lucas makes a power steering fluid additive that worked in my TSTE. Was making noise when it was cold and would shut up after the fluid warmed up...I dropped in some Lucas and never heard another noise out of it even at -10*F temps. :icon_wink: :icon_cool:

[pontiac6ksteawd]

If you pump is grinding/groaning when the pump is full, REPLACE IT ASAP. The power steering piston (in the pump, you cant see it) will force the metal shavings from the grinding noise down into the rack. This will develope into morning sickness. And thats where the power steering wont work when the car is cold, but does when warm. And will eventually progress into one, or both, directions in steering being manual. I have dealt with this on 4 of my GM's, I no longer wait...

[Prospeeder]

oh, ic, ill siphon out the fluid and refill it and add the lucas PS fluid additive and see if that helps, replacing doesnt sound difficult at all, the lines, 3 bolts, and then back on, and bleed. How much do these run price wise? Ill prolly get one in a couple months when i get a job

[GangstGP]

I agree with that it should be replaced, nothing is going to save it and it will kill the rack. you can find them on many other cars with 3.1s .  I got a pump from an olds on my tgp and it works great with my new rack.

If you get a mix mizer syringe to suck out the fluid you can change the fluid regularly (once a year) and the pump will never go out again.

I got an extra pump off a TGP I could get rid of too . Its just laying around.

[twinturbosedan]

replacing the PS pump is easy, but the shitty part is that new pumps don't come with the pulley.  so you'll have to take it someplace to get the old pulley put onto the new pump (unless you have a PS pulley puller).  you might also consider getting one of those cheap little screen filters that go into the return line.

i just said screw it and got a used pump from the j/y for $10 and it works fine.

[pontiac6ksteawd]

Autozone rents the power steering pulley puller for about 20 bucks, and you get all that money back when you return it to the store...