'97 Taurus GL 3.0L: Power Steering Pump Recommendations?
Vulcan Engine.
While I’m at it, my Power Steering pump has been making a whining hydraulic noise for maybe a year now. I was waiting for it to fail completely before changing it out, but if I’m going to replace the water pump, maybe I should replace the Power Steering pump while I’m at it.
Any recommendations on Power Steering pump replacement units or hints on installing them? I’ve never replaced a power steering pump before.
1.) Do I reuse the old fluid or flush out the old and replace?
2.) Is this kind of like brakes - where bleeding is necessary?
it is necessary to " burp the system after changing to get the air out of the lines. I left the old fluid down in the stering mech and replaced what was in the pump. its cheap just replace it. to burp one you have new pump installed. fill it with fluid leave the cap off have some one watch fluid in pump. With the enging OFF turn steering wheel back and fourth through whole turning rt and left to the stops. person outside car is watching for bubbles and will put more fluid in the unit as air come out. Do this until all air is gone. ( its easier to do this with front of car jacked up off ground)
Some replacement pumps come with new pulleys and some do not, you must reuse the ole pully, So check when you get one you may need to borrow a “power tseering pulley puller” from the auto parts store.
on my car (saturn) it is easier to disconnect the lines from the steering rack below the engine the remove the whole unit and take the lines off the old pump and put them on the new off the car. your milage may vary.
3 questions:
1.) Why the 2nd person? If the level drops too low in the chamber, air can sneak back in? After you fill it up initially, is the level going to drop that fast? You don’t know, right? It could…
2.) Why is the burping easier with the front of the car jacked off the ground?
3.) I have a smaller-sized 3-jaw puller that I’ve used to separate a half axle from a hub knuckle (by grabbing the knuckle with the puller and pushing the axle through the center). Can this be used to pull off the PS pulley?
If the whining is not too bad I don’t know that I would even bother with replacing it.
On my old Sable with the 3.0 the pump on it whined for about a quarter million miles before I replaced it. (seal gave out and the shaft was too grooved to make a new seal trustworthy)
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You don’t absolutely need a second person.
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If the front wheels are off the ground, you can turn the wheels back and forth easily and quickly without the friction of the weight of the car to overcome.
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Use a power steering pulley remover. The pulley is on there extremely tight. A three jaw puller will likely not work and just damage the small flange. I’ve made that mistake before.
That said, unless the noise is unusually objectionable, I’m not so sure you really need to replace it. Of course, if you really want to, it’s your prerogative.
You will probably buy a reman P/S pump and I’ve never seen one that comes with a pulley. Even so you probably have to remove the old pulley just to get the old pump out of there.
You will need to replace any o-rings and/or teflon washers that seal the high pressure P/S hose to the pump. This is a good time to consider replacing the old hoses.
2nd person makes it easier to say “ok all the bubbles have quit”
get it off the ground it turns easier.
pulley will not pull off with 3 jaw puller you will beand or break the pully.
AlanY, ok4450, simplex1040:
Someone here suggested I pour some Lucas product in there to quiet the noise. I NEVER use these solutions (engine, tranny, etc.) because I don’t believe they do a thing - and he agrees with me that most of these potions ARE useless, but he swears this one really works. Have you ever tried whatever it is he’s talking about???