Power steering pump

rasbury

So, couple of things...first, there must be a high rate of theft of  power steering pumps as they are a mother *^$($% to get off!

As soon as I took the belt off, the pulley has a lot of wobble to it so I assume what ever is there for a bearing is toast. I will do some research and see if I can track down the GM pump and if not will take @212rowboat up on his offer for a used pump off a motor I believe he removed.....anyone know where to start with that? These parts places when you walk in the door if you can't tell them a make and model of the part your looking for then they are just lost and I guess I get it.....if they had that much knowledge they would be working on stuff making better money than selling parts.

One thing I did not like that I saw there is a magnet it looks like in the reservoir and it did have some metal pieces on it-could that be from the bearing and go all the way through the system and get returned to the  reservoir through the return line? Have no idea what is in the rams but I sure am hoping that is not where the metal came from .....don't know if you can see it in the pictures...there was one piece probably a quarter of an inch long....a little thicker than a piece of thread...

Anyway, any one know how to track down the pump at the auto parts store?? I hear they are pretty cheap!
 

rasbury

So, got a new pump from o'rielys auto parts for 60 bucks, they transferred the pulley wheel. Sure beats 700 bucks. 

Liberty44140

Ye what a deal! Nice that they change the pulley for you 

Ian

I did offer a suggestion or 2 in your prior thread....

rasbury

yep, you got me going the right direction! This one also a life time warranty ( hate to hear that, almost sets up the failure) for 59 bucks...anxious to get it on and give her a test! Even my patience is starting to run a little thin....

Ian

You got a good deal plus the pulley swap. Had I known back then....

rasbury

That's what this forum is for!

rasbury

So, it sounded like you had done this before? The pump and the resivor (sorry for the spelling) came apart tuff- how do you get it back together with the holes lined up?

Ian

Have to remember now @rasbury , not sure it was a big challenge, I argued more with the pulley pull and refit than the reservoir. Maybe the seal was a PITA to get aligned and the valve and spring fit back right but nothing more memorable.

rasbury

I'll probably give it a go tomorrow and hopefully back in the boat before the weekend...I'm sure it goes back in easier than it came out......NOT! For as much as I use the genny, I sure would have a lot more room to work with out it there....

Ian

Getting mine out wasn't an issue - slacken belt and a few bolts and 2 hoses, swap tank etc and reverse. Actually remember that the one hose I replaced snaked under and back so it was the usual stretch and squeeze.

Me too - no gen is a boon in a way as it leaves a nice place to site and do that otherwise i'd have been laying over the engine working upside down - as I just did with the water pumps.

Good luck - any questions post here with photos, see if it reminds me of anything of note.

rasbury

Thanks Ian.....I thought the genny would be a plus for what I wanted to do- just not what the admiral wanted to do! Hey, at least the spoiled kids can watch tv with the air on while we head down the river...shut their yaps up.

rasbury

So I replaced the power steering pump and on the test run this weekend it felt better than it ever has probably....so we went across the lake a couple of times burning out some old gas and the steering started to get tight again....I thought I had not resolved my leak so back to the dock...finally had a chance to look at it and it is at the normal level....I did have fluid come out of the plug when I pulled the boat also...maybe I had some left over fluid from the leak that was up in the hull that came down...anyway, in the manual I recall it describing some painful method to get the air out of the system and I think it was @Alswagg ( where have you been Al?) that said that just turning the wheel back and forth would get the air out....sound like I have air in the system? It's kind of tight then gets smooth but kind of "jerky" as you turn the wheel.....

Willhound

 @Alswagg ( where have you been Al?) 

I would imagine that given the time of year, Al is up to his ears trying to get boats ready.

reneechris14

He gets on facebook once in a while.

bella-vita

It is a self purging system.like u said just turn wheel left and right a few times 

GMSLITHO

Ras I replaced mine last year and I’m also having the same issues you are describing but no air is in the line 

zaverin1

It could also be the steering cable binding 

rasbury

I'll get it back on the water...it sure needs to run some more.

GMSLITHO

With the motor off the wheel turns smooth with the motor on and the power steering running I get the tight then smooth spots in the steering 

aero3113

GMSLITHO said:

With the motor off the wheel turns smooth with the motor on and the power steering running I get the tight then smooth spots in the steering 

You can turn the wheel with the motor off? Doesn't it tighten up once you lose pressure and turn the wheel a couple of times? 

GMSLITHO

its tight but it still turns smooth 

rasbury

Mine too...I may run it again on Saturday....I was worried about burning up the pump again...I may have overfilled the trim, that's maybe where the fluid came from...

The_Codfather

what year model auto pump did you find to fit? can you share it please. 

rasbury

It is a GM Saginaw pump.....I don't recall what year but if you take it down to the autoparts store they should be able to find it...I did not have trouble but they were for older models....I just bought the pump and re used the reservoir. It looked intact but it might be leaking...I have to get back on the water but had other trailer issues in the mean while! 

rasbury

So, I got my boat back on the water today for a new "test run" after getting my trailer brakes in order...that was fun. Anyway, so crank it up and I hear a ticking...it really has not run much more than an hour or so over the last two years so I did not worry about it to much...take a short little run and it's not going away...with the hatch down you can barley here it with it open, it's there. So, I'm thinking I have something going on with a valve push rod lifter etc. going on. Checked the oil as I had just changed it and that was good. So, was now going to put it back on the trailer and noticed that when I turned the steering wheel, it goes away. I have a video of the noise I'm trying to up load....it's in the power steering! If you turn the wheel one direction it goes away...and it's back in the transom in the steering "hub" back there....not sure what it is called. What the heck back thee could make a noise like a stuck lifter? It is a tick tick tick type sound....now I had the motor out, had all the lines unhooked but everything looked pretty straight forward putting it back together...the hoses all kind of laid where they needed to go.
Boat ran good otherwise...and oh, it is leaking power steering fluid a little bit still and I can't seem to find where that is coming from.....does not seem to be from the pump. When I pulled the plug out, probably 2 oz of fluid came out...

Can't seem to upload a video?

Willhound

Not sure about your ticking sound issue but there is no direct way to upload video. You have to use an app like YouTube or Google video and upload it there and then cut and paste the link into your post.

rasbury

Ah....that's what I was thinking but figured there had to be a better way!

aero3113

I had a tick once, turned out to be a cut spark plug wire arcing to the block. This happened when I had my oil pan changed. They must’ve cut it some how when installing the engine. It sounded like a top end tick and changed with RPM.

212rowboat

Did you burp it?  
On the flat, muffs and all, fire it up and turn it to lock both sides over and over smoothly and slowly with cap just resting on threads. 

You may have to top it off when you're done. 

That ticking sounds like you're describing  cavitation in pump. 

rasbury

But the tick is back by the transom?