Hi friends.
Can you give me some guidance?
Power steering pump making a grinding noise and need to remove and replace the serpentine belt.
99 explorer xlt Eddie Bauer 5.0

Replaced the radiator the other day and didn't quite get the side brass reservoir fittings tightened all the way and found reddish fluids all over the battery and hood. Is this power steering fluid or transmission being it goes through the radiator? Just wanna check.
Think I have that resolved.

Ordered 1 pump and the belt.
Renting a pulley puller for the pump.

K
Never replaced a serpentine belt. How do I start?
Can I do this with the fan and radiator in the car?
How do I take tension off the serpentine?
Anything to look out for? Just don't move any pulleys before reinstalling?

The powe steering pump looks to be in a bracket with 3 screws. 2 top front and back and another on the front behind the pully.
Does the bracket also have the tensioner pully? One cast unit?
Can I just remove the pump from inside that bracket leaving the bracket in place?
Looks like the pump and pully will slip out of that mounting bracket. Then I can just swap the pully and reinsert then put the belt back on.
Any tips for these two items would be appreciated.

Not new to cars just ford.

Thanks friends.

 

Are you sure it's the power steering pump itself? I could be a bad bearing in the tensioner or idler pulleys. Check this recent post: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ine-noise.html

As far as the belt removal goes, you need to remove tension from the belt by rotating the tensioner and then slipping the belt off the pulleys. If you don't know what the tensioner looks like, look up the part on the rockauto.com, amazon or other online parts retailer then locate that part on your Explorer. Most online parts places have images.

The linked video might show you as well (I can't remember).

I'm guessing the red fluid was ATF from the transmission since you replaced the radiator and disturbed those connections. Power steering fluid is also ATF on a lot of (if not all) Fords, but typically people don't change it and it isn't red for long.

One trick to replacing the power steering pump (if you're sure you really need to) is getting the pulley on the new one set to the same depth as the old one so that all the pulleys are aligned. There is a youtube video that explains this. Just search for it and you should find it. It's easier for you to watch it than me try to explain.

Another thing to watch out for is entrapped air in the power steering system. For the Fords that I own, Ford recommends filling up the system after you've changed the pump. Then, disable the fuel system, turn the wheel lock-to-lock while cranking the engine. Be sure to check the fluid level. I do this with the front wheels off the ground so that there is very little pressure in the power steering system. Note that to ensure the engine won't start when cranking it over to bleed the air out of the PS system, I pull the connector at the fuel cutoff switch with the engine running and then let the engine die BEFORE I do any work on the power steering system. Also note that turning the engine over continuously can be hard on the starter so you don't want to do this for extended periods.

As far as moving (rotating) pulleys, you're not disturbing anything that is timed.

With the PS pumps I've replaced, you remove the PS pump pulley first, then remove the pump from the bracket and the bracket stays in place. The pulley would not fit through the hole in the bracket. It helps to have the pump mounted to the bracket so that the pump is held solidly while you remove the pulley. I assume this is the case on your Explorer, but don't know for sure. I didn't have to remove the fan or radiator.

These are just a few tips. I have no idea of how experienced you are in auto repair. There's no way I covered everything important so don't think the above is all there is to it. Don't be afraid to spend some money on a manual or check one out from the library. Documentation is good.

 

Thanks Mike.
Some great tips and really appreciate it.

Semi experienced working on earlier cars just new to fords and some of the new systems.

ATF fluids. Yep. Did not get a connector tightened which would account for the leakage.

Appreciate the advice. Ordered a new pump/ pulley and serpentine and will tackle it in a few days once the snow melts a little.

If anyone else wants to chime in.... Makes for a readable and informative thread.

 

When I changed a pulley I scribed a line on the shaft so I could install the new one correctly.

 

Wondering...being I have not looked closely...can I pull the pump from the bracket with the pulley on?
I know I can reach the 3 bolts on the front through the pulley itself.

This?
"Note that to ensure the engine won't start when cranking it over to bleed the air out of the PS system, I pull the connector at the fuel cutoff switch with the engine running and then let the engine die BEFORE I do any work on the power steering system."

Don't you want the engine running when bleeding the pump?