“Stinky” is a great diesel truck, but I hate working under his hood. I'm very mechanically inclined, but there is always something in the way and my knuckles show an allergic reaction to scraping – they bleed. I also don't like the fact that a good set of wrenches isn't enough to get the job done, but I think I can manage replacing a simple power steering pump. My wife and I are in the garage together and as she walks from the garage to house, she chirps “Have fun tickling your Stinky”.

That sentence plays back in my head one more time. “Hun, that just sounds wrong”. I'm sure the neighbors heard that from the other side of the 10-foot tall row of arborvitae and are having a good snicker – trying to figure out the context.

My wife goes “Eeeewww.”

First off, it takes me half an hour before I look under the hood because I have to muster all my tools – ever since I “reorganized” my garage. The opening salvo of the job went well... it only took me 15 minutes to get the drive belt loose. The next time I approach the hood, I'll have that 1/2” drive socket in hand and I won't look like such a yutz at the upcomming testostofest at woodnthing's. Another 15 minutes of staring down my challenges tells me the drive pulley has to come off before the pump will. 15 more minutes pass with my trying to unthread the pulley with a big allen wrench, a big lever, and a big hammer. The pros are having a good snicker right about now. It dawned on me to have a look at the rebuilt one, right there in the box next to the truck. Oh... no threads on pully or shaft. It's pressed on. This is when my language exposes the sailor in me.

I go rummaging through my rarely-used box marked “Automotive” with a labeler during my “organize” the garage rampage. I'm looking for my universal cheapo (and bent) pulley puller, but I discover I have a puller precisely made for this pulley. I must have done this before and ran into the same problem – good thing I save specialty tools. Triumphantly marching back to the truck, puller held high and a smile on my face, I climb Mt. Stinky once more. The puller is too long and I have to remove the whole pump/alternator bracket to put the puller on the pulley – more sailorspeak.

I finally have the alternator out of the way and all the bolts loose, so the pump/bracket assembly is now free in place. I see two hydraulic lines, this makes sense – pressure out and one return. The return line is a clamped hose to the top and that's out in an instant, but the pressure line is threaded and it's down low... in a bad spot for wrenching. My master plan is to remove the pressure line and when it starts leaking, pull on the pump/bracket assembly quickly. Is that transmission fluid on my knuckles? Nope. Line is loose – I lift.

In my lift, I bump the tension pulley – sailorspeak. ...glug glug glug... Now I hit the HPOP cover – sailorspeak. ...glug glug glug... Now I feel a tug from underneath and a quick glance under the pump reveals another line to the power steering unit. Three lines to a pump? Intense and prolonged sailorspeak. ...glug glug glug... I'm now reflecting on the short-sightedness of not draining the pump reservoir as a first step. ...glug glug glug... Good thing I put chipboard under the truck in case of drips – I hope it can contain cranial rectumitus. ...glug glug glug...

I get the assembly out and lay the whole goopy mess on my own private BP spill, then head for the garage for another roll of paper shop towels. I recover from the first stage of the whole process and begin the hazmat disaster stage. The next few phases go much better because I'm working on stuff out of the truck, but I know the last part is lurking out there in my future – the installation.

I return to the scene of the crime with a clean pump/bracket assembly and begin the installation. Bottom hose on? Check. Hold pump/bracket assembly in place while I thread the pressure line without dropping the O-ring to the ground? Not so check. Wishing I had a robotic arm that could twist and swivel to any angle, I fight to get the first few threads of the pressure line started. While my right hand has its challenges, my left hand has to maintain the optimal angle of the heavy pump/bracket assembly. A plethora of sailorspeak ensues. Finally, the pressure line is started.

Everything is mounted and in place. One last check before I re-mount the belt. Uuhhhh.... The clamp on that bottom return line to the pump is not all the way in place. The hose will simply fall off if I don't address that. It's in a colossaly bad location, but there's no freaking way I'm going back past that pressure line part again... so I grab some pliers with my greasy mitts and I start my contortionist phase. I'm pretty much sitting on the battery, my head is over the power steering pump, and my arm is reaching around the turbo line with greasy pliers – trying to pinch the hose clamp and lift it. That's when my wife pops out and sees me. “Are you doing your Joe Cocker impression again?”

Break time – my hand was cramped anyway. We BS, I clean my hands and the pliers, and my hand begins its much-needed recovery. My wife then chimes in “Warn me before you work on the truck again. I want to buy stock in paper shop towels.” Ever the supportive one, that one.

Fresh hand, clean tool, game plan in my head – done in two minutes. It's belt install and cleanup time... whew. After filling the reservoir, I start the truck and work the air out. Another fill and start it back up again to watch for leaks. That's when I see the wobbly pulley.

 

Wow! What a write up!! lol And so early too! lol
Whats the story on the wobbly pulley?

 

It's gunna wobble until I'm unpissed enough to address it - maybe at the Testostofest this month.

 

Is it bent or just not fully seated. You can rent the tool from autozone if needed and you will not have to take the bracket and all off again.

 

to access the "3rd" hose. reach in through the wheel well. on mine there is enough room between fender liner and frame to just sneak in. eliminates the standing on your head phase. Also, once the new pump is installed, fill with fluid and spin the pump by hand till you feel some resistance. this will help with the air lock and howl. I did this the last time I changed the pump and its been smooth and quiet from the get-go. to spin the pump, I just grabbed a deep well socket and insereted it into one of the 3 holes in the pulley and spun it round til all the air was gone. I guess you could also use a allen socket in the end of the shaft and an air ratchet.
nice write up by the way

Barney

 

Bent (a little). I didn't have the proper tool to keep it from spinning while pressing the pulley back on, so my redneck prybar wedged it up while installing (I caught it a little too late).

 

Gotcha. I do know the pulleys are pretty cheap. My brother had to replace one. I think it was about $20 new.

 

I enjoyed the write-up.
Unless you already have a dual alternator upper radiator hose, did you install one while you were in there?

 

That explanation sounds about right -Tugly,Dont know what you do for a living but would highly recommend you as a writer/ columnist to Diesel world magazine or some such. Great write up- I always look forward to your red print commentary.Reps to ya !!

 

Sounds just about like every time I have to do something on my truck.

My little brother says it's not a REAL modification on my dad's truck unless we finish after 2 in the morning. Otherwise, it just doesn't count.

Tugly, you should seriously look into writing for Diesel World like he said...imo, I'd much rather read what you just wrote than half of the stuff they put in their mag now. You described something most of us deal with on a regular basis lol.

 

Wow! Those are some serious kudos - they are greatly appreciated.

I can see it now: My wife envisions me jet-setting around the country going from truck show to truck show - hangin' with the models and signing their... well... somewhere close to the bra region. In reality, I'd be stuck in a cubicle in Duluth while the field guys fed me emailed images and Bertha made sure the coffe pot was full.

 

I hate anything that uses ATF... funny story, man!

 

Nice write-up! You're lucky that your wife still steps out into the garage to check on you. As soon as the first round of sailorspeak leaves my lips (which is early on most wrench days), my wife and kids don't come near the place.

 

UPDATE! The bent, wobbly pulley worked itself out on its own. I guess all that tension and spinning straightened it out.