Hi guys, need some help replacing my power steering pump.
Got a new pump form Lordco..same as the one on my 93 f250 7.3 idi... the C-II kind i guess...
Removed the pulley with no problems. Now i have to disconnect the return hose to drain the fluids..
do you know a way to do it without making a mess?
is draining the pump reservoir all i have to do? or do i need to drain all the P/S system?
the papers inside the new pump box say that you have to flush all the system.. is this true?
thanks

 

There's a big difference between what physically must be done, and what is a good idea to do.
Flushing the system is somewhere between there: If the oil is clean, I'd not bother.
If it's got metal shavings or the like, however... not flushing will make your new pump fail.

So, really, the answer lies in another question: Why are you replacing your pump?
If the old pump died, then the question becomes 'why'.
If not, why bother replacing it? Usually, the steering box is the weak link in these, getting sloppy and such. The pump won't affect that.
If your only problem is a bit of squealing when holding your steering wheel towards one side, the solution is simple: Drain about a cup of oil, and replace with a cup of synthetic gear oil.
Stopped my squeal, and has worked fine for a long time. It also made things smoother.
I figure that when I replace the gear box, I might as well replace the pump at the same time, but until then...

 

the noise when steering is not the main reason.
when touching the power steering pulley i noticed that moves forward and backward. if i grab the pulley you can feel it shifting back and forth. i double checked to make sure the pulley is not moving on the pump metal pin.
isn't this a sign that the bearings or something in the pump is damaged?

 

What weight of gear oil did you use?

 

IIRC, 70w130. I used synthetic; I figured that for this, where I'm running a bit thicker stuff through it, the extra lubricating/sticking properties might be helpful.

giorgio.fo, how far in and out?
I can't say what's wrong, but that might be a fair reason to replace it(that might not warrant replacing the whole system); at least for peace of mind if nothing else.

 

i'd say a couple of cm.. when you push it/pull it it makes kind of a clicking sound.
i'v just checked the new pump.. tha shaft moves same as the one on my truck!
don't know what to think.

 

Do you mean a couple of MMs? (A couple of CMs is about 3/4") A MM or two shouldn't be a problem...

 

I just did this job on my truck. Mine was leaking out of the front seal. It was leaking to the point I was putting fresh fluid in pretty regularly. I did not flush mine because the fluid was nice and clean, just coming out everywhere.

If you want to get the fluid out of the reservoir, here is how I did mine. I have a few large syringes I got from the farm supply store. They sell them for cattle antibiotics. They are great for sucking out the ps fluid, or brake fluid....etc. you won't get all of it, but you can cut down on the mess anyway.

 

i'd say a couple of millimiters.. at this point i think it's normal.

 

In that case... call it good, put the pully back on, and return your pump to the shop for some $$.