ok, i'm behind on my picture posting and updating, but i have been making progress. work's just been crazy.

i have a quick question for you all though:

should i replace my current powersteering pump while i have the bracket off, or are these things relatively tough. it has 200k on it, but have never given me problems. i know the reservoir leaks, but i assume there's a re-ring kit or something for it...

 

Your call JP. If it worked fine, I'd be trying to stop the truck from swallowing too much money at once... Not that hard to change later if need be.

 

I agree. I'm only replacing mine case it's leaking out the front seal. No sense putting one that's on it's way out back in. But if yours looks good I'd still run it

 

exactly my thinking! i kind of want to pull it off the bracket to paint the bracket up. the rest of the engine is looking so good that it feels wrong to put that dirty part back on there...

yeah, it never gave me any problems - other than blowing the high pressure fitting off one time - but that wasnt the pump's fault, the hose itself separate!

anyone have a quick how-to on the removal of that sucker, though? looks like an allen wrench will fit in the pump shaft, but doesnt look like the pulley will just spin off if you hold that shaft still. or will it?

the shop manual procedure is greek to me:
Removal

Remove the drive belt (8620).

On some vehicles, it may be necessary to remove the fan shroud (8146) to allow for proper installation and operation of the power steering pump pulley remover tool. Refer to Section 03-03.

Install Steering Pump Pulley Remover T69L-10300-B on the hub of the power steering pump pulley (3A733).

NOTE: Do not apply pressure on the power steering pump rotor shaft (3B559). Pressure will damage internal thrust areas of the power steering pump (3A674).

While holding the nut of the remover tool stationary with a wrench, rotate the inner spindle of the remover tool clockwise until the power steering pump pulley is pulled off the power steering pump rotor shaft.

 

The pulley is press fit on, not threaded. You need this tool remove/install the pulley... Power Steering Pulley Puller/Installer | AutoZone.com

 

^^2x but you can remove the pump from the bracket without removing the pulley. You can't get the bolts all out of the pump, but the pump will come off the bracket, you just have to reach through the holes in the pulley with a socket to unbolt it.

 

thanks D...

but that sounds like a better option! i'll just take the pump off, clean it up and paint the bracket. i'll have to do more staring (and maybe wipe some grime away) to see exactly how it comes off, but i trust you Nate :-)

 

I'll have to trust him too because I've never worked on a 7.3 PS pump. i just know that on the gasers you DO have to pull the pulley because the bracket makes a complete circle and there is no way to separate the pump and bracket with the pulley on.

 

My psd is the same way. Pull the pulley to remove the pump

 

That's kind of what I thought mine was like too. No chance to work on the truck tonight so I'll have to check tomorrow.

Any chance it's an early vs late obs psd thing? The engine I'm working on is a 96...

 

I just looked at my '97 and there is no way the pump is coming off without pulling the pulley.

Oh, and thanks for asking this and prompting me to go look, cause this is what I found...



Guess I need to get a wrench on that!

 

When I pulled mine it was the same way. I was thinking about putting in a mild loctite but also don't want the headaches when I have to pull it next time

 

I bet I'm thinking of the vacuum pump. Sorry if I misled you. My head is so full of stuff sometimes the wrong thing falls out when I rattle it, lol.

 

I find a good hit to the back of the head is more accurate lol

 

no worries, Nate. i didnt put any work into it anyway. now i need to decide if i want to pull it just to clean the bracket or not. judging how far behind i am against where i wanted to be now, i have a feeling its staying.. plus its an aluminum bracket, so while it may look like crap right now, it won't ever rust badly...

i will check to make sure those bolts aren't loose, though!

like a good hit to the back of the head on a frame rail? or axle when working under the truck? that never happens!