Well today I got a new power steering pump and installed it. I went ahead and replaced the return and pressure line since they were old and looked shabby. So I get it all hooked up, couple of bottles of fluid in it and crank the truck. Holy shat! I can hear that oh-so-familiar pump moan very loudly, not looking good. So I turn the wheel, it chatters badly but seems to be easing up as I go back and forth.
I turn the engine off and check the belt tightness and notice that the elbow in the back of the pressure line is leaking a bit. I tighten that up and again crank the truck. Now the chatter is so loud I cant hear the engine (with the hood up). I try to turn the wheel and the chatter gets louder and after a couple of inches of turn the wheel gets hard to turn and spins back the opposite direction on its own.

Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on?? Its a pump from Autozone so it is a reman, can it be bad? I dont see how I can have the lines on backwards because the fittings are different sizes. One other thing to note is that after only a few seconds of running, the pump and pressure line get HOT. I did notice that the belt on the pulley is not perfectly in line with the fan pulley but it is very, very slightly out of line.

Any clues?


Thanks!
Shane

 

How did you put the pully back on the pump. Most pumps come with a bolt nut and washer that is used to put it on. If you pounded the pully back on I would expect the pump is bad. You need to add a filter unless you replaced everthing including the gear. Replace the pump under the AZ warranty and try again. My NAPA pump and gear box change went great.

 

sounds like you either hammered on the pully or otherwise didn't use the pully install kit... its okay... AZ should take it back... the alignment isn't an issue though, its a rubber belt, its made to flex.

Every one of these Ford C2 pumps I've replaced has moaned a little more than the old one. I always use ATF instead of PS fluid, but regular PS fluid is fine if thats what you are accustomed to.

 

I installed the pulley with the kit I rented from Autozone, same concept as the screw/bolt tool that came with it. I didnt replace any filter, just the pump and lines. What filter would that be?


Shane

 

You may have just gotten a lemon pump then... AZ is pretty good about replacing defectives... they don't seem to care about how long it took you to replace it though...

 

There is not a filter there now probably. But is is considered a good idea to put on in line on the low pressure hose. AZ has one frim WIC that has the clamps and everthing. Not required but it will protect the new pump.

 

Well I called AZ this morning and talked to their "resident mechanic". He says that it's air in the system and to jack the truck up, crank it, and turn the wheels back and forth and it will work it all out. I'll give that a try and see what happens.

I think I will get one of those filters, there wasnt one on the old line but I like to go with preventative solutions.

Thanks!
Shane

 

From my experiences, converting my 69 bronco to power steering.

1. Put the front on Jackstands
2. Fill The pump to the proper level
3. With the engine off, turn the wheel lock to lock a dozen times
4. Recheck the fluid level.
5. Repeat until the fluid level doesn't drop
6. Start the motor and run the wheel lock to lock, look for bubbles in the fluid, this will indicate air still in the system, if so repeat turning lock to lock until no bubbles appear.
7. Take it off the stands and verify operation

 

I thought you already did that.

It is a common procedure given on FTE.

 

Wix Transmission/PS Filter
===================
Wix transmission/PS filter #58964
Ford equivalent filter kit #XC3Z-7B155-AA
Ford filter alone #XC3P-7B155-BA
200 psi working, pressure relieved, magnetic
change yearly or 12000 miles

 

sounds like a lot of air in the unit which needs to make its way trough the box and back to the pump. If you run it to long like this you will burn the pump up. To bleed mine i used one of those oil suction pumps for 8.00 that has a 3/8'' plastic nipple on the suction end. i put the nipple in the return line and pumped it until there was no more air . i cycled about 3 quarts through the system.

 

Did you bleed it as suggested? Also if it is leaking at the fitting it can also be sucking in air.

 

I haven't bled the lines or anything like that, I wouldnt know how to even start to do that. I did what the guy from AZ said to do and it just got worse. The pump moans so loudly I cant hear anything else and the chatter is insane. To make it even better, the pulley is riding off the shaft and the lines and pump are getting hotter than the headers after a few seconds of running the engine. I'm going to take the pump back to AZ and get a new one from Napa instead. Maybe I'll have better luck.

Shane

 

You may need a new pulley also.

Unfortunately your system is now chock full of metal crud that will eat everything alive. You will need to pump clean fluid (a gallon or so) thru the system by rotating the pump by HAND into a bucket to flush it while moving the steering. Plug the reservoir return line and keep the reservoir full. You will need to buy 3 filters; install one before you start the engine, change it after a days running, then change to another one after a week.
BTW-keep your fingers crossed.

Check the Read First:FAQ thread at the top of the 73-9 forum for more PS flush info (post #9).

 

Be aware that these Wix filters are magnetic, they do not actually contain any filter media (to prevent power loss) so the flush is very important.