PS Pump Pain in the A$$

[gelwell]

Originally Posted by drmmr15

Thanks for the advice. Also, have your tried replacing the pressure line? I think that's what my problem is too. Take it to a shop with the belt off, have 'em hook it up, and just have them diagnose it.

Your welcome!! Between the two of us maybe we can figure this out. Marks MKII has a good suggestion too, which I will try. But I decided I would drive it yesterday during the morning commute. Was a little stiff by the end of the day the fluid had overflowed out or sprung a leak somewhere. Man this is really getting annoying. I am almost to the point of taking it somewhere, but I am trying not to. I already have countless hours and about $350 in the project to no avail.

[Mark's MKII]

I bought a MKIII acouple of years ago and the PS was not working even after the guy had put a new PS rack on. I brought the car home and put a new pump on it thinking that..that had to be it. No fixy. I took the lines loose and made sure the pump was pumping fluid, but I only did it for a second so I wouldn't make a big mess. Fluid seemed to run through them fine. So I took the reservior off because it was the only thing left and it was clogged completely up. Cleaned it out put it back together and it's been fine ever since. Good Luck


Mark

[gelwell]

Mark Thank you for your input.

I spent the day yesterday at a pick a part taking various ps parts to try and remedy this problem. Once I got home I took your suggestion to clean the reservior. There seemed to be a thin film of 'uck on the bottom of it. I took some brake cleaner and sprayed it, some stuff did come out. I decided to take the pump off again and put the junk yard pieces on it, while I had soaked the reservior in cleaner. When I emptied the tank all kinds of a thin film came out and the screen looked about as clean as I could get it. I am letting it dry today and put everything back together in the next day or two. Like you say I hope that does it. I will keep ya posted. Thanks again for the suggestion.

[gelwell]

Originally Posted by Mark's MKII

So I took the reservior off because it was the only thing left and it was clogged completely up. Cleaned it out put it back together and it's been fine ever since. Good LuckMark

Well I re-installed the PS pump last night and drove it today. The cleaning did work somewhat at least now I dont have to take two arms to steer it. But now it has this horrible whine when I turn the steering and a little stiff. I am thinking what now!!

[redmaro]

Originally Posted by gelwell

Well I re-installed the PS pump last night and drove it today. The cleaning did work somewhat at least now I dont have to take two arms to steer it. But now it has this horrible whine when I turn the steering and a little stiff. I am thinking what now!!

Air in your lines?

[gelwell]

Originally Posted by redmaro

Air in your lines?

Well I bled the lines on what the book says, jacking up the car and moving the steering wheel back and forth several times with the motor on and off. After driving the car to work today I looked in the reservoir and it looked like the fluid was down a little and not all the way empty. Looks like I may need to do that again or maybe the junk yard pump might be bad too, I dunno. Thanks for the suggestion

[Mark's MKII]

Are you checking the fluid while the car is running. It will show more in it when it's not running. Add some fluid and see if that helps.

Thanks

Mark

[gelwell]

Mark:

Thanks for the suggestion. I finally solved the mystery. It ended up being the screen inside the reserviour. After I had cleaned it as you suggested before, I put it back on the car. It started to boil and bubble over again. It turned out the screen was actually torn and was flapping around clogging up the flow. So I took some hemostats and pulled the screen out completely. Put it back on the car and works great!!

I am again terrorizing the southern california freeways again. This has been a two month maintenance saga. Thanks to you and all the other contributors, I wouldn't have figured it out on my own.