evileyejones

my power steering reservoir has been leaking for a while from the cap, I've been making sure to check the levels every so often to and top it off as needed.

but last night the charge light and brake light both came on and flicker (as does the headlights and interior lights) and upon inspection the pump was leaking power steering fluid into the alternator.

I plan on pulling out the alternator and cleaning it really well, I'm going to use electrical cleaner spray and a rag. I'll do a visual inspection of the brush, and see if I need to replace that (will have to check in the fsm, I've never messed with the internals of an alternator before.)


----I can either buy a new power steering pump and drop that in or I can purchase the seal kit and rebuilt the one I got. I was gonna see if there were any success stories with that? or any advice for or against it.

keep in mind, I am doing the 5vze swap, hopefully in january, so I only need it to last 2 months, tops.

any reply would be appreciated, I will be doing whichever I decide on doing, tonight.

-Jeff

autozone
ps pump
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...872630_0_3508_
ps kit
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...er=228901_0_0_

o-riellys
ps pump
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...2869&ppt=C0031
ps kit
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...2884&ppt=C0031

napa
ps pump
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...(P_RecType%3aA)
ps kit
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...(P_RecType%3aA)

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

It's not hard to rebuild. Not much in there to leak.

:wabbit2:

evileyejones

it was rediculously easy.
replaced the belts while I was at it, and drained/filled the reservoir several times to freshen the ps fluid.

snobdds

Give us a litte info on how you did it for other to use.

I have been going back and forth about doing a rebuild vs buying a new one. If you give a little perspective I might just do the rebuild myself.

Also what kit did you go with...

evileyejones

I went with the autozone kit, for the sole reason that it would arrive wuicker than the other places.
they all had to order it, napa said a week from ordering, o-riellys said 5 days, autozone said 3.

once it was out of the car it took 8 minutes to do it completely.
if your leak is coming from the input shaft from the hose to the reservoir, you could get away with just pulling that plug out, unbolt and remove the shaft, replacing the o-ring with a normal o-ring from the store that fits, and then putting it back (without even having to remove the ps-pump.)

it was really simple.
-loosen belt tensioner (loosen bolt on pulley, then slider bolt to move it inwards)

-remove belt

-remove the 2 bolts in the from holding it to the bracket (one above and below the ps pulley)

-remove the two bolts from the back (now it's loose)

-remove the hose from the reservoir (with a small bucket really close by, cause it is going to pour out)
*(do NOT let it pour on belts, pulleys, or alternator)

-Remove the hose that goes to the steering gear (a little fluid will come out)

-pull ps pump out.

(first set)
---------
-remove 4 bolts behold the pulley on the main body (vise grip may be needed, I had trouble holding it and breaking the bolts at the same time)

-mark it then pull it apart slowly as the insides will just fall out (only 4 parts, not hard to figure out how they go on)

-start pulling off the old o-rings and putting fresh ones on, I found the 2 that were bad on mine, they no longer looked like o-rings, they were flattened and stale feeling.

-replace everything, not just the bad, why buy all good parts and only replacing the worst.

-put it back together

(second set)
------------

-on the side opposite of one of the holes a hose goes into is a small hole. put a small bolt into that and push it in some, then remove the clip in there (I removed it with two picks, a clip remover woulda been awesome)

-pull out the plug inside, delicately, pull it all out, without scratching anything.

-replace o-rings

-put back (kit has new clip)

(3rd set)
---------
-unbolt the top hose input, (it looks like brass or something)

-pull it out, I had to use pliers cause it was on there stoutly

-replace the o-ring on there (that was where my leak was from, that o-ring had gone bad)

-replace it

-put it back on truck

-belts cost $5 for new ones, replace all of them while you are at it, throw old ones in tool compartment in case one ever breaks while you are driving.

evileyejones

btw, the seal kit was like 16$
but an assortment of o-rings may be cheaper, cause thats essentially all it was. and it was for several types of pumps, so I had extra of different sizes.

angrybob

I rebuilt mine as well because I did not want a reman'd pump. Very easy and self explanitory. I used the instructions from the FSM and it took just over an hour...just keep track of the vanes.

weaselman

i rebuilt mine with the kit from autozone..very easy and solved the problem...make sure you check your hoses to...mine developed a leak at one hose shortly after rebuilding the pump.