Replacing power steering pump
 

My power steering pump is leaking like a sieve so I'm gonna take a crack at replacing it.
On a scale of 1 - 10 what would you say the difficulty is? I have pretty good mechanical skills and from looking at the FSM and the repair manual it looks to be a pretty easy job. Anything I should look out for?


Oh yeah my rig is an 93 4Runner with the 3.slow V6

2 or 3, really easy job. drain system, untension belt, remove belt, disconect lines and label where they go. pull out pump/pulley remove pulley and put on other pump, install everything, fill the system up then bleed and top off.

3-4, for me. Because I usually spill alot of fluids whenever I get my hands on 'em. 1 added difficulty point for extra clean-up on that job.

Seriously though, it's real easy. Just thank somebody you're not having to remove the pulley from the pump, WITHOUT damaging the pulley. Now that's a 10, any day of the week in my book.

IIRC on my old 3.0 PS pump I had to remove the pulley first, and that was the hardest part because they can be stuck on there good. Don't do like one guy I saw that used a gear puller to get the pulley off because it just bent the pulley. I ended up using a pry bar on mine very carefully down near the shaft.

All mine needed was a seal kit and for $25 I had a perfect leak free pump after that.

Here's a good write-up:
http://members.cox.net/stacewilliams/ps-pump.htm

Shoot, your right. You can't get that long mounting bolt out without taking the pulley off.






slowheelin:

Sorry, bud, your in for some strain. Hate to tell ya. Unless you ain't got a core charge...can you say cutting wheel?

Just be patient, they do come off, if they must.

I had to cold-chisel the nut off mine....NIGHTMARE. Luckily didn't mess the threads....don't ever want to do that job again. Next time I might just cut the pulley off and buy a new one, instead of rebuilding it with the old one.

Revised score 8-9, yeah it's "one of those" type deals for sure. Hated it.

It SHOULD be a 2-4, but IMHO, it's at least a 7. Significant PITA and probably the messiest job I've ever done on the truck.

To get the pulley off, I take a wrench that fits over the shaft, but behind the pulley and pry it off. Spray it down with PB Blaster beforehand!

to get the pulley off, hold the back side of it with vice grips, the only way I could figure to get it off. once the nut is off, get a big crescent wrench and stick it behind it and pry on it, a few good hits will pop it off. These are all ideas I got from people on this website :P its really not that hard, like a 3, cuz i just did it, and I am by no means a mechanic and have never done a power steering pump before

Thanks for the info guys.
I'm gonna give it try this weekend.

I started spraying the nut that holds the pulley on with PB Blaster tonight in anticipation of it being a beeotch to get off. I noticed that if I grab the pulley and push/pull on it it slides in the pump housing. That's not right is it? :think: Just curious, i'm replacing the thing anyway.

I think I'm taking it in to the mechanic.... I tried like hell to get the pulley off by pressing down on the belt to hold it but no luck. It's a tight space to work in and the fan is preventing me from getting a clean grip on the pulley nut.
Hope this isn't too expensive.... GRRR

The pulley's only like a $20-$30 part I think.

I dunno, I can't really recommend the cold chisel treatment. Though it's very effective.

I assume that the nut wont come off????

I think that the "pressing down on the pulley" idea is some sort of cruel joke, it may have worked 15 years ago on a new truck, but not anymore

try getting a big pair of vicegrips and put them on the back of the pulley, then turn the pulley (with socket and ratchet) until the vice grips are up against the battery, and then yank like hell on the ratchet or use a cheater bar,

use lots of wd-40, pb blaster, whatever, just spray it for days before hand,

and the pump shaft "play" in and out is fine (as far as I know), but I am no mechanic, both my old and remanufactured pump did that too

as for getting the pulley off, take the "open" end of a large wrench and wedge it in between the pump body and the pulley and wack it with a hammer
this would be kinda like looking down:
pump body: wrench: back of pulley:

| - c|

you're basically trying to wedge the wrench: \n/
into a gap like this: | |

b.miller: Thanks I'll give that a try. I pulled the battery to have more access to the pump but I think there's something else the vice grips can rest on. Whack with a hammer? Sweet! That's my favorite part of car maintenance.

MudHippy: I am still considering just removing the whole pump pulley and all and just getting a new pulley.

So who are you believing now - those that said 2-3 or those that said 5-7? :D

x2 for the vice grip technique

YOU WONT BE ABLE TO GET THE PUMP OFF WITHOUT REMOVING THE PULLEY FIRST!

the mount bolt (the only one that is actually holding the pump the the engine, the other one is on the adjuster for the belt tension) is really long, like 4inches, andcomes out the front, but wont be able to without the pulley out of the way

unless you are really determined to destroy the pulley while it's still on your truck, I suppose that you could cut a huge notch in the pulley for the bolt to get through, but I would only do that as a last resort

one more tip, pull the passenger wheel off, it makes it a ton easier to get to some of the lines and stuff, when I did it I had the whole front end on jack stands, makes it easier to bleed it too

Here's the latest...

Vice grips worked like a charm for the pulley nut. Got it loosened up then went to work on disconnecting everything (vacuum lines, pressure hose and return hose). After that I loosened up the adjuster bolt and the one that holds the pump on. Then I dropped the belt off, took the nut off the pulley and it popped right off with zero effort.

Went to the auto parts with core in hand and got the new pump. $80 later I was back on the road home. Got back home put the pump all back together and in doing so I broke one of the plastic vacuum line adapters D'OH sunofabitch! :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

I'm wondering if that thing with the two vacuum lines is a dealer part or something I can get at AutoZone :think:

Then to top that off I realized that the Mobil1 High Mileage synthetic oil I put in last week is leaking....... :pop: Oh well I put some Castrol 10-W30 dino oil in to replace the synthetic. Glad I spent all that $$ on Mobil1, shouldda checked YT first. Oh well, live and learn

Ummmm - yeah ... that vacuum switch is probably a dealer only item.

It's also important which line goes on which port - a detail I forgot to mention earlier. I had them backwards and went through my second PS pump QUICK. Flipped them around and the third one is holding up fine...

Thanks for noting that tc.
I have a golf tee in the that went to the lower hole. Come to think of it... Is the lower hole going to actually be the lower one again? I guess if it's the same part it should go in exactly like the old one did.

I am so sorry that I forgot to mention the part about those vacuum hoses too!

After working on aircraft hydraulic systems for 5 years, I have always gotten into the habit of marking lines when they are getting removed, tends to reduce headaches and four letter words

I would assume that is a dealer part, if it's one of those way-over-priced things, I'm sure that a junk yard would sell it for $20, maybe less

I don't know if you would want to assume the little valve thingy is in the right position (from tc's post) Here is a link to a 1993 FSM, I don't know if it'll have the vacuum diagram or not: http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/

When I did mine, the valve was turned about a quarter turn more, but that could have been another side effect of working on aircraft hydraulic systems for 5 years (I don't like having to retighten anything, ever :hillbill: )

Your idle should go up as you turn the wheels side to side while stopped, I am not totally sure, but I think that is what that valve is for, so if that don't happen, that might be a pretty clear indication that they are backwards

Thanks for the info on the air control valve. I'm gonna try to track one down in the local junkyard. It's strange that there's no markings on the thing to denote which side is in and which one is out.