Hey all can anyone explain this? I have a heck of a knock about half the time I'm not actually rounding a corner. That's to say it stops knocking when I turn the steering wheel. The knock is timed to the engine rpm and could be called a rattle. It's a loud son of a gun too and worried me enough to stop on the side of the highway until I realized it was a steering issue and not an engine issue. Seems to be coming from the front of the engine but that's not so easy to tell at least for me. Checked ps fluid cold and its in range at the very low end. I don't know if the fluid level has changed but everything looks clean as far as leaks. Nothing obviously loose with the belt, pully, pump or hoses. New pump? Worth rebuilding the existing? Thanks in advance for all replies.

92 pickup manual 4x4 22re

 

Haven't experienced this myself, but it sounds like something (possibly inside the pump) is loose, worn out, or broken, and rattles around freely until you put a load on it by turning the steering wheel. If you can definitely isolate the noise to the PS pump, I strongly recommend installing a new one over trying to rebuild yours. The time spent trying to put everything where it goes, only to hope that it works, is not worth the money saved in my opinion.

 

Second the guesstimate on power steering pump.
I have a related but different and minor issue. When on low idle at stop steering wheel vibrates. Goes away when AC idle-up kicks in, or when I step on gas.
Same as when coasting, when idle is low. Goes away as soon as I step on gas.

 

Had one on a BMW that sounded like an engine knock. Turned out to be the power steering pulley bolts were just a little loose, Not sure if it helps but it's something to check.
Also might be a good idea to use a screwdriver as a stethoscope and listen to the pump etc.

 

For future reference the pulley on the pump was only slightly tighter than finger tight. Properly torqued and the knock is gone just like in the post above. Thanks!