Power Steering QUIT!?!? Please read...

purduecrew · Post by **purduecrew** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:38 pm

So i was out playing in the snow, and im pretty sure my power steering died

Fluid level is up, belts on, NO whining, squealing, grinding, dripping, leaking, nothing. Just no assist. Not sure whats going on. Any ways to check???

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:05 pm

Pull your belt off. Grasp the power steering pump pulley and pull forward. If the pulley and shaft come out, you have found the problem.
I just finished replacing one on a Tahoe that sheared the shaft. It made one quick squeal and then no power steering. Ran fine, no noise, no leak, just no power steering.

The shaft is 5/16" in dameter where it passes through the block for the vanes in the pump. It doesn't take much to shear it. A minor step in the pump body was enough for this one.

Worth a look.

purduecrew · Post by **purduecrew** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:06 pm

ill do that here in just a bit, im assuming this could be done with some muscle with the belt still on? prolly just as easy to loosen the belt...

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:23 pm

Take the belt off. With the pressure on it there was no way to tell. These use a spring loaded tensioner, so there really is no safe way to "loosen" the belt. Taking it off is the only option.
You also need to have it free anyway. Should the shaft still be intact, you need to spin the pump pulley freely and feel for roughness, or to feel if it is trying to pump anything at all.

purduecrew · Post by **purduecrew** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:10 pm

48 bucks for new one at autozone, gotta swap over the pulley, ill troubleshoot it tommorow if I get time, I dont have to go anywhere and at least i can still drive it as it is

purduecrew · Post by **purduecrew** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:25 am

update:

so its starting to whine a lil bit, still no other signs of breakage. It now chooses to be lazy at idle, sometimes no assistance at all. As soon as I get off idle it comes to life with great assistance...any other thoughts??

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:40 am

It sounds like the pump is on its way out so you should get a new one before it completely dies.

Steve

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:56 pm

Don't wait until you contaminate the steering box further, or to the point of damage.

purduecrew · Post by **purduecrew** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:14 pm

HenryJ wrote:Don't wait until you contaminate the steering box further, or to the point of damage.

...tis true