WTF! Power steering

D

DieselDan

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So, I was out this afternoon and my wife wanted to run into Barnes and Noble so I told her I would just hang out. I parallel parked the car right in front of the store. Took me 2 turns, nothing fancy, I didnt crank on the wheel really or anything. So she comes out and hops in the car. I back up a little then turn the wheel to the left and I bumped the steering off of lock for a second and just then I heard a noise, right then the P/S quit. I pulled it into the parking lot and opened the hood. No fluid spewing out of anywhere, the reservoir was still full and the fluid looks clean. I flushed the P/S a few months ago. It did not throw the belt or anything, but all I could hear with the engine running was it sounded like someone was tapping on the pump with a metal pick or something.

I drove the car home, nothing happened really. Gonna order a FOMOCO pump tomorrow. WTF happened?
 
Yup, sounds like the pump is dead, bad bearing
pick the front wheels up while bleeding the system, it's easier on a new pump
 
Ok I did a ninja edit, but since someone replied I'll reposy what I said

if you flush a PS system it can have the same effect as flushing a tranny that has bad fluid, the system can fail when you wash the dirt that's acting as a seal out

However in your case I think the bearing went bad, in either case the pump needs to be replaced, I'll get ya a price on one if ya want
 
Ford PS fluid from the parts department at my dealership. I think it is Mercon 5 equivalent. I've done this flush on my other cars in the past. It was like someone flipped a switch, it went from working fine, to dead. And I figured if it was a bearing, it would have maybe seized and threw the belt, but it drove me about 30 miles home, fluid still looks fine, and is full.
 
something could have let go on the rack too, i assume the steering is very tight now? its possible it might not be the pump at all, it could be the rack. lift the front wheels off the ground and with the car off, and the key on, see how hard it is to turn the front wheels with the pump not running, if its real tight still, you may need a rack.
 
I was wondering about that... the rack. The only thing that makes me wonder is the funny sound coming from the pump.
 
The no leaking is what has me wondering if it's really the pump. That's something that I know nothing about but most of the pumps that I have seen or heard of going bad were leaking.
 
My car sucks. I figured out yesterday at work that one of my rear inner upper control arm bushings is shot... got that and a lower control arm for the front on order from rockauto. Now a f*ing steering component that is going to be expensive...
 
i'll find out tomorrow... gotta throw it on the lift
I figure a pump won't be that bad expense wise, but I think a rack is probably obscene
 
no its not i just got a ford rack for my 93 for $119 after i brought the core back. mine was leaking everytime it was turned to the left, and it wasnt a drip, it was pissing out the side during left turns, so bad it totally rotted the inner tie-rod dust boot to nothing!
racks arent bad. in fact i believe nolimit has a brand new one he is looking to get rid of.
 
Thanks for the heads up... I'm gonna head to work early this morning to take a look at it.
 
FackedPump.jpg

PumpShaft.jpg


Removed the belt and the pump shaft literally fell out of the pump. Looked inside and you can see the gerotor just broke into peices around the shaft. I ordered a new pump and a reservoir. The screen at the bottom of my current reservoir is torn, so thats why I figured i'd get a new one. Should all be here by tomorrow. I did install my new sensatracs today too :D
 
Wow. Never seen one do that before! Guess that settles what the problem is. :lol:
 
i'd check the rack out, usually when the rack goes bad, it causes the pump shaft and pulley to fall out!!
 
I would even go in early, just to check the rack and contrary to some peoples beliefs, you might want to save as much of the old fluid to go back in the system. All fresh Mercon V fluid might tend to mess something up, such as the rack!

I'm only j/k Dan, you are the certified mechanic and I'm sure you know what you're doing or you wouldn't be certified and working in the field that you're working in.
 
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