Very heavy/imprecise steering
Very heavy/imprecise steering A couple months ago, I replaced my power steering pump and lines because one of the lines blew out. Figured I'd just replace the PS pump while I was in there...turned into an adventure, but that's another story. Once I got everything buttoned back up, I had a hell of a time getting the PS lines purged of air, but it finally got there.
Thing is, my steering is so heavy and imprecise (the wheels don't want to listen to the steering wheel unless I really crank on it) the car's no fun - and sort of hard - to drive. What're the chances that I got a fubar'd PS pump from the parts store? I've spent hours trying to make sure any air is out of the lines, but that or a bad unit are the only things I can think of. My car handles like my damned lifted '87 Blazer did. I'm not against pulling the replacement pump and putting a Turn One on (if I can ever find a price on one), but I don't want to spend the time and money on that, just to find out it wasn't the pump in the first place.
Thing is, my steering is so heavy and imprecise (the wheels don't want to listen to the steering wheel unless I really crank on it) the car's no fun - and sort of hard - to drive. What're the chances that I got a fubar'd PS pump from the parts store? I've spent hours trying to make sure any air is out of the lines, but that or a bad unit are the only things I can think of. My car handles like my damned lifted '87 Blazer did. I'm not against pulling the replacement pump and putting a Turn One on (if I can ever find a price on one), but I don't want to spend the time and money on that, just to find out it wasn't the pump in the first place.
Ever since GM began using Rack and Pinion Steering, the pumps are all basically the same saginaw pump.
The inlet/outlet/reservoir configuration might have changed, but the internals are just a regular old Saginaw PS pump.
It sounds to me as iff the Flow Control Valve isn't working properly.
If you remove the HP side line, the FCV screws into the pump housing. And behind it is a spring loaded valve that senses pressure on the system and either sends it to the rack or by-passes it back to the reservoir.
This by-passing is what generates the heat in the fluid ... pressurized fluid with no where to go, then recirculated back to the pump. The heat can't get dispersed and is continually recirculated, especially at high RPMs.
Before you spring $300 bills for a Turn One pump, call these guys ...
www.pscmotorsports.com
They are about an hour away from me and discovered them by accident. For ~$100 they will completly refurb your pump and valve it to reduce flow. We've done some experiemnting with valving and have come up with a very nice flow rate for road racing. They typically have 24 hour turn-around.
We have about a dozen units in local road race cars and not a single problem.
Just ask for the road race valving or the LAW Motorsports special.
The inlet/outlet/reservoir configuration might have changed, but the internals are just a regular old Saginaw PS pump.
It sounds to me as iff the Flow Control Valve isn't working properly.
If you remove the HP side line, the FCV screws into the pump housing. And behind it is a spring loaded valve that senses pressure on the system and either sends it to the rack or by-passes it back to the reservoir.
This by-passing is what generates the heat in the fluid ... pressurized fluid with no where to go, then recirculated back to the pump. The heat can't get dispersed and is continually recirculated, especially at high RPMs.
Before you spring $300 bills for a Turn One pump, call these guys ...
www.pscmotorsports.com
They are about an hour away from me and discovered them by accident. For ~$100 they will completly refurb your pump and valve it to reduce flow. We've done some experiemnting with valving and have come up with a very nice flow rate for road racing. They typically have 24 hour turn-around.
We have about a dozen units in local road race cars and not a single problem.
Just ask for the road race valving or the LAW Motorsports special.
Hm, interesting. Would the quality of the refurb unit make a difference based on what they replace when they rebuild it? I just grabbed the Advance Auto reman replacement (stupid, I know) pump rather than an AC Delco reman.
Would putting an actual radiator fluid cooler in line help any, assuming a pump rebuild?
Would putting an actual radiator fluid cooler in line help any, assuming a pump rebuild?
On my road race car which is an LT1 setup, I installed a larger capacity and aluminum tank and run Redline fluid. And before I discovered PSC, I installed a Turn One pump. I don't have a cooler and I don't have an issue.
Sounds to me like you just don't have enough flow or pressure going to the rack. Not sure how you'd easily check to make sure, though.
Curious ... you said your PS hose "blew". Do mean it seperated at a fitting, ruptured or what?
Is it possible you have a rack issue (that remains) and the previous line/pump just happened to be the weak link?
... just throwing out possibilities.
Sounds to me like you just don't have enough flow or pressure going to the rack. Not sure how you'd easily check to make sure, though.
Curious ... you said your PS hose "blew". Do mean it seperated at a fitting, ruptured or what?
Is it possible you have a rack issue (that remains) and the previous line/pump just happened to be the weak link?
... just throwing out possibilities.
"Blew" was bad wording - the rubber line started leaking really heavily at the hard line fitting (pump to rack line). Prior to replacing the old pump, my steering felt fine, even with the leak - not nearly as heavy as it is with the new pump in there.
Yeah, although at least this time, I actually have a PS pulley remover/installer. I screwed around for a week trying to get it off without one, went a picked one up, only to realise (after I opened the box) that I got the puller/installer that would ONLY work on a quad-four engine. 
Might as well just go ahead and order a Delco unit, then. Any tips to bleeding the system, other than dump fluid in and turn the wheels back and forth a bit, and keep filling until no more air comes out?
Might as well just go ahead and order a Delco unit, then. Any tips to bleeding the system, other than dump fluid in and turn the wheels back and forth a bit, and keep filling until no more air comes out?
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I've always read to turn the wheel with the wheels in the air (no load).
Seriously, though ... if you aren't going to claim warranty on the reman pump and before I went and bought a pricey Delco unit, I'd ship what I have to PSC for a refurb.
They replace every wearable piece, all seals and revalve it so that puking and heating issues are almost eliminated.
I realize that would be relying on the word of an internet yahoo. So, follow your gut.
Seriously, though ... if you aren't going to claim warranty on the reman pump and before I went and bought a pricey Delco unit, I'd ship what I have to PSC for a refurb.
They replace every wearable piece, all seals and revalve it so that puking and heating issues are almost eliminated.
I realize that would be relying on the word of an internet yahoo. So, follow your gut.
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Verdad Gallardo I've always read to turn the wheel with the wheels in the air (no load).
Seriously, though ... if you aren't going to claim warranty on the reman pump and before I went and bought a pricey Delco unit, I'd ship what I have to PSC for a refurb.
They replace every wearable piece, all seals and revalve it so that puking and heating issues are almost eliminated.
Seriously, though ... if you aren't going to claim warranty on the reman pump and before I went and bought a pricey Delco unit, I'd ship what I have to PSC for a refurb.
They replace every wearable piece, all seals and revalve it so that puking and heating issues are almost eliminated.
Already called the parts store and they're saying it's been too long between when I bought the pump (February, I think) and now. I've only driven the car 200 miles since then...oh well. They'd only do an exchange anyway, and I don't want another junk pump. Lesson learned, don't buy non-brand reman parts.
I'll give PSC a call or shoot them an email and check on having the replacement I have rebuilt. I guess a core is a core, and if they swap everything out, no reason to buy a new pump to send to them.
A phone call or e-mail doesn't cost anything ... well, not much, anyway. And I found this on the PSC site ... http://www.pscmotorsports.com/tech/bleeding.pdf
Tell them the sequence of events you've gone through and maybe there is a really simple solution. Great bunch of folks at PSC.
Good luck and be sure to report back what you find and decide.
Tell them the sequence of events you've gone through and maybe there is a really simple solution. Great bunch of folks at PSC.
Good luck and be sure to report back what you find and decide.
