Power Steering whinning & also braking effected Q&A?

[97Suburban]

Hello Folks,

I have a 97 suburban with 182k miles, 2nd owner.

At first i thought i had another rusted out brakes line due to weak and jumpy type brake peddle, but now it sounds like the power steering pump is bad.

So before i rush off and replace the PS pump tomorrow, i have all kinds of options, from a PS pump with or without resivoir and with & without EVO ???

1. what brand Power Steering Pimp should i purchase(beside the ACDelco brand) ?
1b with or without resavoir?
1c with or without EVO?

2. do i buy the pump with aftermarket Magna Pure filtration option?
[e.g. A-1 Cardone # 208747FVB Rock Auto or AutoZone same price ]

3. it looks like the master cylinder has some seeping between the master cylinder and the i guess the brakebooster behind it (the thing attached to the firewall. it is NOT soaked, but is wet and the brake lines below it are damp to a little wet, but NOT dripping, but enough to wet some areas... sooo, do i rebuild or replace the brake booster?
(although the prices are high for a brake booster, wow - what is crazy, the master cylinders are $25 to $40, yet the booster is $130 to $386, ouch)

4. how about the pulley, how does that come off ?

5. is there a cheat sheet on how to remove and replace the PS pump?

thanks gents

[Dvldog8793]

Howdy
I have done several PS pumps on my different trucks over the years.
Only one did I go with the pump without the reservoir, It was a PITA! So I would recommend the pump with the Res.

The last newer truck that I did had the EVO option and could be hooked up both ways. That was a ACDelco unit. I have had trucks with both options and did not notice any difference in steering performance. I would go without or whatever is cheaper.

The pulley requires a special puller kit to remove from the pump. The puller kit cost is about 120-200 depending on where you get it. You might be able to find a shop to switch the pulley over for you. DO NOT TRY TO DO IT WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PULLER KIT FOR PS PUMPS. There might be some secret way that I don't know about but most likely it will get wrecked if you don't use the right puller.

ALL my diesel trucks have damp lines and visible wetness in the booster area. Two of them have minor drips in the cab around the brake pedal. Given the cost of the booster(hydraboost) I live with it. when I was in the Marines somebody made ALLOT of money selling hydraboost units to the Gov cause we had to replace them if the showed a Class 2 leak(moist lines) They ALL did....:rolleyes: It got to the point that I wouold just have my guys clean them regularly and then they seemed to "work" great....

Hope this helps...

[DmaxMaverick]

Your hydroboost unit appears "normal", for a rig with 150K+ miles. They seep fluid from the shuttle and regulator plugs, and usually from the inlet/outlet fittings. A little messy, but nothing to be overly concerned about. Same with the lines. If the accumulator is still effective, replacement is aesthetic at this point. If you have 3-5 brake applications after shutdown, replacement won't improve anything, except for the mess, for a little while. The lines should be replaced if the leaks are significant (drips). Degrease them and the HB unit, and watch for the leaks.

PS pump replacement is simple and straight forward. You'll need a GM pulley removal/install tool. Many parts stores will lend or sell one, or buy one at Harbor Freight. They aren't expensive, but are necessary and common. The pulley is press-fit, and must be installed squarely onto the shaft, and MUST NOT be driven on. Doing so will likely damage the pump and the pulley. The tool will engage the groove on the pulley hub. The shaft and pulley should be clean and dry during install (no lube).

Reservoir or no reservoir depends on the condition of the original. The plastic reservoirs insert into the pump housing and are O-ring sealed. If it looks good and doesn't leak, it's probably OK. If it's grimy near the filler, it's more likely from spills than leakage.

AC Delco is the much better brand. Any other is a crap-shoot. Optimistically, you may get a good one. In my experience, the aftermarket/import pumps are about 50/50. How soon do you want to revisit this? Also keep in mind, the pulley can only be reused 1-3 times when mixing brands (shaft diameter variations). Other than ACD, the brand doesn't really matter. Reman is often better than "new" (chances are, it's an ACD housing).

Fluid filtration is never a "bad" thing. However, GM (and most other brand) vehicles go hundreds of thousands of miles just fine without. I've never seen a PS pump last longer or work better with an aftermarket filter, compared to without. Your choice.

[97Suburban]

is there a cheat sheet on how to remove and replace the PS pump?


AutoZone lends their tools out for free with a deposit, so i hope they have a Power Steering puller?
Now i have a puller harmonic ballancer puller set from harbor frieght, will this do the job to pull the pulley if a new PS pump does NOT come with a pulley?

can i in my home garage reinstall the pulley , is this possible, or only via a local shop and press???


get this AutoZone sells all their stuff with the stupid "Duralast" name, the idiots will NOT tell me who makes their lousy parts, really ticks me off, but they claim life time warranty, so i typically buy all my parts from them and swap when bad, so that is good, but i hate they can't tell me who makes the PS pump, but would you all know if just fine even if not a ACDelco???

thanks again for the help!
:D

[DmaxMaverick]

"Cheat Sheets" are located here:
www.helminc.com (http://www.helminc.com)
www.alldatadiy.com (http://www.alldatadiy.com)

Otherwise, just R/R the pump via the bolts and rear support bracket (if it has one, I don't recall). Nothing special. Mind the mess of the fluid lines you'll remove, and that's it. Replace everything same as you removed it. If you have an intention or need to replace the fluid lines in the future, now is the time to do it.

Unless the pump is specified "WITH" a pulley, it won't have one. I haven't seen one yet, for your model truck. The pulley is almost always a separate item, for every GM vehicle, since forever. If you find one with a pulley, it'll be the first I've heard of, since forever.

You can't use a balancer puller to remove the pulley. DO NOT try to engage the holes in the pulley disc, or the outer ring (it will distort and ruin the pulley). The groove in the pulley hub is the only acceptable location to pull it. You can certainly do it in your garage, with the pulley R/R tool. It's simple and not at all complicated. Your Autozone should have the tool available for loan. It's very common. There are other ways, but I don't recommend or share what I have done when in a pinch. It isn't for the faint of heart. Any local garage should be able to R/R the pulley in about 10 minutes, if you can't do it yourself.

[Dvldog8793]

As Dmax said USE ONLY A POWER STEERING PULLEY PULLER. The kit that Autozone has should have all the parts to both remove and install the pulley. It is not hard but it is NESSESARY.

I would expect the autozone parts are made in China. I don't like the lifetime warranty on cheap parts because they never cover labor!:rolleyes:

Good luck!

[97Suburban]

As Dmax said USE ONLY A POWER STEERING PULLEY PULLER. The kit that Autozone has should have all the parts to both remove and install the pulley. It is not hard but it is NESSESARY.

I would expect the autozone parts are made in China. I don't like the lifetime warranty on cheap parts because they never cover labor!:rolleyes:

Good luck!

is the pulley installed via the tool or by hand or pressed or gently tapped back onto the shaft, how difficult to reinstall?

[DmaxMaverick]

DO NOT try to "tap", or otherwise drive the pulley on. You WILL damage the pump. The shaft has a threaded hole in it. The tool aligns the pulley onto the shaft, and is then tightened until the tool bottoms out. Take your time, go slow. Done. NO press. NO hammer.

[Robyn]

Yessssssssssss

The little tool is an absolute must have item.

I call them a "PULSH RIG" as the tool does both pull the pulley off and push it back on.

A cheapy set from the big box auto parts will gitterdone.

Just be sure you get a set thats designed to do PWR steering

The set I have will do PS and other things too.


As Maverick mentioned, NO HAMMERS :eek:

Here is what you need
http://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=Cz_09GddEVZmhJI33-QPF-YLwAsKQpL5CwpD0osABre7l4LMCCAQQAigFYMmOxo30pNAZoAG 24rLiA8gBB6oEJk_Q3Xs1rVkmjCrpCT3-xKolYWbTF_O9fbUDZQZGUaIRH7ZFnXPaugUTCNz7ptmao8UCFV KZiAodnEEA1sAFBcoFAIgGAaAGJoAHsp3NHZAHA6gHpr4b2AcB 4BLO--afweP22Ck&ei=GddEVZyLItKyogScg4GwDQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=5GiE6eoboVRTula5F_BNCIVy2kMeADEmLvRd0MPoAtDztQ&sig=AOD64_0kOHGN292-bTGRkjMmuqeeOFD8_w&ctype=5&rct=j&q=&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQvhc&adurl=http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/astro-pneumatic-7874-P10611.aspx


I did not see anything at HARBOR FREIGHT, but these are not super spendy tools

[trbankii]

The HF version looks identical: http://www.harborfreight.com/pulley-remover-and-installer-set-40749.html

[Dvldog8793]

Nice....Mine appears to be identical....with the exception of the MATCO symbol and a considerably lighter back pocket....:rolleyes:

[trbankii]

I’m bothered by the two potential downsides of that statement.

The first possibility is when the Import Companies just copy something, duplicating it without the same tolerances and possibly out of lesser quality materials and without having to go through the R&D that the original company did to manufacture the original. Even for a tool like this - a few threaded shafts and machined parts - there is a certain expense to measuring the parts they need to fit and putting together the design to do what needs to be done.

The second is when you spend extra for something expecting to have higher quality and then find that it is the same Import Company product that you can get for significantly less. I’ve seen more and more import products - whether at the local hardware stores, home improvement stores, or the industrial supply companies - that are likely made in the same factory (or one right beside it) as those sold at HF but are selling at some multiple of HF’s price because the person buying it thinks they’re getting better quality. When you look at the products side by side, though, there’s no difference.

[97Suburban]

ok get this, i know, call me an idiot :eek:, but, i am embarrased to say, i guess due to my long work days, i never took the time to check the fluid level, becuase there is NOT a drip of fluid under my truck, but get this, the PS fluid was just a little low, i put in maybe 4 oz, not a lot and the whinnig noise has disappeared.....

i know, NEVER ASSUME, the mother of all screw-ups.... here i assumed no leaks meant no low fluid... sure i know fluids like oil my drop over times and miles, but i feel like an idiot....

So now my question is, if it was whinning for a month, where i only use my truck as a 3rd vehicle for maybe 10 miles once per week to run up town 5 miles each way, does the whinning mean i may have damaged the PS pump or the EVO or not sure if this 97 burb has a rack like my wifes older 1998 dodge mini van had???


** oh also, the reason i checked fluid was to setup for bleeding the PS system and to exchange the fluid to see if that would prove anything and maybe the PS pump and EVO are 100% fine, your thoughts?

[trbankii]

Don’t feel too bad. I can tell quite a few stories (a few of my own, even :rolleyes:) about missing the obvious answer. Just recently had a friend complaining about poor shifting. My immediate answer was that was why I drive a stick shift (:D) but my next comment was about whether he had checked the fluid level. After insisting that wasn’t the problem a few times, I had him check the fluid just to rule it out… Yep… Less than a quart of fluid and his problem was gone.

First, that the noise disappeared after adding a few ounces would tend to make me think no damage was done. But I really doubt that any damage was done unless you ran it dry and continued to drive it quite a bit after that. They make quite a bit of noise when you’re really doing damage to them.

[Dvldog8793]

probably no damage done. I would just flush out the old fluid and put in some quality fluid with an additive. I like to use Lucas products for Power steering and hydraulics. The Power steering pump is a pretty loose pump and can normally take some abuse.

About my Matco puller set....It is made in USA so I do have that to help ease my light wallet.