Power Steering Issue

[Bill73Ragtop]

Well, I went thru the process of removing the old fluid out of the system and refilling with automatic trans fluid. The fluid is clean now and filled to proper height. However, I am still having significant issues. The primary symptom is that as stopped or very low speed, the turning can be very difficult, or jerky. This seems to me to indicate air in the pump/system somewhere, but I'm not sure how to clear it. In the videos online they discuss simply turning the wheels "lock to lock" but how is that different from just normal driving? I would expect air to work it's way out of the system under normal use. I have to go full crank on the wheel when parking normally, so how is that different if I do it under normal driving vs with the wheels jacked up off the ground?

I could use some sage advice on bleeding, I am not sure I am understanding it.

Getting the air out of the power steering system is much easier than the process of bleeding brake systems. Typically, turning the wheels lock to lock a few times and letting it run for a few minutes does the trick.

If you have done that and the steering is still difficult / jerky, it strongly suggests 1) something in the steering suspension is binding or 2) you probably need a new pump. Considering the importance of having the steering system operating as it should (and the potentially very bad results of steering failure while driving), a new pump is worth the expense.

Also, check the condition of the PS hoses. If one is collapsing due to age or showing cracking, excessive surface wear, replacement is due.

 

[mjlan]

Are all of your accessories' pulley sizes correct? Maybe somewhere along the way one got changed and now the pump isn't spinning fast enough at low engine speeds to provide enough assist?

 

[Justin71]

Are all of your accessories' pulley sizes correct? Maybe somewhere along the way one got changed and now the pump isn't spinning fast enough at low engine speeds to provide enough assist?

Thanks for the thought. Same equipment as was working great until recently tho. Clearly something has failed.