PS Steering Pump Whines After Hi-ratio Upgrade

[Don C]

The gear box does not overload a stock pump, if the pump is in good condition.

 

[71coop]

Agree with Don - I have a 1 1/2 year old pump and  a new close-ratio gearbox (installed about 60 days ago). No whine - and one of the best mods I've done, especially considering the overall effect and how easy it was to get done.

 

[69 Rustang]

This is an interesting thread.  On my ‘69, I have done a rack and pinion conversion.  The pump is noisy when trying to turn the wheels at a standstill while hot, but cold or while rolling, everything is fine.  If you rev it a bit while hot it turns without the groan.  I was wondering if that was a combination of wide tires and lower viscosity of the fluid.  The manufacturer told me I need to put a filter in the line as ‘there must be dirt in the fluid’.  Not sure how, everything was absolutely new, but OK.

 

[Don C]

Do you have the stock size pulleys? That is a common problem with 'performance' pulleys. The pump does spin fast enough at low engine speeds.

 

[airfido]

ok, I took a short video, but it is too large a file to load here. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

JB

 

[Stanglover]

ok, I took a short video, but it is too large a file to load here. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

JB

 Set up a YouTube account and run it through that. Then all you're sending is a link in effect. It took me quite some time to figure it out, but it will work.

Good luck, look forward to seeing the video.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I have several cars with PS but my Mach 1 1973 has a smaller dia. pulley than the others do. So the pump will go faster. Did the different ratios have different diameters? The only reason I noticed it I was going to put a kit in the pump but could not get the pulley off broke one puller and got a better one and even heated the pulley but never did get it off. So I went to get another pump and noticed the pulley dia. difference.

 

[c9zx]

Higher revving engines got a larger diameter pulley on PS pump, alternator etc. to slow rotation speed of accessories to something that promoted a longer service life. a 1969-1970 Boss 302 is one example. Chuck

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

This is the opposite. My H code engines have the bigger pulley on the PS and the Q code has the smaller. I bought new so never changed.

 

[airfido]

OK, thanks for the tutorial. Here is the video:



Note: This is an “H” code car, the engine was replaced with a 351-4V prior to our purchase, and judging by the location of the shifter on the left side of the transmission, may have come from a ‘69 Fairlane or other wide-body car. I do not know if the power steering pump/pulley came with the engine, or is the original pump to the car. Pulley diameter is 5.5” at the outside. Again, though, this whining began when the gearbox/suspension was replaced. It ran fine prior to that.

Next step is to test the whine with the tires off the ground, but springs depressed (tires unloaded) I know that turning the wheel with the vehicle stationary usually creates a load that may result in a whine, but the whine continues as the car accelerates away from stopped.

 

[Stanglover]

Wow! didn't realize you were talking that kind of whine. That sounds awful. Are you sure there's nothing rubbing on the belt or pulley? Sounds dumb, but it's got to be something simple (I hope for your sake) if it ran fine earlier before the upgrades. Have you tried removing the pump to make sure and check the alignment. There is an aluminum spacer behind the long bolt, it's about 5/8" if I remember, do you have the right spacer?

I'm grabbing at straws I know, but unless your pump is completely F'd and needs replacing, it's got to be something just "off a bit"

Man, that's got to be frustrating!!

By the way, love the color!

 

[Don C]

I agree with Stanglover, sounds like something rubbing and being ground away. To me, if that is coming from the pump, I would suspect a piece of metal was in a hose or the box and got pushed into the pump.

 

[airfido]

Update: It’s getting worse. Makes a lot of noise when driving, and seems to be losing steering power. It’s quite loud now. When jacked up, the steering worked easily by hand (not running) with no binding.
 

Plan: I am going to replace the pump, and try to purge the system in the process. Any suggestions on how to flush it out? I will be looking for debris and contaminants. 
 

JB

 

[Stanglover]

I think you're right to replace the pump, but either swap the pulley or make sure it's the same diameter. After thinking more about it, I remembered earlier this year, my son's BMW PS pump was making one hell of a racket, very similar to the noise yours is making. We installed a new pump and flushed the system. BMW have a procedure to flush and vent it. VERY expensive PS fluid, 2 quarts cost more then the pump! Anyway, I stripped the old pump down to see if I could salvage it, but the bearing was totally shot and to replace it would be more than was paid for the new pump.

Bottom line, I think the bearing(s) is/are totally shot. To vent and flush your PS box, you can turn the pulley by hand or perhaps use some sort of pump to force the fluid through the box and into a jar. 

 

[Bentworker]

It is messy but you can fabricate an inverted flare adapter to connect compressed air to your steering box pressure line (with pump disconnected).  Place the steering box return line in a bucket with some rags over it and apply compressed air, then turn the car several times lock to lock.  That should get rid of 95% of the old fluid in the system.  Be mindful to do this with a cold engine, because the mist / spray from the return line is flammable.  It will make a mess in the catch bucket.

 

[Don C]

Here's how Cardone says to flush it:

RecommendedPowerSteeringFlushProcedure.pdf (rockauto.com)

 

[Stanglover]

Here's how Cardone says to flush it:

RecommendedPowerSteeringFlushProcedure.pdf (rockauto.com)

 Good info there Don. Thanks, I printed it off for future reference.

 

[Stanglover]

It is messy but you can fabricate an inverted flare adapter to connect compressed air to your steering box pressure line (with pump disconnected).  Place the steering box return line in a bucket with some rags over it and apply compressed air, then turn the car several times lock to lock.  That should get rid of 95% of the old fluid in the system.  Be mindful to do this with a cold engine, because the mist / spray from the return line is flammable.  It will make a mess in the catch bucket.

 That'll work! Could be messy as you say. Reading through the Cardone method Don posted, I think I like that better though.

 

[Don C]

No matter how you do it there's plenty of opportunities for making a mess. I was trying to come up with something like the reservoir used in a pressure brake bleeder, but decided I could really make a mess with that, with 120 psi air pressure behind it. 

 

[Stanglover]

No matter how you do it there's plenty of opportunities for making a mess. I was trying to come up with something like the reservoir used in a pressure brake bleeder, but decided I could really make a mess with that, with 120 psi air pressure behind it. 

 I was thinking along the lines of adapting one of those fluid transfer hand pumps, but I really didn't give it too much thought as to how or if it would work. Definitely could be more control on the size of the mess.