Power steering - how to replace pump and fully flush lines?
Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 9:56 am
Hey,
MY QUESTION
What's the best way to replace a power steering pump, the reservoir and flush completely?
And also - should I have the engine on whilst doing any part of it?
WHAT HAPPENED
Ever since I bought my car (3 years ago) whenever I have the steering at hard lock left or right on a cold start, it's always had this whine in the pump. When the car warms up, whine goes away. I've been reading up on it and I kinda thought replacing the O ring in the power steering pump would fix it. Last weekend I replaced the O ring - but - the one I replaced it was slightly different. The one that came out had flat sides whereas the one I put in was quite circular. The original had a slight kink in the O ring.
When I replaced the O ring, I had the car up on the jacks and over 8 or 9 hours of moving the steering to the left and right and hardly any bubbles in the reservoir and the fluid level not moving, I was happy and started the engine (new fluid at the same time). However there was more noticable whine from the pump but kinda went away.
I then got a bit worried about the difference in O rings and decided to put the original back in by taking the line off the pump, put the original O ring back in and put the line back on.
But.
Stupid me decided that starting the engine would push the fluidthrough and sort everything out. What it ended up doing is aerating the fluid something wicked. Fluid spilt out of the reservoir. Made a mess.
WHAT I'VE TRIED SO FAR
Now this is at work (200km from home) and I had to get some jacks and power steering fluid. I got the car up on jacks and sucked the existing fluid in the reservoid out and put new stuff in. I then moved the wheels to the left and right and repeat a lot of times. Lot of waiting. Then started the car, but more frothy fluid came out. So got the car towed to the mechanics.
After the mechanic looked at it for a day, still couldn't fix it and now the power steering pump sounds like crap.
The fluid in the reservoir looks seriously funky. There is fluid at the bottom, but then what looks like an air gap and then more fluid (bottom to top).
Fluid is seriously frothy. Like strawberry milkshake.
WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW
I've ordered a new pump, reservoir and pipe from pump to reservoir.
WHAT I'M THINKING OF DOING
What I want to do is basically get as much of the aerated fluid out of the system as I can and not sure on the best way to do this. What I'm thinking of doing:
1 ) Get car up on jacks
2 ) Remove old pump, remove old reservoir and pipe
3 ) Install new pump (leave drive belt off)
4 ) Install new reservoir and pipe
5 ) Keep return line off to the reservoir
6 ) Pour new fluid in up to cold max level
7 ) Rotate pump by hand or drill at low speed
8 ) Pour new fluid in as needed
9 ) Old fluid is drained out to a container and not back into system
10 ) Once I see new fluid from return line, hook return line back into reservoir
11 ) Move steering wheel to left and right, topping up reservoir as needed
After I hook the return line back, there will be air introduced again, but I'm pretty sure as long as I don't start the car and let the air come out it'll be fine.
That's what I was thinking of doing. For those that have replaced a pump or flushed the system, would the above procedure do the job?
And does anyone know how the piston works in relation to the steering wheel?
For example, when I rotate the pump by hand, is this flushing all the fluid? Or does the the steering wheel have to be rotated whilst putting new fluid in?
And does anyone know the risk of starting the engine to pump the fluid?
I've read conflicting items on this - some things say it's OK to start the engine, others say do not.
MY QUESTION
What's the best way to replace a power steering pump, the reservoir and flush completely?
And also - should I have the engine on whilst doing any part of it?
WHAT HAPPENED
Ever since I bought my car (3 years ago) whenever I have the steering at hard lock left or right on a cold start, it's always had this whine in the pump. When the car warms up, whine goes away. I've been reading up on it and I kinda thought replacing the O ring in the power steering pump would fix it. Last weekend I replaced the O ring - but - the one I replaced it was slightly different. The one that came out had flat sides whereas the one I put in was quite circular. The original had a slight kink in the O ring.
When I replaced the O ring, I had the car up on the jacks and over 8 or 9 hours of moving the steering to the left and right and hardly any bubbles in the reservoir and the fluid level not moving, I was happy and started the engine (new fluid at the same time). However there was more noticable whine from the pump but kinda went away.
I then got a bit worried about the difference in O rings and decided to put the original back in by taking the line off the pump, put the original O ring back in and put the line back on.
But.
Stupid me decided that starting the engine would push the fluidthrough and sort everything out. What it ended up doing is aerating the fluid something wicked. Fluid spilt out of the reservoir. Made a mess.
WHAT I'VE TRIED SO FAR
Now this is at work (200km from home) and I had to get some jacks and power steering fluid. I got the car up on jacks and sucked the existing fluid in the reservoid out and put new stuff in. I then moved the wheels to the left and right and repeat a lot of times. Lot of waiting. Then started the car, but more frothy fluid came out. So got the car towed to the mechanics.
After the mechanic looked at it for a day, still couldn't fix it and now the power steering pump sounds like crap.
The fluid in the reservoir looks seriously funky. There is fluid at the bottom, but then what looks like an air gap and then more fluid (bottom to top).
Fluid is seriously frothy. Like strawberry milkshake.
WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW
I've ordered a new pump, reservoir and pipe from pump to reservoir.
WHAT I'M THINKING OF DOING
What I want to do is basically get as much of the aerated fluid out of the system as I can and not sure on the best way to do this. What I'm thinking of doing:
1 ) Get car up on jacks
2 ) Remove old pump, remove old reservoir and pipe
3 ) Install new pump (leave drive belt off)
4 ) Install new reservoir and pipe
5 ) Keep return line off to the reservoir
6 ) Pour new fluid in up to cold max level
7 ) Rotate pump by hand or drill at low speed
8 ) Pour new fluid in as needed
9 ) Old fluid is drained out to a container and not back into system
10 ) Once I see new fluid from return line, hook return line back into reservoir
11 ) Move steering wheel to left and right, topping up reservoir as needed
After I hook the return line back, there will be air introduced again, but I'm pretty sure as long as I don't start the car and let the air come out it'll be fine.
That's what I was thinking of doing. For those that have replaced a pump or flushed the system, would the above procedure do the job?
And does anyone know how the piston works in relation to the steering wheel?
For example, when I rotate the pump by hand, is this flushing all the fluid? Or does the the steering wheel have to be rotated whilst putting new fluid in?
And does anyone know the risk of starting the engine to pump the fluid?
I've read conflicting items on this - some things say it's OK to start the engine, others say do not.