Power steering issue.

[littleblazer]

So I have an interesting issue, I believe it is simply my power steering pump, however the problem I am having is at speed my power steering works fine. Driving in a parking lot it does not. If I throw the truck in neutral and bring the rpms up around 1100 it comes mostly back. I don't have belt slip so my guess is the pump. That being said could it also possibly be the rack itself causing issues? Just want to know what has to be fixed...

 

[djthumper]

Your pump is the problem.

 

[littleblazer]

Your pump is the problem.

You sure I'm not?

 

[xavierny25]

@littleblazer when your done replacing yours you can replace mine aswell along with my bleeding lines and rack.

 

[budwich]

when was the last time you flushed your fluid?

 

[djthumper]

You sure I'm not?

At speed your pump does very little. At lower speeds the pump has to work more to assist in the steering.

 

[littleblazer]

when was the last time you flushed your fluid?

When I replaced the pump that's in here 2 years ago.

At speed your pump does very little. At lower speeds the pump has to work more to assist in the steering.

No I get that. The rpms in neutral thing perplexes me though. (Sorry for the double post.)

 

[budwich]

something doesn't sound quite right ... 2 years? Sounds like faulty valve / seal somewhere. What happened to the previous one?

 

[littleblazer]

something doesn't sound quite right ... 2 years? Sounds like faulty valve / seal somewhere. What happened to the previous one?

Snapped the shaft clean off backing out of a customers driveway at full lock. Hit a bumpand my foot slipped. Rest is history.

 

[Harpo]

I had the same issues a couple of weeks ago.
No PS assist at all at idle, was able to barley steer at 2,500 rpms.

It has gradually turned heavier in the steering over some time,until it one day wouldn't cooperate at all, not funny at all I can tell you.
Also changed the pump 2,5-3 years ago.
As it turned out I put on the pump I had as a spare on the 9-7X engine I have. Had to buy a special tool to change the big pulley to the smaller one I have on my Ext though.

Than I noticed that the Piston that is in the outlet of the pump, the spring loaded one, was stuck in the bottom!!.
I'm not sure what it does, but I think it's a overpressure relieve valve or something.

Now it works fine with the "Saab" pump in there.

 

[Mooseman]

There is a different part # for the pump on EXT. I don't know what the difference is but I do know that the EXT has a quicker ratio in the rack (less turns from lock to lock). Maybe the EXT pump has higher pressure? Could be the reason for the smaller pulley.

If/when you do replace it, flush it with new fluid BEFORE replacing with the new pump. This will make sure your new pump only sees new fluid.

Personally, I have only had good luck with ACDelco pumps. Others were either noisy out of the box or became noisy later.

 

[Harpo]

I noticed that on RA, but there was also pumps that would fit both wheelbases?!.
I inspected both of the pumps really close, and I couldn't find any difference at all besides the pulley size.
And I mean a really thoroughly investigation, I pulled it apart as much as you can take it apart, measured all holes ,ports and galleys there is.
No difference anywhere, the only thing I couldn't measure was if there is a difference in the spring size/ load on the spring behind the small Piston that was permanently stuck in the old one, maybe that could be the difference between the two,I don't know.
But for now the almost new (5400km) Saab 9-7X is doing its job fine without any noise or any other complications.

I agree with you on the none AcDelco pumps, the old one was making a terrible noise from the start and had sometimes during hot weather very bad performance and terrible noise like it was sucking dry or something.

The "new" one has fresh fluid of course.

 

[littleblazer]

The difference is probably just the pulley. A little more boost at idle with a heavier truck isn't a bad thing.

 

[Sparky]

At least it has not cut out on you entirely. Mine did that two or three times. Once when my dad was trying to back up a trailer, that was fun. Swapped the pump no more issues after that.

If the pump is weak, higher RPM makes it spin faster which may make up for it. Kind of like a weak oil pump can build pressure when engine RPM is higher.