Power steering pump question (bear with me) **update**

[BlacksheepGW]

I searched the forums and didn't quite find an answer to what I am dealing with.

Cliffs:

• High pitch noise from power steering pump
• Low fluid, so I added some fluid
• Noise still present
• Wife turns steering wheel, PS belt gets massive slack in both directions but is nice and tight with NO steering wheel turns

So, is it a bad PS pump, loose brackets (they seem tight), or just a bad belt? The steering is fine, just the noise, which I believe is coming from the belt grabbing the pulley. Any input is well appreciated.

Thanks in advance:

Bradley

[andy d]

Is the belt tight?

[wickedwagon767]

check the belt for cracks on the inside (contact area). If the belt looks suspect, replace it.

I'm thinking since its tight when the wheel is not being turned and the belt gets slack during turning that the pump is probably bad

[Lambrewski]

Only takes seconds to fry a pump without fluid.....I split a ps hose this week and the pump was smoking by the time I pulled off the road.....replaced it today.

[BlacksheepGW]

So, after adding some ATF, it is REALLY responsive. So hmm..

Well, looking around and checking the belts (finally), the belt felt loose. The bolt holding the bracket on the smog pump was about to fall out. So, after tightening that, and re-tightening the belt, the power steering pump is loose on its bracket. Its a weekend job, but atleast it provides some closure to this issue.

Now, what OTHER bolts are loose?

[BGW]

edit: ooops, never mind. My power steering pump burned out very quickly when the PO started using ATF in it (a few days before he sold it to me, he changed to fluids), but it must have just been a faulty pump because even the owner's manual says it's fine to use (ATF that is).

[710 Burner]

I don't. I have been doing it for 30 years and never had a problem with it.

[vintagetrks]

I'm sure you know, but it's not good to put ATF in the power steering system.

Maybe in a 91 GW it's not a good thing to put ATF in your power steering pump. But in an older vehicle say a 76 waggy the really is'nt much differance between ATF and power steering fluid. Back in the "OLDEN Days" they were one in the same.

[drduckman]

I have always used ATF in the power steering, I thought that most of that special marked power steering fluid was just for marketing ATF in a smaller bottle. I did howerver catch my sister putting ATF in the master cylinder of her Bronco II, lasted about a day and then it turned it all into a gooey mess

[vintagetrks]

I have always used ATF in the power steering, I thought that most of that special marked power steering fluid was just for marketing ATF in a smaller bottle. I did howerver catch my sister putting ATF in the master cylinder of her Bronco II, lasted about a day and then it turned it all into a gooey mess

Ouch. I did that to a Gremlin when I was 14 and it ruined the brake system.

[drduckman]

I had to replace not just the master cylinder, but all the wheel cylinders,flush the lines and replace the booster. I should have known from a girl who drove a VW bug with a leaking fuel pump for 3 months. Got to figure it was getting horrible mileage and the fuel was shooting out of it like a bad water pump.

Even my Dodge says to use Dexron II in the power steering

[vintagetrks]

I had to replace not just the master cylinder, but all the wheel cylinders,flush the lines and replace the booster. I should have known from a girl who drove a VW bug with a leaking fuel pump for 3 months. Got to figure it was getting horrible mileage and the fuel was shooting out of it like a bad water pump.

Even my Dodge says to use Dexron II in the power steering

Yeah when I was 14 I did'nt know anything about cars and the fluid looked the same so I figured what the heck. That was a big learning experience. It cost me $500 to have the system redone with all the parts and labor. Which was more than the car was worth.

[drduckman]

I wanted a Gremlin cause it was a bigger car than mine, Chevette ouch!
I figured the jeep would take dex II in the PS since the tranny takes it as well as the transfer case.

[vintagetrks]

I wanted a Gremlin cause it was a bigger car than mine, Chevette ouch!
I figured the jeep would take dex II in the PS since the tranny takes it as well as the transfer case.

By the time I was 15 I had pulled the inline 6 out of the gremlin and had put a 304 in it man that car would smoke the right rear tire.

[BlacksheepGW]

I've always used ATF in my power steering, used in on my 84 waggy, 96 XJ, and 98 TJ...

I my waggy!