power steering problem
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu Hawaii
Take a turkey baster and pull out 3/4 of the fluid from the reservoir and replace it with Lucas Power Steering Fluid w/ Cleaning agent...try it every other week for a month. Is your fluid gray-ish?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
If the belt is slipping (especially when turning the steering wheel) then I would suggest replacing the belt and make sure that the belt tensioner is good. A weak tensioner will cause belt slippage.
If the fluid is old and dirty, it's probably time to flush all of it out and refill with a good PS fluid. I have had excellent results using Red Line synthetic PS fluid in my '87. The pump is original to the car and I see lots of high RPM usage at autocross and track day events.
A few years ago after some track events, the pump would whine loudly once the fluid got hot. I added a power steering fluid cooler and the Red Line fluid. It's quiet and everything works fine.
It's far easier and cheaper to try a new belt and fluid change before you go replacing the rack.
If the fluid is old and dirty, it's probably time to flush all of it out and refill with a good PS fluid. I have had excellent results using Red Line synthetic PS fluid in my '87. The pump is original to the car and I see lots of high RPM usage at autocross and track day events.
A few years ago after some track events, the pump would whine loudly once the fluid got hot. I added a power steering fluid cooler and the Red Line fluid. It's quiet and everything works fine.
It's far easier and cheaper to try a new belt and fluid change before you go replacing the rack.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,268
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
Had that problem too. At low rpm in a parking lot or rounding a corner after stopping, the thing was nearly unsteerable! 
Several times when rounding a sharp corner the power assist would suddenly go away and leave me to wrestle the car around the corner. I thought I'd break the steering wheel off the shaft a couple of times. Couldn't figure out if it was the pump or the rack, so I went all the way and did both! Put in a quicker 'sport rack' from Zip. Was not as hard or expensive as you might think and now the car is a blast to drive. 
Several times when rounding a sharp corner the power assist would suddenly go away and leave me to wrestle the car around the corner. I thought I'd break the steering wheel off the shaft a couple of times. Couldn't figure out if it was the pump or the rack, so I went all the way and did both! Put in a quicker 'sport rack' from Zip. Was not as hard or expensive as you might think and now the car is a blast to drive.
