I am just guessing here... but I am assuming my power steering pump took a dump yesterday.

All of the sudden I lost a lot of power steering assist, ANY turning at all it makes that horrible noise like when you are low of fluid. Slow turns sound like you are turning a rusty tractor wheel, its LOUD. I get a whine when I am driving (pulley?). Also I opened the reservoir this morning and its full of frothy bubbly fluid, and some was oozing out the lid when the engine was on. Nasty stuff.

Anyway.... does that sound like a bad power steering pump or something else?

 

Maybe the inlet side of pump is sucking air, loose connection ??
No expert here, I replaced mine because it leaked.

 

I've also heard the rack doesn't last forever. Could it be the rack gone bad? I don't know much about this system. I'd replace both if I was you. Then you get a good clean new system.

 

it sounds more like the pump. Whent the rack fails, it simply leaks, it won't cause frothing.

Now, check the rack, and be sure it hasn't blown out a seal to such a point where the fluid has all poured out.

 

Check/replace the reservoir-pump hose before the air destroys your pump. It's about $30 from GM or the online catalogs. Anyhow, it will cause damage to the pump and pollute the rack with metal filings.

I ended up replacing everything at the same time and putting a filter in.

 

my rack leaked, then i had same symptoms, replaced rack

 

You can flush the rack and the pump,install all new fluid and see if this helps for a while until you get another rack.

I got about an extra 5 years outta mine doing that ...lol...

 

Ugh...thanks for the tips guys... thats not what I wanted to hear

Is the rack something that is hard to replace? I looked up the part, and it doesn't look TOO complicated, but I've never really looked at the part on my own car to see where it is located or what all is involved in replacing it.

I was thinking of replacing the pump and everything as well...i know the pulley is going bad on the pump, its made some noise for a while.

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I just checked and Ecklers doesn't have any racks in stock
AutoZone has two that I could probably get quicker... but im not sure which one I need
6465 "sport steering - harder to turn"
6469 "standard steering - easier to turn"

Also, Autozone has pumps as well for less than the re-man Delco versions. Part 6328

Both the rack and pump are Atsco brand.
Anyone have any objections to just getting this stuff at AutoZone?

I would like to go "cheap" but I want it to last, so if getting re-man Delco stuff is better, I would just as soon spend the extra money and get it all at Ecklers (I get a hefty discount there and its a local pickup for me anyway).

Thanks for the help thus far guys! I appreciate it!

This couldn't have come at a worse time.. I start moving into my new house this week, so between that and work, I dont have any time to be installing parts

 

How do I go about flushing the power steering system?

 

The only difference in the racks is the number of turns to lock. The sport steering is the Z51 quick ratio rack. When I did mine in my 85 I went with the Z51 rack.

 

Ive read people suck out the fluid with a turkey baster.

BTW...did I see you pulling out of Roger's last saturday? I went and test drove an 89 6speed. Anyway, I saw a white C4 with black hashmarks and recognize it as a forum member's car but I couldn't remember who it belongs to.

 

Yeah that was me!

A buddy and I went to the Uptown Altamonte Corvette show then on the way home stopped by Rogers.

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Cool, I have Z51 so that makes that decision easier!

and on the turkey baster thing.. I am assuming just suck it out of the reservoir or is there some special place I need to do this from?

 

Maybe then you should check the 5/8" hose feeding into the bottom of the pump. If this is oozing at all, it's probably sucking air too.


I was told by a rebuilder the AC-Delco are done by A1-Cardone. Their reman prices are always about the same +10% for the delco box, so it makes sense. (Of course this is not an impartial source.)

If you insist on doing the $200 rack without checking the $30 hose first, it's not as hard as it looks. After removing the swaybar, you can rotated it and snake it out the driversside. I bought mine from Meridian Auto Parts, they happen to be local to me and all their racks are done by them in Michigan. http://www.meridianautoparts.com/ (plus I know a guy that works there. )

I compared their rack with one I bought from Autozone (that was misboxed and delayed in shipping btw ), the quality just on the outside is pretty apparent. The AZ rack already had scoring on the shafts, and they just spray painted over the grease on the original rack. And it wasted two weeks of my time because of their assclowns in their Chinese distribution center can't put them in the right boxes (would you trust them on an assembly line?).

I don't care whether they have a lifetime warranty, if it fails in 2 years, would you really want to put another one in from them?

Before installing it, use a crescent wrench on the steering shaft to verify the turns lock to lock. Also, after you get it in the car, undo the clamps on the boots before you thread them in to the tie rods. Get it as close as you can (maybe measure the distance of tierods before you remove the original), then you should align it anyways, your steering wheel will probably be offcenter and your toe-in will suck.

The bolts on the passenger side clamp are a little hard to get to, but it can be done.

 

Yea from what I understand thats how people do it. Suck it out, fill it up, run it, then suck it out and fill it one more time.

Makes sense to me, but perhaps someone thats actually done it will chime in

BTW I should be back in a C4 daily driver by the end of the week.

 

Thanks for the advice centralcoaster. I will definitely check the hoses out tomorrow and also flush the system as mentioned to do too. I am guessing the pump is making all the racket because its most likely empty from all the fluid being airbubbly.

Oh... something else I noticed this morning, it appears it ALL drained out onto the parking lot, so I am guessing I may just have a leaky hose after all.

I hope that is all it is.

Ecklers has all the parts in stock, so I will probably just grab one from there after work this week.

I will let you guys know how it goes and if I run into any issues.

Centralcoaster, thanks for the AZ story too... that makes not buying that part from them an easy decision heh

 

I have a hose question:

The "correct" hose to fit on this thing is this bent hose formed to fit where it goes.

Autozone's hose is just a 3ft high temp hose length with no shape to it... can I just get the autozone hose? It looks just like regular high temp hose.
The part number is: 71351

Hose is hose right?

 

No.

First, they probably are giving you heater hose, or crankcase vent hose, neither which will work.

You can use universal power steering (or transmission cooler) 5/8" hose if you use EZ-Coils from Goodyear. They look like a spring and you bend them while on the hose and they keep it from kinking. Good luck finding 5/8" power steering hose though, I've heard they make it, but I haven't come across it yet.

My local Autozone had them with the acessories, I haven't found them anywhere else.

Thread here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1636366


In the thread I used heater hose on my PS pump, that was a bad idea.

 

Joe...while you are in there working around, I would recommend replacing ALL of the hoses...my PS just last night took a massive dump also.
I just started the engine and heard a loud "popping" sound...couldn't figure it until I tried to steer while reversing, when I realised I had lost power assist.
I drove it home checked the levels and it was dead empty.
Turns out the flexible part the high press. hose from the pump to the rack popped out of the steel fitting...

 

Thanks CC....

I've still not even looked at it, but I will be checking my PS hoses tomorrow. Sucks I cant get this thing fixed before work which will most likely burn my pump up

arrrgggg

Ecklers has all 3 hoses in stock, so I guess if one is busted, I will be making a trip over there to get one after work this week.

 

I remember I bought the hoses from ecklers and they were aftermarket and they leaked at the crimped neck where the hose comes out.I was pissed.Just hope the new hoses you get dont leak like mine did.

I even got a new reman rack from autozone and it leaked in the front...was pizzed again...did all that work to have another leak.

I also bought a brand new autozone radiator once and it spilled antifreeze/water mix all over the garage floor...and its pressure tested as the box said!Damn parts these days suck!