Help! Power Steering Pulley
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 1
From: Littleton Colorado
Help! Power Steering Pulley
Anyone have some good advice on how to remove the pulley without taking out the ABS BPMV?? 
Please don't say read the LS1HOW to, because it does not say anything that I can tell, or am I reading it wrong.
I'm trying to do a heads only swap (for various reasons, time being one). And the alternator bracket has one bolt behind the power steering pulley. This appears to go into the head and not the block, is that correct?? The service manual says to remove the ABS BPMV to get to the pulley, but would like to avoid that if possible. LS1HOWTO's write up of a heads and cam swap on a C5 does not address this issue, the pulley just magically is removed and no mention of how they did it
And, there does not seem to be much discussion here in the forums on the pulley except that the bolt behind it is among the top PIA bolts on the C5... Lastly, LS1tech seems to only have info on F body power steering issues.
Anyone want to give me some hints? My new heads are almost here, and the weather is really nice out finally, so I want to get this project done and have some fun
Thanks
Please don't say read the LS1HOW to, because it does not say anything that I can tell, or am I reading it wrong.I'm trying to do a heads only swap (for various reasons, time being one). And the alternator bracket has one bolt behind the power steering pulley. This appears to go into the head and not the block, is that correct?? The service manual says to remove the ABS BPMV to get to the pulley, but would like to avoid that if possible. LS1HOWTO's write up of a heads and cam swap on a C5 does not address this issue, the pulley just magically is removed and no mention of how they did it
And, there does not seem to be much discussion here in the forums on the pulley except that the bolt behind it is among the top PIA bolts on the C5... Lastly, LS1tech seems to only have info on F body power steering issues.Anyone want to give me some hints? My new heads are almost here, and the weather is really nice out finally, so I want to get this project done and have some fun
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
It's easiest to pull the water pump. With that out of the way, you can easily access all 4 bolts holding the alt bracket to the head.
You don't need to mess with the PS pulley to do this.
You don't need to mess with the PS pulley to do this.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
I had the heads off my '99 a couple of years ago to replace the lifters. The PS pulley was the hardest thing to get off and put back on. I did not know about the idea of removing the water pump, just followed the book's instructions. I ended breaking the pulley. They are cheap, but had to pay another $10 at a machine shop to remove the remnants of it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
read LS1how to again - it's in there, you just missed it
What you have to do is:
Remove the water pump and remove the alternator from the alternator bracket - this will give you access to the alternator / power steering pump bracket
Don't take the power steering pump PULLEY off - they are a BIG pain to pull off and put on
You need to remove the ENTIRE alternator / Power steering pump BRACKET - to do this, you will need an 18 mm wrench (flare nut wrench is best) to disconnect the power steering lines from the steering sector
There are FOUR (4) bolts that hold the alt / power steering pump bracket to the engine / head you are correct when you say you can NOT remove the bracket bolt that goes into the head w/o moving the pulley - THAT IS WHY you take the ENTIRE bracket off - what you are doing is actually loosening each of the 4 bolts about a 1/4 inch at a time - then you slide the bracket towards the head of the bolts (away from the head / engine) then continue loosening the 4 bolts another 1/4 inch - repeat this process till the bracket is loose and can be removed.
it takes about 10 - 15 min to do this, but believe me (from experience) it is FAR better than replacing the PS pulley
What you have to do is:
Remove the water pump and remove the alternator from the alternator bracket - this will give you access to the alternator / power steering pump bracket
Don't take the power steering pump PULLEY off - they are a BIG pain to pull off and put on
You need to remove the ENTIRE alternator / Power steering pump BRACKET - to do this, you will need an 18 mm wrench (flare nut wrench is best) to disconnect the power steering lines from the steering sector
There are FOUR (4) bolts that hold the alt / power steering pump bracket to the engine / head you are correct when you say you can NOT remove the bracket bolt that goes into the head w/o moving the pulley - THAT IS WHY you take the ENTIRE bracket off - what you are doing is actually loosening each of the 4 bolts about a 1/4 inch at a time - then you slide the bracket towards the head of the bolts (away from the head / engine) then continue loosening the 4 bolts another 1/4 inch - repeat this process till the bracket is loose and can be removed.
it takes about 10 - 15 min to do this, but believe me (from experience) it is FAR better than replacing the PS pulley
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Just unbolt the water pump, then the alternator bracket/pump assembly..and lean the bracket against the BPMV while swapping the heads. The hoses allow plenty of slop to move it out of the way.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
Chalk my "slip" up to late night, and also to my having just finished doing the removal for the 2nd time (read replace potentially defective oil pump which was originally installed this winter as part of an H/C swap) - thank you for removing this unnecessary step, and for saving a little power steering fluid
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 1
From: Littleton Colorado
Actually what worked for me was to take off the Power steering res. That got me access to the last bolt, and just walked the bracket off with out taking off the pulley like stated above.
No need to take off the water pump, in my case. I needed to replace the lines on the power steering any way, got a leak. So it worked out well.
Thanks for the info, its what I needed. I was thinking that it said the pulley needed to be removed when it doesn't. And it was not clear that the pump and the alt share the same bracket.
No need to take off the water pump, in my case. I needed to replace the lines on the power steering any way, got a leak. So it worked out well.
Thanks for the info, its what I needed. I was thinking that it said the pulley needed to be removed when it doesn't. And it was not clear that the pump and the alt share the same bracket.
