Power Steering Pump

My pump has been whiny all the time for quite some time now, even after flushing a lot of the fluid with new and trying one reservoir full of Lucas stuff to see if it would stop it. When I was parking at Walmart today I noticed the last turn of the wheel to lock either direction there was basically no assist. Is this a sign to replace it before it dies at a bad time?

This depends. Is the whine coming from the pump, or the gear? Yes, steering gears will whine also. The pump isn't going to lose assist on the last turn in either direction. Even if the pump did crap out for a second, it would take 5 seconds or so for it to start pumping again. Or, it's just going to give out all together. Pumps don't generally go intermittent in/out.

Abaddon wrote:

This depends. Is the whine coming from the pump, or the gear? Yes, steering gears will whine also. The pump isn't going to lose assist on the last turn in either direction. Even if the pump did crap out for a second, it would take 5 seconds or so for it to start pumping again. Or, it's just going to give out all together. Pumps don't generally go intermittent in/out.

I did some turning back and forth in an empty parking lot lock to lock and it seems to be better now than it was, I guess it was just a little stiff?

Eh. Who knows. Don't fix it 'til it's broke. That's my motto

The pump on my '98 has been leaking and whining a bit for about 8 years. It hasn't gotten worse, and it still works. I actually have a brand new GM P/S pump in the basement. I guess I've just been waiting for it to crap out....