FAQ: Power Steering Pump & Hoses - Noise & Problems

I need to replace both power steering hoses on my Riv.  I started to take them off last night and was unable to gain sufficient access with the tools I have.  Any tips or shortcuts from someone who's done this before would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.......

I'll answer my own question in case someone else has the same problem: The best way to get the lines out of the rack is to cut them with a sawsall and put a socket on them.

Nice solution! Sawzall is my favorite tool!!

Today I followed my dad to get the front wheel bearing hub on the Aurora replaced (Last time we didn't do it and it melted to the assembly and cost twice as much - wasn't going to happen this time). So as we're leaving I had to make a left turn in a bad place. Road was setup like this:


The black path is the way I wanted to go. Annoyingly, a factory down that road to the right just let out and NO ONE would let me make a left turn. The light is really close so if more than one car is sitting there to turn left, you're blocked. So no one will let me out so I follow the red path. As I have my wheel cut sharply to the left and punched it lightly I heard a SQUEAAAAK then the steering wheel got very heavy and as I was straghtening up the wheel felt like it was pulling itself back straight.

As I drive down a little further, it doesn't seem like anything happened. I go to make that sharp right turn - oh yeah, it broke. So we go by the local mechanic who works on all our cars and just pull in there and he takes a look. Belts are not broken - the pump just dumped it. He said apparently the plastic shaft on it snapped on it. Then as he told me to turn the wheel a little so he could see something he told me quickly to turn it off. The damn belt that goes over the power steering pump was riding up on the pulley!!! He said if I drive it home, the belt was likely to slip the rest of the way off and shred it or just have it drop out on the road. If we hadn't been where we were (this close to his shop), at this time (He was still open), in this car (Almost took the truck instead), this could've happened when I was by myself with no option but to drive the car (like at school or even worse - in the snow).

The steering did feel a bit heavy at times when cornering at low speeds. Whats odd, the factory pump lasted all of the time up until roughly two years or so ago (Maybe three) and then we replaced it with this one. I'd know because my dad did it - he complained about the whining power steering primarily. So here now, this new pump broke way faster. What a PITA! It's some $270 after labor too, damn cars breaking down on us.

Still, what are the odds it would happen so close to his shop? If the belt totally shredded or fell off, the damn car would have to be towed somewhere. He also said when he looked inside the pump to check the dipstick - metal shavings. Fuck!

Another thing I noticed as I'm driving - my Low Coolant light comes on then goes back off after 15-20 seconds. Wtf? I just put coolant in this car about a month and a half ago when it did the same thing. Why is my car eating through coolant or why is the light coming on? I didn't check the levels, power steering pump busted and that was a bigger priority. As he had the hood up, I hear the S/C making more racket. What next, is that going to go? I swear...

And the kicker - the Riv was what was going to take us home. We were going to be stuck at the repair shop. Fortunately a nice receptionist working there was getting off and was headed home which was the way we were going. She had a standard cab '93 F150 essentially identical to my dad's. So that was fun, cramming three people into a truck made primarily to hold two people. If I had a truck, it'd at least need to be an extended cab if not a crew cab.

Our cars - I don't know why but they seem to like to all break at the same time putting us in predicaments. Everyone needs the cars today so we're hoping he'll have the car fixed in the morning (He said he should) and I can just take it and we'll be back to normal again. I was smart this time, locked all my CDs and shit in the glovebox where they can't mess with them like they did the last time I left them. Although I was stupid and left all my change in the cup holder (And I do keep several quarters there for the quarter washes, although last time they didn't take any - I suppose I should trust they won't touch it).

This adds to my bad luck today of being $1 short of getting a haircut at the stupid fancy haircut salon that was in the mall that happened to be where I already was. This smoking hot girl was going to cut my hair too. Dammit! Par for the course I suppose...

some days just go like that. i remember over summer my front main seal blew on the riv right in the middle of finals week, one day before my apartment lease ended. talk about bad timing, the riv was sitting in a parking lot with 5qts dumped on the concrete.

good news is-
1. metal shaving are bad, but the pump is one whole assemble so as long as you do a flush to get all the old out you should be fine.
2. PS pumps are fairly quick to replace
3. you can drive the car just fine with no PS pump (you cant go without coolant)

your coolant light may have come on b/c the belt that drives the PS pump also runs the WP so it doesnt flow if the belt is off, or not moving right. still, you should keep the level up! also you can get air bubbles in the system causing it to make the light go off. try tapping on the passenger side of the radiator where the sensor is. (right above the lower hose)

btw, our cars make a PS whine from the factory, not b/c of the pump, but b/c of small lines. trying to give it gas at full wheel cock likely forced too much fluid through the pump with nowhere for it to go.

i dont know why you have so many problems with your cars, my riv has been pretty reliable for a 13 year old car. yes i have had stuff go bad on it, and yes i have broken a few things myself, but i have always been lucky enough to be able to fix it myself.

My 185k Riv is now being driven everyday and I've put many thousand miles on it and no problems other than fixing the gas gauge luckily. Sucks to hear about your pump though!

If your pump made metal then be SURE to have them flush the steering rack also before installing a new pump. Otherwise it won't be long before you will need a new rack.

The coolant level sensor are known to go bad with age. I do tno think they are that pricey or that difficult to replace. Next time it lights, look and see it the level actually is low. If not, then just replace the $*@#&($*& sensor.

Albertj

Strangely, the coolant was actually very low. It was below the cold level and the car was hot and I just shut it off. I dumped more coolant in it, perhaps this explains my hot smell?

I could not have driven the car with no PS pump in the condition it was in. The shaft was vibrating and causing the pulley and belt to slide out. If I drove it much more, it could've completely come off and torn some shit up. They put my new pump on, but now the thing is whiney! The old pump was not. When I rev the car up any now I hear that thing. I feel like I'm driving a Ford...

Steering is all good again though, and that's the important thing. I'm hoping there might just be air pockets in the line and they'll work their way out and it won't whine. I hate the prospect of a brand freakin' new pump whining. Oh, and he showed us the old pump - shaft was totally gone. Disintegrated into tiny little bits.

Ya the air bubbles are probally causing the whine noise and they should work themselves out in the next few days of driving. For the rest of people on here when your power steering pump goes, dont spend $270 on having it done at the shop, just buy it at advance auto $60 or somewhere else and do it your self. Very easy to do almost anyone could do it with no problem in less then an hour. Remove 3 screws and two clamps then install new PS pump. Really is a piece of cake, I did mine a few months ago after driving with no PS for about four months thinking that it was a problem with the magnasteer, very expensive part that can not be purchased alone, you have to purchase a whole steering rack. Stupid me lol,

You'll be fine though as long as the shop flushed the rack before they put in the new pump, and then bleed the system

I would recommend having the oil analyzed to see if the coolant you have lost shows up in the report which would indicate a problem.

Bert

98RIV7777 wrote:

Ya the air bubbles are probally causing the whine noise and they should work themselves out in the next few days of driving. For the rest of people on here when your power steering pump goes, dont spend $270 on having it done at the shop, just buy it at advance auto $60 or somewhere else and do it your self. Very easy to do almost anyone could do it with no problem in less then an hour. Remove 3 screws and two clamps then install new PS pump. Really is a piece of cake, I did mine a few months ago after driving with no PS for about four months thinking that it was a problem with the magnasteer, very expensive part that can not be purchased alone, you have to purchase a whole steering rack. Stupid me lol,

You'll be fine though as long as the shop flushed the rack before they put in the new pump, and then bleed the system

WTF? No, you couldn't. FFS, I saw where that pump is and it's fucking 30 someodd degrees outside. I have no garage and NO time. The car was broke right then and there and could not be driven further.

Yes, how much better it would be to drive it home 10 miles away down the expressway and have that pulley fly off, fuck stuff up under the hood and cost tons more money. Do you grease monkeys have no understanding for other people? I don't enjoy working on the car in the slightest. Sure, oil changes, headlamp changes (not just the bulb), spark plugs, brake pads, all this should be done yourself. But when you start talking about these complicated, vital parts that are crammed down in the car - wtf is all I have to say.

So NO everyone else, don't just do it yourself and risk fucking the car up and having no power steering - pay the professionals to do it right. These people went through certifications for a reason and I didn't for a reason - my place is not working on the car, it's theirs.

Every time you people say "it's easy" and it takes no time it is the biggest crock of shit. My dad is more than experienced with working on cars for many years and that sixth spark plug on my car even he bitched about being a PITA and that was with me doing most of it. Due to the wires being a bit nasty and greasy in the back that took more like two hours to do (Rather, it was light when I started and pitch black when I was done). If it were simply myself doing it I'd crock it up to inexperience but it's not the case with my dad and he always helps. Yes, everything on the car is easy to get to, easy to do, no problem, takes no time, etc etc .

Go ahead and think what you want, it took me less then an hour to remove the old p/s, flush the rack, install the new p/s, and bleed the system. If u were affraid to drive it 10miles you could've paid to have it towed for like $30 bucks to your house its a simple job. If you just dont like workin on the car then pay the "professionals" to do it, but it doesnt take an engineer to change a p/s pump.

Recently my 1995 Riviera S/C has been making a very high pitched whinny noise between 1500-2100 RPM. I stopped by my local Chevy dealer and a tech. took a quick look and put a stethoscope on some parts on my engine and finally said he thinks its the power steering pump... But, at idle when i turn the wheel it doesnt seem to have any difference in performance. But u can hear the normal power steering going out noise between those RPM's I mentioned before. I am wondering if it is the power steering pump? and What does it take to change that out myself?

sounds like the issue i had/have. only heard it when i was going slower. i noticed zero change in performance or handling ability. they said my pump is GOING bad. not bad yet..but it could go at any day. said its an annoying job to do. from what i remember the alternator needs removed. i think he said its like 1-2 hours labor. dont remember it being too complicated though.

oh yea...and ive been drivin on my bad pump for like 6-8 months now.

The alternator does have to be moved out of the way to replace the pump but it is not as difficult as it might sound.
Someone that's done it before can remove, replace and bleed the system in about 1.5 hours max.

u sure its not a little dif on a 95? remember..the setup is a little dif..but couldve swoooornnn he said that..even still take 5 minutes to do it

Yeh, could be different on the 95. I'm not familiar with that setup.

A couple of month's ago I would have sworn my power steering pump was going bad. Sounded just like a bad pump, squeeling and all the usual sounds you would expect from a pump, even got louder when i turned the wheel at a stop.
I got out a stethoscope and listened to all rotating pulleys and found it was one of the accessory tensioner pulleys going bad. Replaced that one and noise went away. Then a couple of weeks later when I felt up to it I replaced all of them and the belts.
Using the logic that if one pulley was bad all the others were soon to follow and i had 98K miles on it.

Ok Thanks. Yea doesnt seem too bad. But I have been looking on parts and can you use a power steering pump from a N/A motor? Because I'm looking for parts and I found a pump but it doesnt say supercharged model? and Another pump says exc supercharger. so idk if there's any difference?

i think all series one l67s are interchangable. not sure if the series 2 will work. rick...chime in here.... lol

Look UP, I added to my post.

I don't know about the different model pumps.
Best thing to do is ask at the auto parts store, they will be able to tell how many different P/N's there are. Or a junk yard has interchange books also.

My riviera is close to 120K mile and I have replaced the brake master cylinder, The top Coil pack, and the belts. Now it makes a really weird whine noise. thinking its power steering. and at about 2100 RPM I can hear the whine but it also sounds like a gear clicking kinda noise... like a high pitched Click Click Click Click like its just spinning and missing, not gripping the teeth? idk thats the best I can describe that right now...

jordynarz wrote:

I stopped by my local Chevy dealer and a tech. took a quick look and put a stethoscope on some parts on my engine and finally said he thinks its the power steering pump...

I would have someone else listen to everything that rotates, this guy saying "he thinks" that's the problem isn't very reassuring.
Can't hurt to have another set of ears and eyes take a look and listen before you replace parts.

Well my friend was like oh power steering, but its odd that it only makes noise at a certain RPM range. What the guy said to me was that it is the power steering pump after listening. In my words I just said he thinks. so idk.