Bad PS pump? [Archive] - Chevelle Tech

: Bad PS pump?


soccerguy045
Nov 14th, 03, 2:15 PM
My car only has power steering to the right. If I'm going low speed/RPM (like trying to back out of a parking space or slow turning in a neighborhood), I almost have to fight it, let alone have it be power steering, but if I'm driving fast on the street I don't have too much trouble with the steering. Also, whenever my AC is on with the strain of the AC clutch pulled in, there's a loud screeching and the pump's pulley wobbles foward/backward really bad. This also almost locks up ALL steering, and makes the car jerk/pull really bad in random directions and random times. Could this be the sign of a bad pump? When I'm at a stop I also notice a slight jerking sound/feeling come from the steering column and it seems to be down in the engine bay, if the pump would affect this. The only thing I can think of is that the belt that is supposed to go around the crank pulley->PS pump->AC compressor->crank pulley is only hooked on to the PS pump->AC compressor->PS pump, but I don't think that could affect anything, especially when the AC is off. Regardless of that, do I have a bad pump to cause all of this? Thanks.

JIML82
Nov 14th, 03, 4:05 PM
In general, the power steering pump doesn't know if you are steering right or left. So if your problem was only in right turns, the problem would be in the steering gear. However, you seem to relate that you have more problems than just right turn.

Are you sure that the belt to your power steering pump is tight?

However, when you say that the pulley wobbles in and out, this makes me think that you have a bad pump bushing or the pump shaft has become disconnected inside the pump.