Has anyone changed their power steering pump? I have a 97 f150 with the 4.6L, and I believe the power steering pump is going out. How hard would it be to put a new one on? Any help would be apprecitated.

 

Sure it's the pump?? How many miles are on it? When's the last time you changed all the fluid in the steering system? I change out my original fluid to Amsoil ATF at 50k, and will probably change it out every 60-75k or so from now on. Yes...it made a noticeable difference!

 

whatd you do just unhook everything and let it all drain out?? ive been wanting to do mine cuz its pretty nasty down in there

 

I get as much out with a turkey basted as possible, remove the serpentine so I can spin the pulley by hand to squeeze some out, and disconnect all lines, especially the ones going to the cooler and let them drain. That's about all you're gonna get out without some type of pump/flushing machine, but it's still the vast majority. Refill, run til warm, and recheck the level.

 

its a nasty job

 

It has around 105k on it. I've only had it for like 30k miles, so I've never changed all the fluid. It is making a really loud noise, so I'm pretty sure it's the pump. I don't think it would be the steering box, but I guess that is another possibility.

PS: It is not the average noise it usually makes either.

 

check the p/s fluid level. and changing the fluid definately helps. my old p/s pump was noisy. i went 1.5 years on my old pump and it was noisy as hell. i wouldnt worry about the pump being bad until you start to have some steering problems. thats just me though. i dont fix what isnt broke.

 

I would bet odds the fluid has never been replaced. It's worth a shot to change the fluid and see if that fixes all your problems.

 

If you have to remove the pump there are a few tricks to getting it back in.

First, I don't believe you can pull the bottom front bolt out of the pump without removing the high pressure line (there are four bolts total - I believe they have 10mm heads).

With that said, if you remove and/or replace the high pressure line (on the bottom of the pump), prior to reinstalling the hose, insert this bottom front bolt into the hole through the pump housing. This must be done prior to attaching the high pressure line otherwise the line blocks access to the bolt hole in the housing.

Be careful with the fitting (nut) that surrounds the high pressure line. It is easy to damage. If you put the pump in a vise (upside down), you can insert the bolt I referenced above, then install the high pressure line. If you're real careful you can use an adjustable wrench on the hose fitting. Most would recommend a flare wrench (I think it's 18MM) for this, but it's hard to rotate even the slightest bit due to the pulley interfering with the wrench travel.

Cover/protect the other end of the high pressure hose with tape or a cap to prevent dirt from getting into it. Also be sure to clean off the steering gear box before you uninstall the high pressure line (same reason - dirt).

 

If you remove the PS pump the there is one bolt that is a PITA( closest to the block and the pulley). Nice thing about it is that you don't need to put that 4th bolt back. Ford is using only 3 of the 4 bolts now.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I will probably start on this weekend.

 

If you can get the pulley off it'll be a crapload easier. As stated above, the bolt behind the high pressure line is the bitch of the bunch. Good luck!