My girlfriends L03(junk) powered '95 chevy 1500.
Power steering pump started screaming a few weeks ago. I changed it(what is up with L03 bracketry?!) and the new on did the same thing from start up on. I ran it for two weeks, then changed it AGAIN tonight. It still cries like the little baby that it is. Why is this thing making so much noise??? Grrrrr!!

I bled it by jacking up the front of the truck before I started it, then with a full reservoir, I started it, then turned the steering wheel back and forth all the way from one side to the other about 5 or 6 full cycles. Doing this this did not quiet it at all, and only used 1/4 cup of fluid at most.
This sucks. It makes WAY more noise than any other part of the motor, even the "American Thunder" Flowmaster exhuast. It's driving me f*%#ing nuts, and the worst part is that I can't even isolate each accessory b/c it is serpentine (obviously). Any idea's anyone? Oh, one other thing; the groaning doesn't get any louder when you turn the wheel and put a load on the pump.

What position is the belt tensioner supposed to be in? I noticed that there are two arrows on the bracket that look like they are supposed to line up with two pairs of marks. Is this where the tensioner is supposed to be when the belt is installed? It seems like the belt is too tight, but I don't see why this would cause it to START making noise about a month ago -the belt didn't suddenly get tighter at that time! BTW the belt is about 6 months and 5000 mi old.

 

Anyone?

 

What kind of pump are you using? The cheasy ones from your local Auto Parts store are not adequate.

With the belt off, you should be able to spin the serpintine tensioner pulley and if it sounds like a roller skate, then it's bad. If you replace it, get the whole assy with the spring, not just the pulley.

Bracketry on Chevy trucks...typically, the bracket will break on the back side around the exhaust manifold area and the pump itself will actually come away and causes the belt to shift and it won't be parallel. Check and make sure that's not a problem. Spin everything you can when you have the belts off. Do you have a stethascope so you can pin point where the noise is coming from? If you don't have one, use a rubber tube.

Other than that, normally a new power steering pump will whine for 24-48 hours as the tiny air bubbles are weeded out.

Hope that helps you out a bit.


[This message has been edited by 82Zee28 (edited April 15, 2001).]

 

Thank you for a good response.

The brackets are all in good shape, and not cracked and the pullies are properly aligned. It IS a cheasy auto parts store unit, but this is the second one, and the third pump for the truck. I don't have a stethescope, but I tried using a long extension. The problem is that the sopund travels through the untire power train! Yesterday I was in the truck and I opened the passengers side door to get out and it sounded like the noise was emenating from the exhaust system! But it is definately the accessory drive because if I remove the belt completely, the engine purrs like a kitten. I spun the power streering pump with the belt off with my Snap-On cordless impact (very quit when not hammering) and the pump made very little noise. The noise it made sounds just like the noise I'm complaining about, but MUCH more quiet. I don't think it is the power steering pump, but it sure sounds like one.

I will re-check the idler and tensioner pullies for the "roller skate" feel.

 

Take a piece of heater hose and stick it in your ear, and use the other end to locate the source of the noise.

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

82zee, and RB,
Thanks for the rubber hose tip. When I was a kid my dad tought me to use a screw driver or extesion etc. I tried that this time and it just seemed like the noise was everywhere. I couldn't pin it down. So I pulled the truck in last night and half heartedly tried the hose method that you guy's talked about. It works GREAT. I followed the noise tright to......the REAR alternator bearing! Replaced the alternator, and it purrs like a kitten! But MAN. It sure did sound just like a power steering pump. Thanks guys.