When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
So I tried to remove the power steering pump pulley off my bone stock 92rs 305 parts car... I lubed it up the day before and put my puller on. It moved a little bit, then it decided to stop and rip half the lip off the pulley. Now what do I do? I need the pump and bracket for my 88 Camaro and Vortec engine. Would a 3 jaw puller get it? I don't know that I could slit the pulley without damaging the shaft, I fear I will be cutting through the shaft to get it off.
My 88 has a v belt power steering pump laying in it from the carb'd 350 that used to reside in the 2.8 engine bay before I bought it as a roller. If I took a picture could you guys tell me if it would work with the serpentine setup? I have had bad luck in the past with reman pumps, and would prefer to rebuild this myself.
Also I will definitely need a pulley. Should I buy one of these?
ACDELCO 12605677
or standard replacement:
DORMAN 300200
No additional info on that Delco one. Anyone use either?
Sorry if this is a mess to read. Thanks if you have made it this far and can help me.
The pumps are all the same, V belt, serpentine, V6. The brackets and the pulley can be different.
Some of the pullers are pure garbage. The Harbor Freight puller for example is poorly cast. They can also be assembled on the pulley backwards, which will let them slip off or damage the pulling ring.
I'd probably try a different puller, or heat up the pulley, or cut the pulley and split it off the shaft with a cold chisel.
All else fails, grab another pump and try again, if your puller starts to slip again, stop and figure out why before destroying another pulley.
Your gonna need a specific Power Steering Pump Pully Remover. My Harbor Freight one works, but it is tricky to get it to work, correctly. Some Auto Parts Stores lend tools, check yours.
The pumps are all the same, V belt, serpentine, V6. The brackets and the pulley can be different.
Some of the pullers are pure garbage. The Harbor Freight puller for example is poorly cast. They can also be assembled on the pulley backwards, which will let them slip off or damage the pulling ring.
I'd probably try a different puller, or heat up the pulley, or cut the pulley and split it off the shaft with a cold chisel.
All else fails, grab another pump and try again, if your puller starts to slip again, stop and figure out why before destroying another pulley.
Yeah this is the Harbor Freight one, but I have used it many times over the years on my other vehicles without any trouble. Honestly it didn't slip, and the jaws were on the correct way. I should share what actually happened so someone else doesn't do what I did in the future...
I wrapped electrical tape around the jaws to hold them tighter to the pulley inside the sleeve. It was pulling off, then it got really difficult and I put excessive force on it, and then it started getting a little sideways, so I removed the tool and saw the damage. I'm not going to say that I didn't do anything wrong, it showed signs of rust on the shaft prior to this and I did the whole spray penetrating oil on it the day before song and dance that never works for me. I know now I should have heated that pulley when it got that difficult, but was reluctant to do that because I wasn't sure if all that heat might damage the pump.
The pulley is too damaged to use another power steering pulley puller on it. I think I'll try a 3 jaw first and heat. If it gets down to that, how should I cut and cold chisel it off? It's still in the car. I'm thinking cut a large section of the pulley out, grind it down really thin near the shaft and hit it. Is this how I should do it, or will this damage the pump?
Wizz-wheel the bulk of the pulley off; cut a slot in the hub the same way; support the shaft & hub, NOT the pump body, and use a cold chisel to split what remains if the hub, if it's still stuck.
For the future, I always find it effective to tighten up a puller tool, of whatever sort, as tight as I feel comfortable with; and tap - NOT beat - on the parts with a hammer. The acoustic shock and vibration while under tension almost always breaks things loose.
For that matter, PS pumps are CHEEEEEEP. I'm not sure why you're leery of rebuilt ones; they're probably more thoroughly processed than anything you or I could do. The only "bad luck" I've ever had with one was when there was something else wrong with the system that I didn't notice and fix at the same time, like a leaking return line or a warped reservoir letting air in and making it whine. I think if you've ever taken one apart it's pretty obvious that it's almost impossible to screw it up. You'd probably be better off to just replace the whole thing and let it be somebody else's problem. You can always keep your old relief valve if you want, so that the "feel" and effort remain the same.
It's not exactly convenient, but IIRC, it's possible to disassemble the pump, and pull the shaft out the front of the pump, pulley and all. With it free from the pump it'd be easier to deal with, and pulling out the front a person could leave the main bushing alone.
The rebuild kit is dirt cheap, fairly easy to install, and the pumps are falling off a log easy to find... If that pump is toast, throw it away and grab another one.
The pumps are all the same, V belt, serpentine, V6. The brackets and the pulley can be different..
I recently did a serp conversion and could not use the V belt pump because it was not clocked enough to clear the serp brackets, but I used a serp system for a 1989 S10, they may be different from in this respect to stock thirdgen brackets. There were other differences, like no smog pump.
Originally Posted by Drew
It's not exactly convenient, but IIRC, it's possible to disassemble the pump, and pull the shaft out the front of the pump, pulley and all. .
Yes. that can be done but pulling the rotor system off the shaft inside the pump body can be a pain.
I recently did a serp conversion and could not use the V belt pump because it was not clocked enough to clear the serp brackets, but I used a serp system for a 1989 S10, they may be different from in this respect to stock thirdgen brackets. There were other differences, like no smog pump.
The clock position is in the reservoir, not the pump. Assuming his reservoir is ok, it'd swap over same as the pulley.
I've yet to rent any of the loaner tools that wasn't virtually destroyed by a previous renter. The best experience was getting the pilot bearing puller from every Advance Auto in a 50 mile radius because they were all bent, broken, and wouldn't work. Ended up ramming another tool in the bearing so the jaws couldn't pull out and beat the living beegeezus out of it with a 7/8" wrench until the bearing popped out.
Some great info here guys, thanks! It sounds like I have 2 tries at rebuilding a pump, haha! I didn't know if there was a difference, and thought total destruction was going to be the way with the 92, where I wouldn't be able to compare them. I'm not down with the short/long water pump v belt knowledge and if that had any effect on the pump, since I never saw my 88 with the sbc the p.o. had in it.
Sofa, I bought 2 ACDelco pumps for my 97 Dakota a few years back to replace one that was leaking. I figured I'd try one of these because the other option was Cardone and their reputation is bad. The first one I installed leaked worse than the one I replaced. I had to purchase a second one through Rock Auto and return the first one. The second one I installed gave me manual steering. The flow control valve wasn't inside of it. I still had the first one, so I took apart pump #1, found that they had installed the seal incorrectly on the reservoir and pinched it, then pulled the reservoir and seal from #2 and put it on pump #1 and sent all that bs back to Rock Auto. I think these were likely Cardone pumps slapped in an ACDelco box. Ever since then, I try to avoid reman parts as much as possible. If I am forced to buy something reman, I take it apart. Fortunately I have a friend I can trust that does alternators and starters.
Oh and Mikeceli, I did use the right tool. The damage that happened to my pulley made it no longer possible for me to use the right tool. Here's a picture of the pulley, now removed.
Here's the split
I ended up using one of my really shoddy HF 3 jaw pullers which I coated the trash threads with ARP moly to an 11mm impact socket against the pump shaft inside the pulley, swear words, map torch, penetrating oil, and a pry bar behind it time to time to keep it pulling straight. I found that using a large crescent wrench on arms of the 3 jaw puller hold it in place while I worked the 18mm wrench. I am very happy that this worked.
I've yet to rent any of the loaner tools that wasn't virtually destroyed by a previous renter. The best experience was getting the pilot bearing puller from every Advance Auto in a 50 mile radius because they were all bent, broken, and wouldn't work. Ended up ramming another tool in the bearing so the jaws couldn't pull out and beat the living beegeezus out of it with a 7/8" wrench until the bearing popped out.
Next time obtain a solid shaft the diameter of the trans input shaft. Pack the pilot bearing and cavity with grease. Insert the shaft and strike it with a hammer. The hydraulic pressure will usually push the pilot bearing out.
That could have worked. At the time I had a limited selection of hand tools available in my buddy's garage. Working in my shop it wouldn't have been a problem.