This thread is really more about a fix than a problem. I hope it might help out someone in the future with a similar problem.
My power steering pump steering pump started whining all of a sudden. It started making noise for just a few seconds when you first started the car. In a matter of 3 days the whine did not go away and the steering started to bind. I have changed out all my fluids in the last year but I neglected the PS. That was a mistake. I did some searching on SM and the and found a few threads about flushing out the PS system and cleaning out the PS reservoir tank. The TSRM has a section on flushing out the PS system as well. One important note that the TSRM fails to mention is the screen inside the PS reservoir. If you try and flush the system without cleaning the screen in the reservoir tank you are wasting your time. Some punch a hole in the screen but that would be a huge mistake. My reservoir was caked full of crud and flakes of some kind. The fluid itself looked like mud. My PS cap goes on tight and the rubber gasket looks good but 20 years of heat and use broke down the ATF fluid.
Your going to need two cans of brake cleaner, a 4ft length of 3/8 ID. clear tubing and a connector to connect your tubing to your low pressure return line, 4 or 5 quarts of ATF III fluid, Rags, 1 gal milk jug, & a funnel.
Remove your air box and accordion hose. Get some rags and place them under the reservoir because its going to get messy. If you have a gear lube pump use it to empty out your reservoir. Unbolt the reservoir, disconnect the high and low lines and remove the reservoir from the car. Take a full can of brake cleaner and back flush, fill, spray, soak, shake, whatever it takes to clean out the screen and all the muddy, flaky, crud on the inside of the reservoir. I used the eraser end of a pencil to rub on the screen to break up the crud. Be careful not to break the screen. If you break the screen you have to use a filter. I used a whole can and a half of brake cleaner and it probably took me an hour just to get it clean. If you don't get the inside of the reservoir and screen clean you are wasting your time. While you let your reservoir dry out this is a good time to replace the 90deg. coolant hose in the front and the two small coolant lines that go too and from the turbo as well. This is a big time saver and peace of mind. There is easy access to the 90deg hose without the reservoir in place. Replace the reservoir and attach the high pressure hose. Replace your accordian hose and air box. Hook your 4ft length of hose to the low pressure side (return line) and the other end into the 1 gal milk jug. Fill the PS reservoir with ATF fluid. Find a friend and get ready to start the engine and make sure they can hear you. You have to pour fast or you will suck air into the system. Your pump will whine and the fluid will foam if you do get air. If your pump isn't fubar you will be surprised at how fast a quart of ATF goes in and out of the system. Turn the wheels full left and right while pouring the AFT in. You probably will have to start and stop the engine a few times. You know the system is clean because the fluid is now red. Reconnect the low pressure line to the reservoir and fill it up. Hopefully the whine is gone now and observe the fluid in the reservoir swirling around. Before I cleaned the screen the fluid just sat in the tank and barely moved.
Word to the wise. Flush your PS system and clean the screen if you have never done it before, regardless of a noise or not. A new Toyo PS pump from Champion quotes @ $285.00 plus shipping. Napa rebuilt Cardone PS pump $139.00
Five quarts of ATF and 4ft section of clear hose, $25.00....Priceless
Comments and corrections graciously accepted.
My power steering pump steering pump started whining all of a sudden. It started making noise for just a few seconds when you first started the car. In a matter of 3 days the whine did not go away and the steering started to bind. I have changed out all my fluids in the last year but I neglected the PS. That was a mistake. I did some searching on SM and the and found a few threads about flushing out the PS system and cleaning out the PS reservoir tank. The TSRM has a section on flushing out the PS system as well. One important note that the TSRM fails to mention is the screen inside the PS reservoir. If you try and flush the system without cleaning the screen in the reservoir tank you are wasting your time. Some punch a hole in the screen but that would be a huge mistake. My reservoir was caked full of crud and flakes of some kind. The fluid itself looked like mud. My PS cap goes on tight and the rubber gasket looks good but 20 years of heat and use broke down the ATF fluid.
Your going to need two cans of brake cleaner, a 4ft length of 3/8 ID. clear tubing and a connector to connect your tubing to your low pressure return line, 4 or 5 quarts of ATF III fluid, Rags, 1 gal milk jug, & a funnel.
Remove your air box and accordion hose. Get some rags and place them under the reservoir because its going to get messy. If you have a gear lube pump use it to empty out your reservoir. Unbolt the reservoir, disconnect the high and low lines and remove the reservoir from the car. Take a full can of brake cleaner and back flush, fill, spray, soak, shake, whatever it takes to clean out the screen and all the muddy, flaky, crud on the inside of the reservoir. I used the eraser end of a pencil to rub on the screen to break up the crud. Be careful not to break the screen. If you break the screen you have to use a filter. I used a whole can and a half of brake cleaner and it probably took me an hour just to get it clean. If you don't get the inside of the reservoir and screen clean you are wasting your time. While you let your reservoir dry out this is a good time to replace the 90deg. coolant hose in the front and the two small coolant lines that go too and from the turbo as well. This is a big time saver and peace of mind. There is easy access to the 90deg hose without the reservoir in place. Replace the reservoir and attach the high pressure hose. Replace your accordian hose and air box. Hook your 4ft length of hose to the low pressure side (return line) and the other end into the 1 gal milk jug. Fill the PS reservoir with ATF fluid. Find a friend and get ready to start the engine and make sure they can hear you. You have to pour fast or you will suck air into the system. Your pump will whine and the fluid will foam if you do get air. If your pump isn't fubar you will be surprised at how fast a quart of ATF goes in and out of the system. Turn the wheels full left and right while pouring the AFT in. You probably will have to start and stop the engine a few times. You know the system is clean because the fluid is now red. Reconnect the low pressure line to the reservoir and fill it up. Hopefully the whine is gone now and observe the fluid in the reservoir swirling around. Before I cleaned the screen the fluid just sat in the tank and barely moved.
Word to the wise. Flush your PS system and clean the screen if you have never done it before, regardless of a noise or not. A new Toyo PS pump from Champion quotes @ $285.00 plus shipping. Napa rebuilt Cardone PS pump $139.00
Five quarts of ATF and 4ft section of clear hose, $25.00....Priceless
Comments and corrections graciously accepted.
