2001 LS v8 power steering leak

[joegr]

Oh ok and I think I put it to the floor once or twice which shouldn't matter. Then I stopped at a friends and spun it around 2-3 times.

No, that shouldn't cause any damage. It may have just sped up a failure that was coming soon anyway.

Steering diagnostics: http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6xb0003.htm~gen~ref.htm

 

[amorgan2017]

Ok thanks, Joegr I have one on order since V6 is different. Should be here around Friday maybe Saturday. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks

 

[fabrizio]

Hi!

Today,I was trying to remove the power steering pump :Bang

I couldn't remove all Air conditioning compressor bolts,just 2 of them.

1 looks like a broken bolt and it had a nut and was overtighten,the othen one is overtighten bolt and it's not a 10mm bolt >_<.


As you can see there was a bad repair,look how the pressure line bracket it's not bolted .



This one looks good but it's stuck.



The broken bolt had a nut,maybe to cover the $hit done.


Any idea about how to remove them ?suggestions are welcome.

thank you!

 

[joegr]

Clamp on with good vice-grips, or maybe double nut them and remove via the inner nut? (Looks like there is probably not enough stud sticking out to do that though.)

I wonder how they managed to do that in the first place? Not a good sign for what else you may find...

 

[fabrizio]

Clamp on with good vice-grips, or maybe double nut them and remove via the inner nut? (Looks like there is probably not enough stud sticking out to do that though.)

I wonder how they managed to do that in the first place? Not a good sign for what else you may find...

thank you for reply!

I'll try with the vise-grips.

Yes, it's a pandora box. surprises everywhere, damm just because I really love the car.

thank you again,very helpful!

Best regards!

I didn't know the double nut method.
-->a video of how to do it

 

[fabrizio]

Hi!
Today we got the bolt removed and the stud had to be broken.
No way to get them out.

Best regards!

 

[fabrizio]

I received the power steering pump :wrench but I ordered the wrong one dammm:shifty: It has the pressure switch port on the back and mine does not come with it. :Bang



I'll use a m12x1.75 cap with a brass washer.

What else could I use to make it fully sealed ?




Best regards!

 

[fabrizio]

Hi !

Finally the power steering pump is installed.
NO oil leaks, the m12x1.75 cap works ok.

I proceed to bleed it but still making some noise.


Fill de oil reservoir.
With the front wheels in the air turn the steering wheel slowly lock to lock many times.
Check reservoir and ADD if needed (yes, it down a bit)
repeat lock to lock movement
turn the car on few senconds
repeat lock to lock
turn the car on and move lock to lock.

The noise is comming down but i can hear some kind of bubble pop up in the reservoir, is it normal ?

is it a bad bleed procedure?

Thank you!

Best regards!

 

[joegr]

Factory manual says to use a vacuum pump to get the air bubbles out when you fill it.
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6xb0004.htm~gen~ref.htm

Note this statement:
CAUTION: If the air is not purged from the power steering system correctly, premature power steering pump failure can result. The condition can occur on pre-delivery vehicles with evidence of aerated fluid or on vehicles that have had steering component repairs.

 

[fabrizio]

Factory manual says to use a vacuum pump to get the air bubbles out when you fill it.
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6xb0004.htm~gen~ref.htm

Note this statement:
CAUTION: If the air is not purged from the power steering system correctly, premature power steering pump failure can result. The condition can occur on pre-delivery vehicles with evidence of aerated fluid or on vehicles that have had steering component repairs.

joegr ,thank you!

I'll get the tool and feedback soon,maybe I could get the Mityvac.

best regards!

 

[oddball]

Just a word of caution, try to figure out how precisely the pressure switch works to make sure your mod is OK. My **assumption** is the non-switch pump is expected to run full pressure all the time, while the switch pump has an internal bypass that can lower pressure, typically when driving at speed. So you want to make sure the bypass is blocked so you get full pressure all the time. Otherwise you might get minimum (or less, if the pressure switch itself is critical in controlling bypass flow) pressure at all times, which will result in rather tough steering when moving slow (e.g., parking).

IOW, I'd really really recommend getting the correct pump.

If the bypass is running too much fluid, that will be noisy.

I've done more PS work than I care to remember, and noise tends to come down to leaks letting air get into the fluid, or cavitation in the pump (generally due to blockage in feed or output). I worry in this case it may be the cavitation due to the mod, and thus is now a "feature".
For a fully fresh system it can take 100+ miles for all the microbubbles to work out of the fluid. The vacuum process helps speed this along.

IMO, the premature failure warnings are a exaggerated, but YMMV. An active leak in the supply hose, or low level letting the pump suck air into the stream, WILL cause the pump to run dry which does cause wear. But the initial working out the bubbles? Not so much.

 

[joegr]

Just a word of caution, try to figure out how precisely the pressure switch works to make sure your mod is OK. My **assumption** is the non-switch pump is expected to run full pressure all the time, while the switch pump has an internal bypass that can lower pressure, typically when driving at speed. So you want to make sure the bypass is blocked so you get full pressure all the time. Otherwise you might get minimum (or less, if the pressure switch itself is critical in controlling bypass flow) pressure at all times, which will result in rather tough steering when moving slow (e.g., parking).

IOW, I'd really really recommend getting the correct pump.

If the bypass is running too much fluid, that will be noisy.

I've done more PS work than I care to remember, and noise tends to come down to leaks letting air get into the fluid, or cavitation in the pump (generally due to blockage in feed or output). I worry in this case it may be the cavitation due to the mod, and thus is now a "feature".
For a fully fresh system it can take 100+ miles for all the microbubbles to work out of the fluid. The vacuum process helps speed this along.

IMO, the premature failure warnings are a exaggerated, but YMMV. An active leak in the supply hose, or low level letting the pump suck air into the stream, WILL cause the pump to run dry which does cause wear. But the initial working out the bubbles? Not so much.

Nope. They both work the same way. There is a pressure switch either way as well. When it's not on the pump, it is in the middle of the high pressure hose. Either way, it has nothing to do with bypass (that's all in the rack). The switch tells the PCM that some extra load is being put on the engine, so it can react before engine RPM drops much.

 

[amorgan2017]

My pump came in today, plan on putting it on Saturday. Doesn't look real fun but shouldn't be bad. I haven't done many pumps but I thought they self bleed? I'm putting OEM on OEM. If not any easy ways to do it? Or do you have to absolutely use the vacuum?

 

[joegr]

Vacuum shouldn't be that hard. You should be able to make your own adapter and use a hand vacuum pump. Or, you may be able to rent a set of adapters from an auto store at no charge (just a deposit refunded when you return it).
Yes, power steering used to simpler and self purging.

 

[fabrizio]

I went to autozone and they don't sell them anymore.
Dammm it has been so frustrating.[emoji24]

 

[oddball]

Joe, really? I had it in my head that the v6's didn't have the adaptive steering control, and regulating the pump pressure was the method to make that work.

In any case, I'd take Joe's understanding before mine.

 

[joegr]

Joe, really? I had it in my head that the v6's didn't have the adaptive steering control, and regulating the pump pressure was the method to make that work.

In any case, I'd take Joe's understanding before mine.

I'll double check tonight, but I am pretty sure the V6s have the same FEM controlled variable boost control. I am also pretty sure that the pressure sensor location (pump or line) is not related to V6 or V8.

 

[fabrizio]

Hi!

Good news , The noise is gone and the car have good steering.

I couldn´t get the vacuum pump so I just make the lock to lock steering wheel movement,I was like 40min doing that and checking the reservoir level.

*It took almost a quarter "MERCON V"


I did like 50 lock to lock with the car raised and engine OFF,
then witch the car on like other 50 , I noted how the noise was coming down when doing lock to lock.


So with the pump it will be easier and of course it helps to check any leak.

I'll feedback soon!
It's nice to be on the road again xD , thank you! :wrench

https://youtu.be/6DiV1TZwDno
https://youtu.be/EsCdM7BBZew

 

[amorgan2017]

Alright cool, I like the idea of trying that first. No special tricks..just lift the car, fill reservoir and turn it 50 times back and forth with ignition off, then another 50 with the car on? I don't want to screw anything up, cautious approach haha.

 

[amorgan2017]

Oh and what's the filling level? I have 2 quarts of Mercon V, will it be enough to do the hole job?

 

[joegr]

Oh and what's the filling level? I have 2 quarts of Mercon V, will it be enough to do the hole job?

Well, it won't do the whole job if you have a hole in the system somewhere. Otherwise, that's probably enough.

 

[amorgan2017]

Not that I know of nothing leaks just that annoying sound. A hoist should be open Friday night so Saturday I'll find out. Plan on just changing the power steering pump and putting it back together, then fill fluid and use fabrizios idea.

 

[fabrizio]

Hi ,
thanks but it was not my idea , looks like a common procedure ,if it does not work you should go with the vacuum pump and it let you discard any leak.

Best regards![emoji594] [emoji111]

Thank you ,very helpful !

 

[amorgan2017]

Well, I just finally got around to putting the pump on and all I have to say is wow. Nothing about doing this is fun. I can't even imagine doing this without a hoist. Well anyways, I walked away for the day because I got very irritated and that always ends bad. Not sure how this is so easy for those that have done it. I got the 2 top steering pump bolts out, not bad not easy though. Got done to the A/C compressor pump bottom 2 bolts obviously easy. Top 2 little hard used a swivel and got them though. My trouble is it says take the 4 bolts and put the a/c pump aside? Where the hell do I move it?? I tried for over an hour to pull it down but it gets caught on that power steering line and I can't remember but I think tranny. Not a big enough gap to get it out. Probably different from GEN 1. 05 LS GEN II V8 is my type. Thanks for input..if anyone knows how to get around this so I can get the 2 bottom pump bolts and get it out.

 

[joegr]

It's pretty tight in there, and the AC lines will only let you move the compress so much. If you disconnect the AC lines (you don't want to do that if there is any way around it), the compressor certainly will come out. I suspect that they mean to only move it an inch or two to get to the pump bolts. You did unbolt the power steering line bracket in that area? I think there was also an additional (in addition to the ones the manual says to) bracket that I had to unbolt in that area when changing the AC compressor.