VS Ute Series 3 Power steering Pump

[BlackVXGTS]

Unfortunately, it was so long ago that I don't remember the details. The curse of a bad memory (and getting old!!!).

However, the PS pump on my wife's Clubsport is getting very noisy. I purchased a new pump, but I'm procrastinating about changing it until it gets really, really bad. At the moment it's just noisy but still works OK. Look forward to you giving me some tips after you have done the dirty deed (LOL).

 

[vs ute III]

Purchased a pump from Repco, a Kelpro brand, part no KPP104. Repco offered 2 pumps both with 2 year warranty. I selected the more expensive one thinking it may be of better quality. I probably should have got the cheaper one. Kelpro made in China.

I done a lot of searching to buy the flare nut spanners 16mm & 19mm, only to find that quality was very expensive and often could not be purchased separately but only available as a set and then the set may only have one of the sizes so you may have to buy 2 sets just to get 2 spanners. SCA advertised separate spanners but reviews revealed that they were crap and people had rounded off the nut. I think a lot of the cheaper one may be similar.

So decided to get my mechanic to do the swap over (why buy tools that I will only use once). He kept saying "I'm really busy, call me back in a couple of weeks". Then I had a medical issue so was out of action for a couple of weeks. I then decided to contact my nephew who is a mechanic to see if he had any flare nut spanners. Great he has them and says he will come and do it for me.

So yesterday he comes over and we do the swap out. It is a fiddly job and we took the pump out of the bracket. It would have been easier to take the bracket and pump out together as Immortality advised, but there was an electrical wire running between the pump and the bracket that looked to go to the AC compressor and we could not see any easy way to disconnect the wire (if someone knows how to easily disconnect this, please let me know). With new pump installed we flushed the old oil out of the system, bled the system, started the engine and the pump is whining LOUD.
We do the air bleed again and still whining. Go for a drive and steering is fine but the whining is still very loud.

So what next? Is there still some air in the system? If so, is there a trick to getting it out? I have a feeling that it is a faulty pump and not sure how happy Repco will be replacing it or refunding the money.
Plus I do not feel like replacing it with another faulty pump.
My old pump was not noisy, but was leaking. I am thinking that I may be better off getting my old pump reconditioned? The only thing is that having done 345K you would have to think that some of the components may be a bit worn.

Any thoughts?

Cheers.

 

[Immortality]

The wire going to the AC pump clutch has a spade type connector just above the pump IIRC.

You may still have air in the system, I find it easiest to jack up the front of the car so you can easily turn the steering lock to lock to bleed all the air out without loading up the system. If air gets into the system the fluid will aerate, if this happens you need to stop and let it settle before continuing.

 

[vs ute III]

I thought that it should be a spade type fitting but couldn't see it so didn't want to stuff something up.

Yes I am going to spend some time today bleeding it again. I will do it several times.

Also, the dipstick on the new pump has a rubber washer/skirt a bit above the hot full mark. I have never seen this before and the original does not have it. I am concerned that it could fall off and into the pump. Have you seen that before? Also, the variation between the hot and cold level on the new dipstick is only about 10 mm which is which doesn't allow much for expansion when hot. The original has a variation of 23mm. I was thinking of using the old dipstick but the are also different lengths.

Anyway, I will update this after the bleeding today.

 

[vs-lover]

Thanks BlackVXGTS, I had thought of that, and the cost is better, but for some time when on full lock the steering was shuddering a little, so maybe the pump is not up to spec. I watched a strip down of what looks like the same kind of pump (Saginaw) on YouTube and it looked straight forward to do.
However, I looked at it today and I think it's going to be bloody hard to get to and undo the nut that is holding the (I assume) high pressure pipe on the back of the pump. I have ABS and ABS lines in the way, just no way to get a spanner on it. I am sure it would be easy without ABS.

Does anyone know if it would be easier to leave that pipe on and disconnect it at the front of the pump bracket? You would have to then fit it up to the new pump before installing and hope that it all lines up?

Absolutely not a hope in hell. The high pressure line will require a fair amount of force to remove and as such it needs to be solidly mounted so you can achieve the result you require.

I used to recondition Power Steering Pumps and send them all over Australia but stopped due to dealing with too many idiots that just want to con you. If you are prepared to pack it and send it to me I'm happy to do the job for you and send it back to you.

Oh and I totally concur with Mort about using good flare spanners, as those nuts do round off easily if you use a loose fitting spanner. They are 5/8 AF from memory.

If rounded off then your only hope is to use a pair of vice grips that will clamp on very tightly, but this is the butchers method and only should be resorted to when all else fails or some butcher's been in there before and screwed it up.

 

[vs ute III]

Thanks for the offer VS-Lover. I would prefer to use the original but I will try the replacement first.

I jacked it up and done the bleed procedure several times this morning, nothing changed and no air bled out.
Took a run to Repco to let them hear it, they didn't want to see or hear it, just said " it's under warranty so we'll get a replacement in".
On the way home I dropped into another mechanic I know, with the motor running he felt the pump and said, "it's the pump".
So looks a replacement pump. I was hoping that it would be air as that's a lot easier that swapping the pump.

So as mentioned before the dipsticks vary between these pumps which is strange. Not only does the Kelpro brand have a skirt but the stick is a tad shorter. The hot level on the original is 38 mm down from the rubber seal under the cap and the cold level is 23mm below the hot level, but on the Kelpro the hot level is 39 mm down from the rubber cap seal but the cold level is only 10 mm below the hot level. So on the original the cold level is 61 mm from the cap seal and on the Kelpro it is only 49 mm below the cap seal, 12 mm higher up the stick. So the hot levels are basically the same but the cold levels aren't. Has anyone come across this before?

Just tried to attach a drawing and photo but seems that the file is too large. I will try to see how to reduce the file size.

 

[vs ute III]

Ok so Repco had the replacement pump in the next day. Took out the faulty pump and returned it and picked up the replacement.
Can't complain about Repco service.
Replacement pump fitted up and all sweet, no noise.
It is a PITA to do but is doable, just taking the pump off and leaving the bracket in place. Certainly helps to have the correct tools ( shorter than normal spanners and flare nut spanners).

Tip: Remove the battery. It gives you a lot more room to work in.

Thanks to everyone for their advise.

comparison of the 2 dipsticks.