Insane! Power Steering

[red_dirt_okie]

I have a 1987 fj60. I purchased a rebuild power steering pump from Oreilly's because the old one leaked and squealed when it was cold. I put the rebuilt pump on and bled the system using the manual and every other method I could find in the forum. The goofy thing still acts like it has air in the system. After reading the multitude of problems people have had with the land cruiser's power steering I thought perhaps I had gotten a bad rebuild. So I returned it and put on another rebuilt pump. I made sure the screen was clean and used ATF fluid. I bled the system with the tires off the ground, first with the engine off. I captured the oil from the return line until there was no air bubbles. I reattached the return line after bleeding the entire system then started the engine and turned the wheels at least 30 times from bump stop to bump stop... It still wines but does get better when warmed up. It is really this hard to bleed the steering or is there something else going on. Another thing is that the pully seems overly large. I can not get the belt off without removing the pully from the pump. I wouldn't think this would cause a problem though. INSANE, I have replaced the tranny in less time then I have screwed with the ps....

rdo

 

[Landpimp]

my guess is its the belt or belt adjustment, that pretty much been the case in every whining PS pump I have had......bad or out of adjustment belt

sure your loosing all the adjusters when trying to get the belt on/off?

 

[cruiser88]

I think Cruiserdrew has a writeup on how to bleed power steering

 

[lehiguy]

I have never had any trouble with bleeding power steering. I have had trouble with rebuilt Toyota pumps. Maybe this isn't what you want to hear, but Saginaw is probably the way to go. If your pulley is too big, that will reduce the pump's effectivness. A smaller pulley, if there is one, will increase its effectivness, but I think you might find out, as did I, that once that pump dies, it's just never the same no matter who rebuilds it. It seems, and this is just an observation, that a "rebuild" is no more than new seals and O rings. While that may cure the leaks, it still has poor tolerances inside that make it weak and noisey.

 

[jvazquez53]

It took me about a week to get all the air out, mine was a Saginaw pump. After the air was out, it worked great.

 

[Elbert]

bleeding PS is not that big of a deal. Put front of truck on jack stands. Fill PS resivor full. Start engine, slowly turn steering wheel full rotation to the left and then back to the right, with tires off the ground. Continue to do so (for a while). Monitor PS fluid level. Continue to cycle the steering. Make sure PS belt is tight. Continue to cycle steering until the air foaming stops, and the noises stop. Remove jack stands...check fluid, go drive.

 

[rchalmers3]

Red dirt,

If you have been thrashing on this thing continuously, then take a breather. I say that out of experience. Sometimes it takes a few days of starting the motor, letting it run for a few minutes than shutting it off for some hours.

I think the noise is foamed oil. It can take days for the microscopic bubbles to purge. They actually disperse faster when the system is not running and whipping them around. However you do want to start the motor periodically to move the gathered air pockets out and up to the tank.

Hope this helps!

Rick

 

[kling-on]

both of mine took a few days to get all the bubbles out ... just drive it and see what happens

 

[red_dirt_okie]

getting better

Yep, it is slowly getting better. Thanks

 

[Elbert]

if you bleed the P/S as I suggest it will get "better" in about an hour or so. Various MFG's describe the same process I summarized in their shop manuals, including GM, Honda, Toyota and most likely the rest.

 

[red_dirt_okie]

tried it

Jacking the front up and turning the wheel was the first thing I tried. I might have been turning the wheel too fast though. Thanks for the input, you guys are really a big help. Seriously though, there should be some sort of award. I have been reading the forum for a while and I can't even begin to guess how many people you fellas have pulled from the brink of insanity. Maybe your just saving the cruisers but I know the owners appreciate it as well.

rdo