Power steering pump: flush or replace?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

VIKING_MECHANIC

GMT 400 obsessed Swede.
Joined
Jul 12, 2020
Messages
853
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Arkansas
On my 97 K1500, "oreo", the steering gets incredibly stiff at low speeds when I'm trying to turn, like pulling into a parking space.

Before I bought it, the truck had a whine from the pump, I checked it and had no fluid in the reservoir. The guy put some in there and the noise went away. Below ~5 MPH it's hard to turn the wheel.

So should I flush the system or just replace the pump?
 

PlayingWithTBI

2022 Truck of the Year
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
9,552
Reaction score
14,678
Location
Tonopah, AZ
If it was run dry, it's probably bypassing internally causing loss of pressure and volume. IMO, time to replace and flush.
 

10mm Nut

OBS Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
80
Reaction score
226
Location
DFW Texas
Never replace a power steering pump until you're forced to do so. Rebuilt pumps that you can get at the parts store are mostly junk. My local OReillys has a 40% return rate on those damn Cardone pumps that everyone sells.

I'd fix any leaks and flush it and fill it with fresh fluid before I condemned it.
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,617
Reaction score
15,245
I had a pump that did this. It was an Advance reman and was full of clean fluid. I replaced it with a 140,000 mile virgin GM pump. Were that not an option I happened to have on hand I'd go with a Redhead/Bluetop or T1 rebuild.
 

VIKING_MECHANIC

GMT 400 obsessed Swede.
Joined
Jul 12, 2020
Messages
853
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Arkansas
If it was run dry, it's probably bypassing internally causing loss of pressure and volume. IMO, time to replace and flush.
That's what I'm thinking. I've expired a pump that failed and had to drive the truck home. Don't want to do that again!
 

VIKING_MECHANIC

GMT 400 obsessed Swede.
Joined
Jul 12, 2020
Messages
853
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Arkansas
Never replace a power steering pump until you're forced to do so. Rebuilt pumps that you can get at the parts store are mostly junk. My local OReillys has a 40% return rate on those damn Cardone pumps that everyone sells.

I'd fix any leaks and flush it and fill it with fresh fluid before I condemned it.
I don't know, quality with a grain of salt. I bought a reman unit years ago and never changed it out till my pump failed on my green K1500 in a parking lot. It's been on that truck for about a year and no problems so far.

Just with any reman part, there's always a 50/50 chance if it works or not.
 

VIKING_MECHANIC

GMT 400 obsessed Swede.
Joined
Jul 12, 2020
Messages
853
Reaction score
1,755
Location
Arkansas
I had a pump that did this. It was an Advance reman and was full of clean fluid. I replaced it with a 140,000 mile virgin GM pump. Were that not an option I happened to have on hand I'd go with a Redhead/Bluetop or T1 rebuild.
I looked at those and they are WAY out of my budget. A new factory one is about $170 and I don't even want to spend that much. I'll probably just rob the pump off my 4.3 K1500 since I don't really have a transmission for it...
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,617
Reaction score
15,245
I looked at those and they are WAY out of my budget. A new factory one is about $170 and I don't even want to spend that much. I'll probably just rob the pump off my 4.3 K1500 since I don't really have a transmission for it...

If it's a good pump then go for it. The parts store crap isn't worth it.
 

geeeee89

I'm Awesome
Joined
Aug 4, 2017
Messages
295
Reaction score
402
Location
no
I can attest to parts store pumps not being worth a ****. The only consistent problem I've had with my truck is power steering. I thought I finally had it fixed for good, was on vacation in eastern Tennessee a couple weeks ago and went to turn and heard whining, looked in the rear view and saw a huge splotch of fluid on the road. Turns out the pressure line at the back of the pump was loose, so that was an easy fix and I only drove it about 100 feet without fluid. I always carry a parts bin for long trips and I have both steering lines, a new pump, and a p/s pump pulley puller that I bring with me
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
Messages
28
Reaction score
21
Location
NC
I had 3 parts store PS pumps that were junk. 2 from Autozone, one from NAPA. All the same problem. The check valve at the back of the pump inside the line fitting was machined wrong and jammed open. This was a '93 C2500 6.5 diesel. The front seal was leaking on the original pump and I rented the pulley removal kit, changed the seal. Still working fine and that was 5 yrs. ago. I think all the parts store reman. PS pumps come from the same place. The guys that work there can crossthread a mayonnaise jar.
 
Top