Tools for Replacing Power Steering Pump

[Dberglind]

I think my wife's 05 Chevy Uplander needs a new Power Steering Pump, so it is time for me to acquire the right tools for the job.

Looks like I will need a Pulley remover/installer. Is this one a worthy investment: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915281000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&kispla=00915281000P&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=31-67207218-2

Other than the basics I already have, any other tools you think I should have? What else do I need to know? Seems fairly straight forward as far as I can tell.

Thanks

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

I've got a similar puller/installer to that; only thing I'd note is the two-piece collar in my set needed just a bit of grinding to fit properly.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I think my wife's 05 Chevy Uplander needs a new Power Steering Pump, ...

Why ?

Pumps don't fail often. The most common failure is the high pressure hose.

 

[mayday0017]

Personally unless a special tool such as this is something you will find yourself using very often if it is something such as this one that Autozone or any other parts store will let you borrow for free I would do that. I have used their loaner tools many many times and been glad when I messed up a tool that it was their tool I messed up and not my own.... Just my 2 cents though

 

[allinon72]

Personally unless a special tool such as this is something you will find yourself using very often if it is something such as this one that Autozone or any other parts store will let you borrow for free I would do that. I have used their loaner tools many many times and been glad when I messed up a tool that it was their tool I messed up and not my own.... Just my 2 cents though

Yep, for a tool set like this I just rent it. It worked very well on my f150.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Renting as opposed to utilizing an opportunity to buy another tool!?!?....BLASPHEMY!

Who let their wives on here?!

 

[honcho]

While I love to acquire new tools, buying a pulley puller for a very infrequent home job doesn't pass the economic sense test for me. Especially so when the big chain parts stores lend them out for free.

That said, I'd still pick one up if I found one at the right price at a yard sale / flea market or part of a groups of tools.

Also, if I remember correctly, for some pumps, you can purchase with the pulley attached (of course, for a premium price) but it is convenient.

Finally, the Lisle set will do the job, as will a Harbor Freight set for about half the price of the Lisle set at Sears.

Good luck whatever route you take. Make sure you make note of the procedures for bleeding the system.

 

[Cobra4B]

For random one-time-use things I always borrow from Advanced or Auto Zone. Whenever I do a crank pulley I go borrow the 3-arm puller and 200+ ft/lbs torque wrench.

 

[pattenp]

Buy a one or two time use one from Harborfreight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/pulley-remover-and-installer-set-40749.html

 

[wafrederick]

Before confirming it is the power steering pump,pour in some power steering fluid and have someone turn the steering wheel one way completely.Look for the leak,it may be a hose,the rack and pinion.

 

[signcrafter]

Also, if I remember correctly, for some pumps, you can purchase with the pulley attached (of course, for a premium price) but it is convenient.

Most pumps you have to remove the pulley in order to get to the bolts to remove the pump.

Personally I would use this as an excuse to get a new tool. My theory or economic test is if I can buy the parts and tools for less then a shop can do it then in my opinion I'm coming out ahead because I get to keep the tools. Then the next time I need them I have them. Also don't have to make a special trip to parts store to rent the tools if you order your parts online. And if you are working late at night you don't have to stop because you don't have the right tools.

I've used my pulley puller a lot, there are times when the pump needs to be removed or set out of the way to do another repair. So my 30 dollar or so set has paid for itself. I say buy it if you work on your own cars.

 

[ken w.]

If I have to borrow a tool more than 2 times I will buy one.

 

[NHBandit]

The only thing I have to add is that prior to using the tool to reinstall the pulley onto the new pump run a tap through the threads in the end of the shaft. They are usually very rusty and this will help thread the tool into the shaft. Some pullers don't use the threaded hole for removal, just for install. Some do and if that's the case, clean out the threaded hole in the old pump prior to using it as well.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I bought this kit at Autozone when I replaced my PS pump (Hydroboost install), and it worked great (wish it came in a case when I bought mine).
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014WH9SY/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I've still only used it that once. So yeah, it might be worth just renting for free.

 

[DirtRoad]

I bought this kit at Autozone when I replaced my PS pump (Hydroboost install), and it worked great (wish it came in a case when I bought mine).
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014WH9SY/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I've still only used it that once. So yeah, it might be worth just renting for free.

Ditto!

I checked HF first to see if they had one but nothing came up so i bought the one from autozone, came with no case. Wasnt happy about that.

Now im even more upset, according to this thread HF does have one AND it comes in a case.

Ive been meaning to see if i can get a case for it.

 

[CWP1616L]

That power steering puller linked to Sears is only $44.04 -- That's cheap compared to some of the Kent-Moore tools I've had to buy.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Buy a one or two time use one from Harborfreight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/pulley-remover-and-installer-set-40749.html

I own one of those, actually.

Thankfully I know how to use it correctly and have used it a dozen times or more.

That's not to say I haven't broken an installation stud from one of them 15 years ago. But I think we're beyond that.


Tip for the renters: If you get a rental that's boogered up with abused threads, sometimes going in and renting them out of that tool until they have to pull a new one off the shelf works wonders.

 

[crewchief888]

only thing you may need is a flare nut wrench to break the lines loose on the pump.

most of the stuff i work on is old, rusted and has been covered in mud for decades (or so it seems)

under $50 for a PS remover/installer set seems cheap to me, even for a one time use.

i picked up a remover and installer from pepboys over 12 years ago, used it when the PS pump shaft snapped on my '78 bronco.....
havent used it since.
but i know i'm gonna have to change the ps pump on my s-10 blazer, it's leaking fluid out faster than i can put it in...

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Ive been meaning to see if i can get a case for it.

Let me know if you find where to get one, mine is still rolling around in the tattered cardboard and plastic packaging!

 

[egnorant]

I never thought about it until I needed one. Then I bought one for near $30 and used it quite a bit. Brother, friends and folks from work sometimes borrow it so it helps on the social front too.

That being said I did find a better set at a swap meet for $10...talked him down to $10 and got a crowbar and 3 haynes manuals. Never thought I would use the Jaguar book until a friend bought one to put the front suspension under his 1958 truck!
Now I just need a Mustang II so I can use one of the other books!

Bruce

 

[Cobra4B]

only thing you may need is a flare nut wrench to break the lines loose on the pump.

Yeah some good flare wrenches are key... rounding fittings is no bueno.

 

[crewchief888]

rounding fittings is no bueno.

i hate when that happens.

or worse yet the fitting comes loose, but is rusted to the tube, and you twist the tube into a pretzel.

last time i was at a pick-n-pull yard looking for a steering box, the 1st one i found someone had already pulled the drag link and column,
the steering box i needed had 2 brand new hoses on it, i shoulda pulled the pump while i was there, it was the exact one i now need.

 

[setfocus]

sorry for digging up an old thread here

I've only needed remover/installer's a hand full of times for GM express vans, a 4L jeep wrangler. Borrowed a coworkers snapon tools, they worked great

I was transferred to a different shop. We don't get many work vans, no truck hoist and low ceilings.

I had a 3400 powered rendezvous that needed a PS pump, again had to borrow the tools from coworker, he had a Mac kit that looks like the OTC, OEM kits

Remover worked fine, the installer was a POS, would unthread from the PS shaft, had to jam up the pulley from turning, also felt like it was going to snap at any moment

How many vehicles are still out there that require pulley remover/installer for a PS pump or alternator?

$355 is a lot to spend for the snapon kit (CJ3PSA), on something that gets infrequent use. I was thinking about getting the OTC kit (#4530) for the removal tools and their #7005 installer that looks more like the snapon design. Should I get the snapon installer only? CJ113B or CJ122 for $128 and $182

any thoughts?

 

[signcrafter]

sorry for digging up an old thread here

I've only needed remover/installer's a hand full of times for GM express vans, a 4L jeep wrangler. Borrowed a coworkers snapon tools, they worked great

I was transferred to a different shop. We don't get many work vans, no truck hoist and low ceilings.

I had a 3400 powered rendezvous that needed a PS pump, again had to borrow the tools from coworker, he had a Mac kit that looks like the OTC, OEM kits

Remover worked fine, the installer was a POS, would unthread from the PS shaft, had to jam up the pulley from turning, also felt like it was going to snap at any moment

How many vehicles are still out there that require pulley remover/installer for a PS pump or alternator?

$355 is a lot to spend for the snapon kit (CJ3PSA), on something that gets infrequent use. I was thinking about getting the OTC kit (#4530) for the removal tools and their #7005 installer that looks more like the snapon design. Should I get the snapon installer only? CJ113B or CJ122 for $128 and $182

any thoughts?

It all depends on what you're working on. The snap on ones are great, where they will fit. I can't remember the vehicle but I did one a while back that the snap on one was too big to fit between the pulley and the fender. And had to pull the pulley to get to the bolts of the pump. My snap on one is the CJ117. I used my lisle pulley puller to get the pulley off, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XEX00A/?tag=atomicindus08-20. I just looked and the snap on is about an inch longer then my lisle and that made the difference. I usually grab my snap on puller to get them off when I can but have the lisle kit for re installing the pulley. Comes with a handful of different threaded rods for different pumps. Hasn't let me down yet and is only 45 bucks.

 

[Wamsutta]

any thoughts?

My thoughts are to find out what the service manual tool is and then compare all the other possible tools to it.

 

[setfocus]

It all depends on what you're working on. The snap on ones are great, where they will fit. I can't remember the vehicle but I did one a while back that the snap on one was too big to fit between the pulley and the fender. And had to pull the pulley to get to the bolts of the pump. My snap on one is the CJ117. I used my lisle pulley puller to get the pulley off, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XEX00A/?tag=atomicindus08-20. I just looked and the snap on is about an inch longer then my lisle and that made the difference. I usually grab my snap on puller to get them off when I can but have the lisle kit for re installing the pulley. Comes with a handful of different threaded rods for different pumps. Hasn't let me down yet and is only 45 bucks.

The rendezvous pump was close quarters but the pulley had holes in it that lined up to the bolts to fish a socket through. I did need the adapter with the long pin on the end for removal

Does the installer part of the lisle kit smoothly press the pulley back on?

Like said earlier, the Mac installer (that looks exactly like the OTC installer from the OTC kit) was horrible. When the stud was held in place to turn the nut, it would unthread from the pump shaft, so then I tried holding the pulley from spinning with my hand but then the torque needed to turn the nut was so high I couldn't hold it by hand and had to stick a screw driver through it to jam it up, which did minor damage to a brand new pulley, and I was just waiting for it to snap off with each turn of the wrench. I think the bearing in the installer was a POS.

With the snapon installer I could hold the stud with a wrench or ratchet and turn the nut, tool wouldn't unthread and pulley would go on like butter

 

[2oolhound]

When my Jimmy blew a frost plug on a Sunday I had to remove my PS pump to access it. Since everything near me was closed on Sunday I ended up making one which turned it into an all day job.

The threaded rod on the angle is the installation tool which is just kept in the main tool for storage so it's all together. The round ended piece is to protect the threads on the end of the PS shaft when using the forcing screw to extract the pulley.

Would I buy a power steering pulley puller? You bet I would have before having to go through all this.

.

.

 

[setfocus]

thought I'd bump this to the top one last time, what do the other pro's here use for pulley remover/installers?

I was reading the reviews for the Lisle kit, I guess some of them have bad machining on the tool that fits over the pulley and some people are saying lots of torque is needed to remove and install the pulley, which doesn't sound good

I know the OTC kit installer is a POS but remover works well and the snap-on tools work well but cost $$$ and may have clearance issues on some applications

so now I don't know if I should...
1 get the OTC kit and the sold separately OTC installer that looks more robust
2 get the OTC kit and the snap-on installer that costs $$$ but I know works well
3 get the Lisle kit

 

[signcrafter]

thought I'd bump this to the top one last time, what do the other pro's here use for pulley remover/installers?

I was reading the reviews for the Lisle kit, I guess some of them have bad machining on the tool that fits over the pulley and some people are saying lots of torque is needed to remove and install the pulley, which doesn't sound good

I know the OTC kit installer is a POS but remover works well and the snap-on tools work well but cost $$$ and may have clearance issues on some applications

so now I don't know if I should...
1 get the OTC kit and the sold separately OTC installer that looks more robust
2 get the OTC kit and the snap-on installer that costs $$$ but I know works well
3 get the Lisle kit

Lots of torque to remove or install isn't an issue with the tool, it's the fit of the pulley to shaft. The lisle kit has a thrust bearing for installing the pulley. It does take some force to remove and put on the pulley, whole point of press fit. But I've never had one where I thought the tool was going to snap in half from the force.

If I were you personally for the money I would get the lisle kit and use it until you run into a time it won't work or breaks, if that time ever comes.

 

[2oolhound]

I was reading the reviews for the Lisle kit, I guess some of them have bad machining on the tool that fits over the pulley and some people are saying lots of torque is needed to remove and install the pulley, which doesn't sound good

I know the OTC kit installer is a POS but remover works well and the snap-on tools work well but cost $$$ and may have clearance issues on some applications

so now I don't know if I should...
1 get the OTC kit and the sold separately OTC installer that looks more robust
2 get the OTC kit and the snap-on installer that costs $$$ but I know works well
3 get the Lisle kit

My Jimmy was a *****. I under estimated the job and built the puller with mild steel. 1st thing that happened is the steel "U" shaped piece (see last picture), that slides behind the pulley in the groove just bent. I added the 1/8" steel plates all around the sides and on the bottom for needed re-enforcement. Then the forcing screw threads stripped so I used 3/4" grade 8 all thread adding an inner nut welded in under the top. After all the re-enforcement it was quench hardened it in oil.

The install tool would strip the regular nut so I used the long nut you can see in the photo. The 3/8" all thread remains the weak link which I fear will fail after a few more uses. I'll probably have to find a stronger one for install in the future.

I have no experience with any of the pullers mentioned so can't advise but I'd go either OTC or S-O by what you said. Like I said, mine was really stuck on there and I've pulled lots of gears and bearings.