Power Steering Pump - Crazy Question

[chagen]

1985 chevy K10 w/454 4x4.

I recently changed power steering pumps to one with a external reservoir, Everything went fine with the install and bleed the system with the wheels off the ground. Pump seems to work when the wheels are off the ground.

As soon as i drop the truck back down the pump no longer wants to work. I have asked several people and no one has ever heard of this.

Also, one thing to add. The pump had 2 < low pressure > outlets in which i blocked one off and hooked the other to the steering box. High pressure is hooked up with no changes.

Any one run into this issue before?

Its a brand new pump as well.

 

[bucket]

Those two outlets are actually inlets and that's fine having one of them plugged.

If power steering worked before and the system is fully bled, the pump is junk. I've installed countless pumps that were junk right out of the box.

 

[chagen]

Thanks for the reply. Thats kinda what I was thinking but wanted to double check.

Thanks Again..

 

[89Suburban]

I've installed countless pumps that were junk right out of the box.

Really?

 

[Chevyguy]

Those two outlets are actually inlets and that's fine having one of them plugged.

If power steering worked before and the system is fully bled, the pump is junk. I've installed countless pumps that were junk right out of the box.

Me too. Also add to this countless alternators, and starters. Working at Firestone I had my fair share of bad parts right out of the box. It sucks when you're flat rate and you have to do a job twice due to bad parts. When it came to stuff like this we tried to buy new over remanufactured parts.

Clayton

 

[bucket]

Me too. Also add to this countless alternators, and starters. Working at Firestone I had my fair share of bad parts right out of the box. It sucks when you're flat rate and you have to do a job twice due to bad parts. When it came to stuff like this we tried to buy new over remanufactured parts.

Clayton

Yep. NAPA starter and alternators are the worst, you're lucky to get a year out of them, if they even make it out of the shop at all. It's hard to get a good GM power steering pump from any supplier though.

 

[HotRodPC]

It really blows my mind that so many are afraid to rebuild their own alternators and starters. As long as the case is good, and the armatures and windings are good then you can do just the same damn thing a reman co is going to do, with exception, they do make them cleaner and prettier. It's not hard to replace brushes and a bearing, or a voltage regulator in an alternator.
Just don't forget your toothpics and what those little holes in the pack of the housing if for.

 

[bucket]

It really blows my mind that so many are afraid to rebuild their own alternators and starters. As long as the case is good, and the armatures and windings are good then you can do just the same damn thing a reman co is going to do, with exception, they do make them cleaner and prettier. It's not hard to replace brushes and a bearing, or a voltage regulator in an alternator.
Just don't forget your toothpics and what those little holes in the pack of the housing if for.

It's time. It's not easy for a general repair shop to get those parts quickly and there's a lot of different variations now.

 

[HotRodPC]

OH well yeah, for a shop. It's your money they're spending and more mark up that way. I'd rather have 20% of $89 and than 20% of $12, not to mention less time as you said. I'm more talking about the Shade Tree guy or one of us.

 

[Chevyguy]

It really blows my mind that so many are afraid to rebuild their own alternators and starters. As long as the case is good, and the armatures and windings are good then you can do just the same damn thing a reman co is going to do, with exception, they do make them cleaner and prettier. It's not hard to replace brushes and a bearing, or a voltage regulator in an alternator.
Just don't forget your toothpics and what those little holes in the pack of the housing if for.

I don't care how pretty it is as long as it works. I remember rebuilding them way back when I was in tech school learning about electrical systems. If I have the time and the parts are available I'll rebuild it. Last time I lost my alternator I was leaving town to go elk hunting when the diodes blew. I lost a day of hunting getting that alternator rebuilt. I was at work when the starter went. Tapped on it with a hammer for two days until I had the time to swap it out.

Clayton

 

[89Suburban]

Has anybody here actually rebuilt a starter or alternator? How about a write up? Don't even need new parts, just a write up of how to take apart and put together and what parts are replaceable. You got any of those laying around HR to do a write up? I would love to learn how to do that. Are steering pumps rebuildable or no?

 

[HotRodPC]

Has anybody here actually rebuilt a starter or alternator? How about a write up? Don't even need new parts, just a write up of how to take apart and put together and what parts are replaceable. You got any of those laying around HR to do a write up? I would love to learn how to do that. Are steering pumps rebuildable or no?

I've done starters, alternators and resealed PS pumps. I'd moreless call it, repair them than rebuild them. Pretty much just put in them what they needed, brushes, bearing, seals, voltage regulator, whatever.

 

[chagen]

Thanks for all the comments on this, truck is still in the drive way. Unfotuantly my 87, my other Chevy thats sits on rockwells, I blew the low side bearing out of the T136 Transfer case so I will be working on that first.

Im looking forward to getting a new PS pump though, its fun to drive the old 86 around town. My 87 is to tall to get the dog into.