whit3b0y

Mods should move this to sticky ucf10, Zero_one also did one for the ucf20. Might help if they were stickies under the correct chassis. less confusion, easier to find

drs23

I replaced my PS pump last summer and used PS fluid instead of ATF. It's working fine and not really noisy but does make a humming noise that it didn't prior plus it's developed a drip that makes it's way onto the driveway. Have I ruined my new PS pump because I used the wrong fluid?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

possibly, but I would try a a couple fluid exchanges before writing it off. The humming SHOULD go away after you swap the fluid out.

I would be more worried about the seals in the rack, it's much harder/more expensive to replace.

j2b4o

Just got around to doing everything in this thread today and wanted to say thanks for the guide!
The solenoid was super easy and very dirty. The valve was a PIA to get off but I plugged the back of the valve with a tight fitting bolt and some Teflon tape, used epoxy to seal the outside just in case. The screen in the resivior was torn to pieces so I have to grab one from the junk yard. The old fluid was a grey/dark brown and thick. All the power steering hiccups are now gone and it was well worth the effort.

richfung

Thanks everyone's input.
I Removed the reservoir and found it was leaking badly ( all black dried fluid under)
When I try to remove the acv from under, it won't move.
Don't want to remove the PS pump.
Can I just cap the 2 end on the acv?
or should I connect them together with a short vacuum hose?

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

reallly good DIY

j2b4o

If you cap the acv or put a vac line on they will just fill with fluid and leak eventually. You really need to remove the acv and plug the hole or the acv itself (the metal body not the plastic nipples.)

richfung

Thanks for the quick response j2b4o.
I tried for 2 hours from the bottom with a short box wrench and I locked another to the end to extended the length.
Pushing towards the front of the car and it got to a point starting to strip.
Did I do it on the right direction?

j2b4o

It loosens counter clockwise like most bolts. I want to say its a 17mm but I'm not 100% (fairly sure it's in this thread somewhere). I ended up breaking the plastic off of the valve so I could see what I was doing. It was a bit of a PIA to fit a wrench onto it and move it but once it broke it spun out fairly easily. I remember it being a very snug fit in the wrench so maybe you are using a size too big or some close SAE size.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

mine was seized so I just left it on the pump when I swapped it out.

Sidekick

HI .
this is a great post i found. Describes my problem where the PS sometimes works and sometimes does not. I figured i would clean the screen on the solenoid since that seemed straight forward. However when i removed it i could not determine where the screen was. The directions above said to remove the screen and clean both sides with a brush. But i can not find what looks like a screen. Here is a picture of it. Am i missing something? I have a 1990 LS400 with 243K miles on it. All of a sudden PS started to get hard to turn. I did test the solenoid and when i applied 12V i could see it move up and down ..... so i know the solenoid is good. Can anyone tell me if this is a normal looking solenoid?
thanks...
great info on this site !!! one of the best ....
ps...i think i attached the picture... i hope it worked.

j2b4o

The screen is a sleeve around the end of the solenoid. It should have been snugly seated around the tip. Check the hole it came from in the rack and the floor around where you removed it.

Sidekick

Hmmm... i did look around thinking it fell off... i did not see it on the ground or in the pan. I also checked in the hole.. there was nothing there... could it be possible that it was left off? ... is that a bad thing? .. Also when i refilled the PS pump i could hear it start to whin...which it never did that before... also, i could see some small bubble in the pump... do you think i got some air in the lines???...and my steering is even harder than it was before after i put the solenoid back in....
Thank you for your feed back!!!

richfung

I have the O-ring, return hose changed , IAC vacuum lines capped 10 days ago. It was only getting a few drops a day from filling every 2 days. Today suddenly the steering become so stiff it felt like can't turn at all. I put the front wheels on jacks and it turn lock to lock fine. But it is so hard to turn when put back on ground. Can't drive it in this condition. There is no noise from the PS pump. No leak or bubbles.
What can be wrong?
Help!

richfung

Solenoid cleaned but feeling only getting about 10% steering power back.
Stiff stiff like an old truck.
What am I missing?
Is it time to change pump?