Weird scenario and question but I’d like to see if anyone has a take on this. Took the Highlander to auto X and it did well except for the PS pump catching like crazy in the slalom section as it can’t handle the flow demand of quick and hard movements.

To put it simply: My 02 Highlander and 08 RX350, both have new fluid in the system, new belt, good condition rack, etc.

The RX has a 2002 Highlander steering rack and the original power steering pump has no issue supplying the system with fluid even during a slalom/emergency maneuver. This pump is visually beefier than my Highlander one but is not compatible with it.

The Highlander has a similar pump to the RX330 which can be swapped between the two cars. With that, before I try an RX330 PS pump, has anyone had a similar symptom with their 330’s steering, and to those who drove both cars: Did you feel that the 350’s steering pump felt more up to the task?

TIA

 

What makes the rx pump not work w/ the highlander rack?

 

Stock RX pump on my RX works really good with the '02 Highlander rack I have on my 2008. I think the pump itself would bolt onto my Highlander's engine to replace the current one that is on it, but the pulley is different (has more grooves) and it doesn't look like it can easily be unbolted like the Highlander's (apparently it's a "pressed-on" pulley vs bolt-on for HL). It also is situated more outward on the pump body itself so I'm not sure if everything would line up properly even if I did find a compatible pulley. I've been eyeing the 2004-2006 Sienna pump as it seems to be the most heavy duty bolt-on solution pump for the car I have found at the moment.


Edit:

I should describe it a little better. With the sportier/tighter 01-03 model Highlander rack on my 2008, it actually feels a little different than my 2002 Highlander. It has the same heavy & responsive feeling like it, but it feels like the cast aluminum PS pump on my RX is superior to the Highlander one. The RX's pump seems to always be able to adequately supply fluid to the rack, but the Highlander's while despite still being silent, the pump seems to struggle more when it is cold out or when you're doing a slalom (learned that real quick at the autocross day). The same scenario can be seen when you're stuck in traffic the car in front of you breaks down and you need to quickly go around him as traffic is approaching. The pump puts up a LOT of resistance (almost as if you had no PS), but the RX seems to fare a lot better in that scenario.