how hard is it to change the ps pump on the 70 gs 455? It is leaking and needs replaced. And how to or tips or tricks?
I'd buy a new pump, you'll have to use a puller on the pump's pulley and I think the same puller tool also presses on the old pulley on new pump!? Been awhile for this guy!
It's not too hard to replace. Flare wrenches are very handy to disconnect the lines. I recommend that you use them. You can use a turkey baster to suck a good deal of the fluid from the reservoir before disconnecting the hoses. Put rags down to cover stuff and use some kind of catch can. I am sure you can find some useful videos on YouTube if you need more guidance. Go for it!
Make sure to flush out the old fluid from the PS lines and steering box, then install the new pump. Once you have the new pump installed and the lines back on fill the reservoir up and be sure to bleed the system to get rid of all the trapped air.
Chalk the rear wheels, jack up the front of the car to just get the front wheels off the ground so they're not touching, turn ignition to unlock the steering but DONT start the car yet. Turn the steering wheel lock to lock about 20 times, check the reservoir to make sure it's not too low, top up if needed. Start the car to get the pump going and continue turning the steering wheel lock to lock another 20 times, check reservoir again, drop the front end down and see if it turns lock to lock with ease under it's own weight. If all is good take it for a test drive around the block and make sure there's no issues. I would double check to make sure the fluid isn't too low or too high. I rechecked my fluid the next morning (before starting the car) to make sure it was at the cold full line as the system/fluid will "settle" after sitting and cooling down.
The issue is that mine is only leaking where the pump and the reservoir meet. All the pumps i see are without the reservoir, so i will need to use my existing reservoir anyway. Is there a chance that i can just change the o-ring where my pump and reservoir come together? Is there a reason to spend money on a pump when mine is good? Why are these reservoir's so hard to find or get?
The picture you posted makes the reservoir look like its dented like someone pried on it to tighten the belt . You may never get a 'O' ring to seal correctly .
Yes you will have to reuse your Reservoir if it is reusable at all. The pump looks like it is not seated properly in the reservoir in the first place which is why you probably have a leak which leads me to believe somebody has had it apart before probably to put a seal kit in it. The pumps can be a little bit difficult to get in evenly and it's possible whoever was in there last just left it and thought it was good enough? I just rebuilt my power steering pump with a bushing and seal kit and put it all back together to find out the actual pump assembly itself was bad so I bought a new one from RockAuto and put it in a few days ago and everything is good as new!
Sorry to sound like an old geezer but honestly the new stuff is all crap... You can just bet you'll have some stupid fitment issue. I rebuilt my own pump, it was not rocket science. I bought a Gates kit on Rock Auto for under $20. The hard part was installing the sleeve in the pump, I needed a friend's press to get that in. Apologies, I don't know what you have for tools or interest - if you don't want to do it, I would still consider getting it done locally vs buying a rebuild that is a mix of junk reassembled or a new pump built for a 196070 OldChevBuiac. Before I did mine I don't think I had even removed a pump, so I'm not a pro. Watch this video -- that's what I did...
Appreciate everyones help. I went and got a kit, so i am going to try it. We have a car show this weekend that i am trying to get done for. at least if I can limp it by till then, leak free, I can order a new pump later if I need to. Right now I do not have the time to wait for a pump.
I did exactly this ^^^ but after I got the kit with bushing from rockauto, installed it, put it all back together and in the car and found out it was the actual pump assembly/internals that were shot so I ordered a remanufactured one from rockauto and it's all kosher now. Even if it's a mix bag of chinesium parts it was cheap and the car is back on the road working as it should in under an hour. If I got yo do it again in 5 years oh well such is life I guess! 7Duece I wish ya the best of luck but I would limp that pump through the show and wouldn't mess with it until AFTER the show or that bag of worms you're going to open could cause you to be a no show to that show.
I appreciate it Sir, but I do not have a choice. it is a pretty steady drip. I took the picture after i wiped it off, but it is dripping a drop every 2 seconds or so. Needs to have attention paid to it. I will hope for the best.
I totally agree with @1969RIVI -- this is a task best left to AFTER you return from the show @7Duece. Like all such tasks, if you need it ASAP, it's difficulty will somehow become inversely proportional to the time available to get it done.
Just install a new o-ring on your reservoir. Simple, quick & easy. Get a P/S pump seal kit at your local auto parts store. One should be readily available. Remove the high pressure hose & the low pressure return hoses. Dis-connect the return hose from the steering box line. You could use a needle nose type of vise grip pliers to lightly crimp the hose & then run the hose into the drain pan. This will try to keep the mess down & fluid from getting all over everything. Use a 5/8th. flare nut wrench, fuel line wrench, on the fitting for the hose & a 1" wrench to keep the fitting from turning in the P/S pump housing. This is where the high pressure hose attaches to the P/S pump. Now remove the pump from the car & bring it to your bench, table, whatever & sit down. Remove this 1" nut. There is a valve in there & a spring. Pay attention to which way the valve comes out. Remove the other 2-3 bolts holding the cover on. Even though it may be leaking they CAN be somewhat difficult to remove. I usually spray some carb. cleaner on it which will tend to soften the seal somewhat. Tap around the outside edge with the handle of your wooden hammer or other type wooden handle. The cover will come off. Clean EVERYTHING very well with Brakeleen or some other solvent. Now's the time to knock out any dents & threw on a fresh coat of paint. Replace the o-ring seals under the bolts & on the nut that was removed from the actual P/S pump. IF you want to you could put just a dab of yellow weatherstripping adhesive to them to hold them in place on the pump. Install the big o-ring seal around the pump housing. It's got to be stretched a little & will hold itself in place. I usually like to swipe a little RTV or other type of sealer around the outer circumference of the o-ring with my finger. This helps the cover to slide on easier. Now's the time to replace the front seal. You know it will almost certainly start leaking as soon as or shortly thereafter repairing what you did. As mentioned you will need a puller to remove & replace the P/S pulley. Measure the shaft to see how far the pulley is from the end of the shaft as you will want to install it the same amount give or take. This tool can usually be borrowed from the auto parts store where you bought the seal kit. Advanced, Auto Zone, NAPA, etc. MAKE SURE the instructions are in there IF you've never done this before. In reality it's pretty easy & can be accomplished with hand tools. AGAIN, while it's apart you could put a fresh coat of paint on the pulley. Have fun & any questions stop back & post. Tom T.
Appreciate everyones help. I was able to take it off and just decided to go with it. If it was a miserable fail, then she will not be going to the car show. I grew impatient as I saw the PS pump on the bench. I did what you said and got a seal kit. I was able to get everything taken care of. The main issue i think was that the reservoir appears to really have been beaten up by the previous owner somehow. I was able to get the dings and dents out and where the pump seats into the reservior, that little lip looks like it had a little ding in it which pinched the oring. I was able to get it back to shape, back together and let it sit for a day with a little fluid in it to see if it would leak on the bench since the leak was close to the bottom of the pump. i was excited to see that nothing was leaking and put it on the car. poured fluid in and got the air out, all seems to be good now. Time will tell.
