Power Steering Pump Questions ...

[Professor]

My car has always had a noisy power steering pump. It whines (like most cars do when they are turned all the way in one direction and held) even driving through the curvy roads in my neighborhood. Anyone else experience this? Should I just have it replaced? Does anyone make a high performance power steering pump replacement for our cars?? It also requires noticably more effort at lower turning speeds (which is the opposite of what variable assist is supposed to do). I don't have underdrive pulleys yet, and I want to get this fixed before I put pulleys on because my suspicion is that underdrives will on exascerbate the problem.

[captain]

Mine does it too.
Dealer said its contaminated with tiny particles too small for the filter. It has damaged the pump. New pump..900ish new pump and cylinder...1500.
Safe for now... Start saving up for it though. Only going to get worse. it has. Actually throws a code! Tried flushing it out for about 40? dollars. Didn't help.

[RF Overlord]

I's like to know your definitions of "always" and "noisy".

Are you the original owner? Has it been this way since brand new? Why wasn't it fixed under warranty, then?

Ford does have a reputaion for P/S pumps that are noisy-ER than many others, so it may be normal. What concerns me is that you say the varaiable assist isn't working. Get that fixed first.

Even though it didn't help in captain's case, a flush certainlky can't hurt and may quiet it down some for you.

[Aren Jay]

I always wondered if a magnet lowered into the power steering fluid resivour after it has been running would collect the particles, if magnetic, and remove them without having to do any filtration.

[Professor]

Bought the car with 44,000. It has 50,000 now (had it over a year).

I'll try flushing the system first.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

My car does it too, even when driving along at slower (below 45 mph ) speeds on windy roads. It makes a slightly noticeable steering "hiss". It seems to do it more steering to the left than the right. I think this may just have to do w/ it being slightly harder to steer left than right because of the caster split that all street cars come aligned with. Probably nothing you can do about it. I would not spend $900+ because I bet it will still make the same noise. I am not the only one w/ a low mile MM that has this minor annoyance.

[offroadkarter]

My car does it too, even when driving along at slower (below 45 mph ) speeds on windy roads. It makes a slightly noticeable steering "hiss". It seems to do it more steering to the left than the right. I think this may just have to do w/ it being slightly harder to steer left than right because of the caster split that all street cars come aligned with. Probably nothing you can do about it. I would not spend $900+ because I bet it will still make the same noise. I am not the only one w/ a low mile MM that has this minor annoyance.


Ive got the same noise, i think its just how these cars are.

When the steering gets real heavy, THEN its time for a new PS pump :P

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

LOL when the steering gets heavy, then it will actually feel like it should have been tuned from the factory. I hate how light and overboosted the steering is in these cars, and how slow hand over hand the ratio is. At some point I am going to retrofit a different rack into this car.