Just wondering how hard it is to change out the power steering pump if I decided to try and do it myself? I have a 1997 Cavalier 2.2 Liter and everything that is wrong with the car right now is screaming that it's the power steering pump. When you turn the wheels either way now I can hear them grinding like it's out of power steering fluid - and yes, power steering fluid is fine in it.
Its easy if you buy a replacement pump with a pulley on it. There are 3 bolts behind the pully to take off. There is one on the side by the firewall and another on tha back side. Disconnect the low pressure and high pressure lines and remove the pump. Assembly is reverse.
Thanks, Zach. Do I have to worry about draining power steering fluid or no? Just double checking here before I get myself into a bigger mess then I want. Taking the serpentine belt off isn't that hard since I've done that before to change the alternator. I'll have to check it out more during the day tomorrow to see what it looks like and get a general feel for it. Then it'll be a matter of finding a pump with the pulley on it already. Most of them seem to have the pump but just the pump only.
Oh, disconnect the low pressure line at the rack (its the rubber hose) and drain that into a oil catch can. Then take the high pressure one of. If you can only find the pump you may need to "rent" a pulley puller from autozone or something.
If your in the tool buying mood, they make a serpentine belt tool that works MUCH better than a wrench or ratchet. Its definatley worth the $15 I paid for it. It should look like a flat bar with a 3/8 rathet head on it and it comes with several smaller length sockets.
Thanks, Zach. Since I don't have the proper tools really I'm going to take it down to Meineke on Monday since they said they can supposedly change it. Plus, they may find it is something else but I'm betting it is the pump (hopefully nothing else that caused the pump to go bad in the first place!). Hopefully it makes the drive, not a real long drive or anything but the way it was running last time, blech.. little worried about it. May have to call AAA to come tow it down to them for me.
