Power Steering Pump Whine

Biggest issue with most of the pump replacements is asking why the pump failed. Most of the time the fluid has bass boat glitter in it which is the rack failing. Rarely have I seen a pump fail and then everything is fixed by installing a new one. Usually the new one fails shortly after that and there is glitter in the fluid.

I have seen where a pump is replaced and the new pump is just fine because the owner of the car pays attention and notices the fee of the steering is different or catches a difference in sound. In this case the issue was caught fast enough the rack wasn’t damaged. This isn’t often the case.

With that pumps can be bad out of the box but you will know the minute you fire the car up and that is when you pull it and take it back.

What needs to be done in most cases is replace the rack, flush the power steering pump lines, and install a new pump. The system should be hand primed first. Then start the engine with the front end off the ground and properly supported. Turn the steering wheel on way and just bump the stop. Return to center, turn the engine off, and check the fluid. Start the engine and repeat this but alternating which side you turn to until it quits taking fluid. The pump should be just about silent at this point. Get the car on the ground and see how it turns with the engine started. This is the heaviest load the pump will be under.

I’ve done this every time I’ve changed a pump and had zero issues.

Found this TSB:

Power Steering Pump: Technical Service Bulletins
Power Steering Pump - New Design Fitting At Pump Outlet
Article No. 89-10-4
STEERING - POWER - C-11 PUMP - NEW DESIGN QUICK - CONNECT FITTING AT PUMP OUTLET
FORD:
1990 CROWN VICTORIA, ESCORT, MUSTANG, TAURUS, TEMPO, THUNDERBIRD
LINCOLN-MERCURY:
1990 CONTINENTAL, COUGAR, GRAND MARQUIS, MARK VII, SABLE, TOPAZ, TOWN CAR
LIGHT TRUCK:
1990 AEROSTAR, BRONCO, BRONCO II, F-150, F-250, F-350, RANGER, RANGER



ISSUE: The C-11 power steering pumps on 1990 model year vehicles have a new type quick connect fitting at the pump outlet. The new quick-connect fitting cannot be used with the old type quick-connect fitting. Mixing the two types of fittings will damage the fitting and result in fluid leakage.

ACTION: All service replacement pumps will have the new quick-connect fitting outlet. Service replacement pumps will also have the old type.

Been through this on every car I've built. The latest, a 1992 F-150 was one of the worst. I got three different pumps from different places. Napa said they never had a noisy pump. Boy were they wrong, it was about the loudest.

From what I found, when the fluid gets contaminated, the front and rear vane plates get scratched. That's where the noise comes from. I took a pump apart, flat sanded and polished a set of plates with not much luck.
In the end, did a Saginaw conversion and have a super quiet pump now.

On my Mustang, I went through 3 or 4 reman pumps before I found one I could live with.

Cardones idea of a rebuilt pump is throw new seals in it and put a crappy paint job on it. They don't actually rebuild the pump.

Also found out just a couple of seconds of running a pump without fluid will damage the vane plates, so be careful when filling a replacement pump to make sure it always has fluid in it.

You may want to consider putting a brand name power steering filter in the return line just before the pump to catch anything which is not flushed out.

I installed a pump remanufactured by Motorcraft about 1 year ago and it has been quiet.

If there is one thing I loathe on old Fords more than anything else, it's power steering. If they don't leak, they whine. The only way to truly cure it all is with a manual rack. But some people dont like the effort it takes.

This will fix the whine.

General karthief said:

Bold statements.
I will say I added some to mine when I replaced the rack. Well after I flushed the pump and lines with like 2 or 3 quarts of fluid. It was quiet when I last drove it.
Of course when I get it back together it will prolly scream like a cat on acid.
sorry jinx

Click to expand...

I was surprised how well it worked with my new pump which whined like crazy.