Well, I got the ol' battle wagon on the road, BUT...and this is a BIG BUT...the pump squeels like a b@st@rd...it could just be the pressure switch I got from Scott (which I still have yet ti install - havent had the time), but if not, then my best guess would be a bent shaft, since I rebuilt the pump myself, and it's a VERY simple design...about the only thing that could fail, other than the seals, would be the shaft...

but this is likely going to put me in the market for a used, smooth running pump...

 

Wow, I swear when it's hard to catch a break! Well I'll keep my eyes peeled for a pump and let you know if I find one bro.

S

 

I just hit one of the local salvage yards this afternoon...

They had four 86/87 Maximas "in stock". One of which was
a pretty unique SE (at least I think it was an SE), it has the
SE buckets (which I'm planning on picking up tomorrow for
the sum of $50 for the pair!), it also has the spoiler, air dam,
mud flaps, and electronic suspension, but it's equipped with
an auto tranny!

Not too bad of car over all, it would be nice to see this one
back on the road... too bad I don't have the time, plus my
wife would kill me if I brought how yet another car!

If the pump isn't too tough to take off, I can see I can get
one for you. But you've seen how long it takes for me to
"get around to it"!

Scott

 

well, i found the problem, and it's not the pump afterall...

That big, suction hose that connects the resevior with the pump was a tad large (diameter wise) when i installed it...but i forgot about it until i got a chance to look at it again...i clamped it down good, but it didn't compress very well, so it's leaking...so i need to find the correct diam. hose.

 

That's good, though an annoyance for sure. Glad you tracked down the prob bro!

S

 

I replaced the high and low pressure lines on my power steering and topped off the resevoir with 2 bottles of ps fluid, but I'm still getting a lot of noise from the power steering when I turn the wheel (kind of whirring/whining noise). My question is this: when you replace the high pressure line (the large one that bends in an upsidedown U from one part of the system to another), there are bolts which you put in that have holes in them for the fluid to flow through, is there a specific place where you're supposed to stop wrenching them? I just wrenched it down tight for lack of any help from the service manual (not factory), and I think that might be causing me some problems now Also, I replaced those lines in accordance with my state inspection due to them leaking/being soaked in ps fluid, and they're clean now, but the driver's side of my lower engine is still freshly wet with ps fluid (I smelled it.. bleh), but I cant trace its origin since I dont have a lift to allow me to stand under the car (or a floor jack to give me a foot or so of crawl space). any ideas? Where's the power steering pump located? A lot of questions, and not a lot of detail, and for that, I apologize. Thanks for any help.

Greg

 

those boolts simply have a torque setting to be tightened to...

as for the leak, you're likely to be looking at either the pump itself leaking, or the pressure, or suction lines leaking...

if you have the covers off of the car, look at the engine from the wheel well...that pulley/pump looking item toward the top of the opening, toward the back of the car, is the pump...a lot of people have complained about it being tough, but it's not really bad at all...took me about 15 minutes to find all of the bolts to remove it, about 15 minutes to rebuild it, and about 10 minutes to reinstall it...

the suction hose is that large, 9/16" hose the goes from the res. to the pump...

is the pump is leaking, it'll be from the front shaft seal, the back plane seal, the neck/nipple for the suction hose, or the pressure hose attachment...

to isolate it, clean the whole area really really well...if possible, steam clean it...then run the car for about 5-minutes...then stop it, and after giving a couple of moments to cool, feel for fresh liquid...if it's all over the pulley, it's the front seal...if it's all over the top, it's one of the two hoses...if it's all over the back and bottom, then it's likely the back plane seal...

if the fresh wetness is all over the front side of the engine, then you need to look at the cooler hoses...those are the two rubber hoses that run along the inner fender, that will look virtually identical, and terminate ate twin metal tubes, at the front feeding around the front of the radiator, and towards the rear, which will seem to disappear under that mess there by the cruise solenoid...

hope that helps...