PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

So yesterday I start pulling out of my driveway when I noticed my power steering feeling wonky and the pump making a terrible noise. I check the fluid and it was foamy, yellow, and super low. I must have a small leak and the empty space must have gotten filled with condensation (was raining all day) and then mixed with the remaining fluid. I sucked out the old fluid and poured in some fresh fluid and off to school I went.

So... I check it again today and its super low... again.... at least its not foaming this time. However, the pump has developed a squeak so tis time for a new one. I'm actually going to salvage the pump and lines off the '89 Bonnie parts car but I can't get at for a couple days.

So my questions:

1. Can I drive my car with the bad pump for a couple hundred miles and be ok? I'll keep the fluid topped off.

2. How exactly is the pumped changed out? 2x 13mm bolts to the motor and then a couple 10mm fittings to the rack, then pull the lines and pump out as an assembly?

Thanks for any input guys

the pump will probably be ok for a little while if you keep fluid in it.

i don't know how thta particular pump comes out but on my chevy TBI you had to rent a puller and get the pulley off of it because the new one doesn't come with one, and also there were bolts behind the pulley anyways

There are access holes in the pulley to get at the bolts. Normally, one would have to pull the pulley off and press it onto the new pump but since I'm just replacing it with another used pump it already has the pulley on it. I've just never pulled one off all the way before (other than just off the motor to do a swap, I just set aside the pump).

I figured I'd be OK to run it but I just wanted to double check for how long.

if you have another pump lined up anyways you could try the lucas power steering fluid and see if it helps any, their transmission stuff is awesome!

It is not too bad getting the pump off, but the hoses are a pain to get to. Here are the bolts you have to get to:


This one is into the brace:



This one you have to go through the pulley:

Ok, thats what I was thinking it was... that nifty hole in the pulley isn't there for nothing

I'll be doing the pump on the Bonneville first *after* I get the motor pulled out so that will make that car much easier to do. I'll do the LeSabre at my leisure then as long as the squeaking doesn't get worse.

Thanks guys