Can't turn left-or right for that matter!

[fughley]

Hey all-

I just put a new power steering pump in the MJ last weekend and now i am fighting the wheel some of the time! Feel free to point and laugh, but then offer up any ideas please!

Here is the jist of it- I have the 87MJ with that 92 XJ motor and front axle.

I had a leak between the pump and resivour- hence the replacement.

So I wound up using the new hoses for 87 and new pump assembly for 92- bolted in fine. I had to put the truck on the street for the night and I pushed it over there with the MRS. steering- no pump in mind you. So after everything was bolted up and filled I started the engine and ran it for a while. Then I added the Lucas seal conditioner that the parts guy recommended- dollars for a littel insurance, no problem.

Now I did put the truck up on jackstands and turn the wheel a few times in each direction with no problems, but when I took it for a test drive the steering felt WORSE than having no power steering- I had to fight the wheel to get it to turn. It does get better when I rev the engine though. No leaking from any of the fittings.- Thank God for small things.

What scares me is that I heard a loud WHAM as I was driving to work this morning. Weather was too crappy to take the bike. but still no leaking.

So has anyone else had a situation like this? Could it be the axle disconnect? Or maybe a bad pump? Any thoughts are appreciated.

[GirsMJ86]

well i can't say i am having the same problem with my 91 but close. mine has a new pump and everything too but when i turn it it creaks and whines once it gets turned "too far". it is also harder to steer then my other MJs were. I'm thinking there is air in my system which could also be your case since its a new pump with no leaks. how are your joints and everything in the rest of your steering?

 

Alex

[fughley]

The rest of the front axle looks good- when I had it up on jacks doing the intial "bleed"- I noticed just a little leaking from the seal that connects to the front drive shaft- OR it could be spray from the original leak.

Thanks for the input!

[jackel18]

i got air in the lines on my yj and it was hard to steer for about a week. then it just seemed to work itself out.

[Eagle]

The axle disconnect would not affect steering effort. Don't confuse yourself by chasing unrelated red herrings. 99.99% of the time, if there's a problem after changing something, the problem is related either to what you changed, or how you changed it.

 

It sounds like you might have reversed the two hoses, is that possible? I'm looking at your statement that

 

... when I took it for a test drive the steering felt WORSE than having no power steering.

 

As a matter of fact, non-functional power steering IS more difficult to turn than manual steering, because you're pushing the fluid against the resistance of the pump. If you managed to reverse the hoses, you're not just trying to push against a non-functional pump, you're actually trying to fight the pump.

 

BTW -- you wrote that you have a '92 front axle in the truck. Jeep didn't use a disconnect in '92.

[fughley]

hhhmmmmmm...

You are right about the red herrings though.

When I bought the MJ the owner said the motor and front axle were from a 92 XJ. He didn't do it either though.

Good info about the disconnect- I do have a vaccum fitting on the axle so I wonder what kind it is now?

thanks!

[JeepcoMJ]

it's a 91 or earlier.

 

Eagle, isn't a missing/disconnected trackbar something that gives symptoms of hard steering (rather, no-steer)

[DirtyComanche]

A few things I'd consider:

 

 

-Bad pump

-Wrong pump

-Bad lines

-Bad box

 

 

Bad pump - the parts store sold you a POS. It happens. Somebody forgot to rebuild it correctly, maybe because they're paying them $.04/hr in china.

 

Wrong pump - the guy behind the counter sold you the wrong one. Just 'cause it bolts up doesn't mean it works. They're common design. Some are ment for much different belt speeds, which might explain why it works when you rev it up...

 

 

Bad lines - you said no bad leaks, so it kinda rules this out. Unless there's an internal restriction (blockage) in the high pressure line - in which case the pump will go into bypass instead of blowing the line apart. Does the pump whine constantly?

 

 

Bad box - they're complicated. They break.

 

 

 

 

Did it work BEFORE you replaced the pump? Even if it was leaking?

[fughley]

Okay- I just went out and looked at the truck and it would be pretty darn difficult to put the hoses on backwards- the feed line is prebent in just a certain way.

I had good steering before I did the repair- just a little whining when I turned hard, but could do that with one hand. The pump does not whinefrom what I can hear, it sounds to be coming from the steering box. I may have sucked allot of air into the steering box when I pushed it out into the street. You can see a line of steering fluid form my garage going out into the street.

What is messing with my mind is that the steering handles normally at times and at others it is horrific- mostly at slower speeds, and after it has run for a while. The pulley is from the original assembly so the speed of rotation should be the same. So bad pump? Or wrong year- I did check the motor stamp and it is a 92.

I will put it back on the jackstands and try to work out any air.

Is there a bleed fitting on the steering box as there are on the brake calipers?

Thanks for all of the input - you guys rock!

[JeepcoMJ]

air bleeds from the reservoir. make sure it's full, start the truck up with the cap off (while it's on jack stands) and turn the heck out of it for awhile.

 

that's DEFINITELY symptoms of air in the system...in my experience

[GirsMJ86]

yep, sounds to me like you have the same problem i am havin, but more air then i have in mine. mine is harder to turn then my other mjs i had IIRC but i know its air because it creeks when i turn it. just bleed it all out and you should be good to go.

 

Alex

[Eagle]

it's a 91 or earlier.

 

Eagle, isn't a missing/disconnected trackbar something that gives symptoms of hard steering (rather, no-steer)

If the track bar is missing or disconnected, the steering WHEEL will be very easy to turn, but you won't be able to control the vehicle at all. Do very definitely will NOT drive it down the road. The track bar keeps the axle located side-to-side under the vehicle. Even having the upper tie rod end fitting worn makes the steering frighteningly imprecise. Disconnecting the track bar would result in zero directional control.

[JeepcoMJ]

thx for clarification on that one...helpin me understand that :D

[Pete M]

For what its worth, car-part.com shows the CAD available through 93. :dunno:

[Duner]

just my 2 cents, go back and jack it up and bleed the system, there is never a certain number turns or amount of set time to perform this procedure and check the fluid level often. Also my dad says don't turn it all the way to the steering stops and make sure the cap on the resivoir is loose or off so the air can bleed out.

 

He says it not unusual to have to bleed the pump again after a few days, at least that has been his experience with GM products.

[JeepcoMJ]

i agree

 

ironically when I did my camaro swap, i had to use new hoses but didn't have to do anything but hook it up and let it idle for a bit.

 

i didn't drain the steering box at all though

[Eagle]

For what its worth, car-part.com shows the CAD available through 93. :dunno:

The disconnect was continued right to the end on the YJ ('94), but not on the XJ/MJ.

[Pete M]

That's why I always qualify it with "car-part.com says". :D

For 1993 XJ front axle:

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/o ABS; 3.07 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/o ABS; 3.55 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/o ABS; 3.73 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/o ABS; 4.10 ratio

w/vacuum disconnect, 3.07 ratio

w/vacuum disconnect, 3.55 ratio

w/vacuum disconnect, 4.10 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/ABS; 3.07 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/ABS; 3.55 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/ABS; 3.73 ratio

w/o vacuum disconnect; w/ABS; 4.10 ratio

 

Searching through the listings, most are 90, 91 or 92, but there are some 93s in there. Of course, now we'd be relying on the junkyards to be accurate, and I for one have been burned many times before by the idiots and the 'yards. :roll: