mjtjnj Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 Thanks for the reply, DC. I'm not sure what T/C and P are, but it has a remote reservoir up next to the radiator. You mean the high pressure outlet? Not sure what fitting. I certainly will try bleeding it again, but I lost count of how many times I've done it, and two shops have done it. You're right, I think it would be impossible to hook the lines up wrong (they are different diameter fittings, I believe). I will take some pics in the next couple of days, when I get myself mentally prepared to go out and play with it some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjtjnj Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 Tanner, it does it as soon as I start it up. BLASTS out of the reservoir if the cap is off, and pours out of the weep hole and around the seal if it is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 I didn't realize they used that remote reservoir setup on the 2.5L in a MJ. I've seen it on TJs, but I swear all the older 2.5L stuff I've looked at uses a P pump with the pear shaped reservoir around the pump. Anyways, it's a T/C pump then, not that it really helps you at this point. I'm still banking on you have an issue with how it is bled and will need to deal with it first. That style of reservoir can make bleeding MUCH harder. I would recommend shaking the lines after you fill the system, and tapping the pump and hard fittings with a screwdriver handle, and absolutely make sure that line is routed correctly and is free of low/high spots that can trap air. Basically, try to get the air pockets free and flowing back up to the reservoir on the inlet side of the pump. The issue is that ANY air that is pushed through the pump will expand massively when it makes it way to the return side of the system. Your initial problem easily could have come from low fluid level causing one gulp of air getting sucked in when cornering/braking/hitting a bump, and from there the problem compounds itself as the air is forced through the system and causes the oil to become emulsified with air. Edit, also, I would go back on my previous advice with this system and avoid running it during the bleed process for a lot longer. Only try running it after you've done a pile of lock to lock turns. Maybe 100! Also, make sure the correct outlet fitting is in that pump. People (like me) play with the orifice sizes in them for various reasons, and there is more than one size/style offered from the factory. It should be about 1/8" max if it's factory correct. Also, people play with the relief valve in the pump, might be worth pulling it out, BUT if this was a known good pump (not an 'new' reman unit, at least half the shops that reman them have no idea what they're doing and will put the wrong/modified parts back in them!) and you did not change the outlet fitting, I would not worry about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 And you did say you changed the reservoir, correct? Thanks for the reply, DC. I'm not sure what T/C and P are, but it has a remote reservoir up next to the radiator. You mean the high pressure outlet? Not sure what fitting. I certainly will try bleeding it again, but I lost count of how many times I've done it, and two shops have done it. You're right, I think it would be impossible to hook the lines up wrong (they are different diameter fittings, I believe). I will take some pics in the next couple of days, when I get myself mentally prepared to go out and play with it some more. Sorry, I'm a little scattered with my reply here. The fitting I am referring to is the high pressure outlet fitting in the pump. Behind it is the relief valve assembly. Pull the hose off and look in it with a flashlight, there should be a fairly small hole in the center of it. I have some pictures, give me a few. If bleeding it extensively does not produce good results, I would recommend taking that fitting out and seeing what is going on with the relief valve, if it is not behaving correctly it will force a massive amount of fluid through the steering box, which does not help anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjtjnj Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 Yeah, I believe the remote reservoir (T/C) setups were used on TBI 2.5L and the other style on carbureted models. OK on the fitting -- I bought a new MOPAR one with the correct part #. How would a line be routed to create a high/low spot? You're right about the initial problem -- maybe NONE of my components was to blame. Any value in bleeding the system with vacuum applied to the reservoir? Thanks for all the great advice! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjtjnj Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 And, yes, the reservoir was the first thing I replaced, mostly because it was soaked in PS fluid and I had no idea where it was coming from. I figured maybe it had a crack in it. First wrong guess in a series of them! I kept the old one and have a Crown Automotive reman on there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Yeah, I believe the remote reservoir (T/C) setups were used on TBI 2.5L and the other style on carbureted models. OK on the fitting -- I bought a new MOPAR one with the correct part #. How would a line be routed to create a high/low spot? You're right about the initial problem -- maybe NONE of my components was to blame. Any value in bleeding the system with vacuum applied to the reservoir? Thanks for all the great advice! Tom Alright, it's not your fitting, that's good. Hopefully the relief valve piston behind it is moving smoothly and not stuck, as that can happen as a result of taking the fitting out (shoddy remans may come with it stuck!), but it's probably not the case. I don't know how the line between the reservoir and pump is run, or if it's a factory molded line or just bulk hose, but with something like that you want to make sure it has a nice even slope and minimum turns. Basically, you don't want it to look like a roller coaster, because that will trap air in it. If it's like that it's only a problem for bleeding, as once bled it will always be full of oil so it won't matter. Hence the comments on shaking/wiggling it and tapping the fittings with something that won't damage them, you just want to make sure any air bubbles in there are freed up and work their way back up into the reservoir and out of the system. I wouldn't apply vacuum to it, it's probably counterproductive actually. What would be better is if you can take the cap off and stick a piece of (clean) radiator hose over the neck for the cap, and tighten a clamp around it (and a rag to get some of the weep, it's not like it's going to seal properly), then fill it right up with oil. That will put a little more head pressure on it for the process of bleeding it with the engine off. It's probably not necessary though, but it can be a handy trick for trying to fill/bleed other unruly fluid systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjtjnj Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 OK quick update. Insane how long I've been without the MJ. Bleeding it forever wasn't getting it done, so I took it to a shop around the corner. They said the pressure was over 600psi, but weren't interested in why, like maybe there was air still in there. They futzed with the valve, put a cooler on it, and got it to 300psi and called it good. It no longer leaks, and is quiet, but they did a bit of redneck engineering. Question for the board: if I were to get a later model pump with integrated reservoir off a later 2.5L, with bracketry, would I have to do a whole lot of messing with it to have the pulley line up with the other pulleys? Has anyone put a later model ps pump on a renix engine? Thanks Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I cannot comment on the late model pump/reservoir, but I can say my '86 has the pear shaped reservoir attached to the pump. I had to replace the pump last year as it was leaking and groaning. Pretty uneventful install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Seems really odd still. Where were they measuring the pressure? Most pumps are set to >1000psi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjtjnj Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Warrior, thanks. Yu have v belts in an 86? Is that the 2.8 v6? DC, they were reading at the port in the high pressure hose where the sensor goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 The earlier 4 cylinders were all V-belt too, so 86 for the MJ, 84-86 for the XJ, and then there's YJ parts. I'm still baffled as to what could be wrong with your P/S system. It should be able to run at 1400psi and not have a hiccup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjtjnj Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 DC - it's the strangest thing I've ever seen. Third set of parts - new everything, and still with symptoms. Since the shop did their thing to it, the pump doesn't moan and whine any more, so I'm guessing there's no longer air in it, but fluid is still sloshing around the reservoir pretty good. I'm so disgusted, I'm thinking of selling it. Got a guy coming to look at it today, jerry-rigged PS setup and all. The other thing I might do is swap in a pump from a 4.0, with the reservoir attached, the less lines, the better. Will see if I can dig one up at the boneyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Warrior, thanks. Yu have v belts in an 86? Is that the 2.8 v6? DC, they were reading at the port in the high pressure hose where the sensor goes It is a TBI 2.5L truck. The pulley didn't come with the pump so I assume it could be installed on a serpentine setup with the correct pulley. I ordered the pump with the reservoir attached from Napa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyjp2 Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Sucks no real conclusion ever came out of this. I'm going through the identical scenario after adding power steering to a manual steering truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyjp2 Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 I figured I would post my solution in case anyone else runs into this problem. I bought a brand new Crown Automotive power steering reservoir which did not have the return hole molded properly when the part was made. There was only a small crack for the power steering fluid to return through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 13 minutes ago, billyjp2 said: I figured I would post my solution in case anyone else runs into this problem. I bought a brand new Crown Automotive power steering reservoir which did not have the return hole molded properly when the part was made. There was only a small crack for the power steering fluid to return through. That would certainly cause problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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