Steering pump suction noise

My van is ticking me off lately.... A few weeks ago I changed my intake gaskets and now it seems like everything that was touched to do the job is going bad! I am now getting a hydraulic "suction" sound coming from my ps pump as soon as the throttle breaks idle speed. sound gets louder to a point, as speed or engine load increases. At first I suspected a leak at the pcv, but I verified the pump by removing the belt and running it, no noise (belt is new). I checked hoses for crimping and they seem ok, but the pressure hose feels a little soft to me. Could this be collapsing on itself, or is the pump just ready to go? With belt removed there is about 1/8" of axial play on the shaft.