Changing Power Steering Pump

[mschmidt]

All,

My pump has gone out and I need to change it. Can anyone help with directions? The local shop wants over $500. I have a 1996 Sierra with the 5.7L.

Thanks,
Mike

[cdoogles]

I've done it on my 1993 k1500 and it's pretty simple. The pump is like $50-60 at autozone with a lifetime warranty. You'll need a puller which they will rent you for free. Just pull the pulley off and then there are 3 (If I remember correctly) bolts holding the pump to the accessory bracket. Remove these. Then you need to remove the hoses off the back of the pump. It's best if you can wiggle the pump out of it's spot in the accessory bracket to get at these hoses, but sometimes you have to remove the hoses first which just takes some open ended wrenches and patience. Also, drain the fluid prior to this, or let it hit the floor when you get the hoses off. There are 2 O-rings, one on the back of the pump, that the new pump should come with. The other is on the steering gear box. You don't need to replace it unless you end up removing the hose for some reason. Probably take you 2-3 hours to finish the whole thing. Not too bad and definitely better than that $500 price tag from the dealer. Good luck

[mschmidt]

Thank you very much that is exactly what I was looking for...

[Fireplug]

You forgot you will also need a tool to press the pully back on to the new pump after the pump is installed on the brackets in the truck, DONT WACK IT WITH A HAMMER that will kill the pump bearings

[cdoogles]

Yeah, I forgot that. However, the puller kit usually has the piece to do it and actually the last time I did it, the new pump came with a bolt and washer assembly that worked just fine to install the pulley. Thanks for catching that though.