'97 Taurus GL 3.0L: Power Steering Pump Recommendations?

[Colt Hero]

'97 Taurus GL 3.0L: Power Steering Pump Recommendations?

Vulcan Engine.

While I'm at it, my Power Steering pump has been making a whining hydraulic noise for maybe a year now. I was waiting for it to fail completely before changing it out, but if I'm going to replace the water pump, maybe I should replace the Power Steering pump while I'm at it.

Any recommendations on Power Steering pump replacement units or hints on installing them? I've never replaced a power steering pump before.


1.) Do I reuse the old fluid or flush out the old and replace?

2.) Is this kind of like brakes - where bleeding is necessary?

[Colt Hero]

Someone here suggesting trying a Lucas product to quiet the whining. He claims that even though many of these kinds of products are a complete waste of time, this one actually works.

Anybody here ever try this solution??

[Colt Hero]

For now I just went ahead and poured in about 2-3 inches of Mercon ATF into the neck of the pump. I ran the car hot and the fluid level never reached the bottom of the dipstick, so I filled until it reached the top line. This is the first time I've ever opened this reservoir since buying the car brand new 10 years ago. Car currently has 164k miles. Probably have a slow steering fluid leak somewhere, although I don't see any leaks anywhere...