Power Steering Pump Replacement
 

OK, I think it's time to replace my power steering pump because fluid has started to leak out the sides of mine. :) (It's definitely from the pump itself, not the reservoir or nearby lines.) I'm not good enough to rebuild the pump myself, so I'm going to get a remanufactured part. Anyway, for those of you who have done this yourself, is there anything special to the procedure that I should be aware of? (e.g. does anything absolutely need to be torqued correctly, etc.?) I already took the old pump out, and everything looks straightforward, but I just thought I'd check first. (Sorry, I've been too cheap to buy the service manuals.) Any help is appreciated. Thanks. :)

If you're just going to trash it, you might consider rebuilding it anyway since the parts are only about $20. Heck, I'd pay you $20+shipping just so I could rebuild it and have a spare!

KuoH

Well, unfortunately, I already ordered a remanufactured pump for $100 and paid a $50 core... so I need to send them my old pump. I guess it's probably just the gaskets in my old pump that have started to fail, but I'm still scared to pull apart a component like that because I don't really have any professional tools (and I'm not really sure what goes into putting it back together if I disassemble it completely). I guess I should bite the bullet and buy some service manuals one of these days.

Well I guess it's too late now, but the SVX's PS pump doesn't require any special tools or a manual to rebuild. I just used the diagrams off subaruparts.com and an assortment of wrenches and other ordinary tools. About the only thing that I didn't have but could've used was a bench vise to hold the pump while tightening the bolts.

KuoH

There are two different types of pumps in the SVX - one for the system with electronic assist control (car speed sensitive) and one for a system with mechanical assist control (engine revs sensitive). Actually the pumps are almost the same only the valves are different.

If you do not know what are you getting in the rebuilt pump, take the valves out and compare them. If they are different - use the original valve.

A mechanical assist valve in an electronically controlled system would give you too little assistance on highway speeds - the car will feel like it does not have power steering at all (there is nothing dangerous about it, but steering will be on a heavy side).