power steering options

[blue thunder]

I just replaced my rack and pinion with a remanufactured unit from the steering store. The tight steering did not change so I need to replace my power steering pump as well. Do I have any other options to get a quality unit without paying Subaru prices. I checked 1st subaru prices and they're around 333.40. I haven't inquired what the labor charge is. I need to get an alignment as well, I'm now getting vibration when driving and shaking when braking. There goes the christmas money. Any feedback or wisdom would be great.

Mike

[Noir]

Originally posted by blue thunder
I just replaced my rack and pinion with a remanufactured unit from the steering store. The tight steering did not change so I need to replace my power steering pump as well. Do I have any other options to get a quality unit without paying Subaru prices. I checked 1st subaru prices and they're around 333.40. I haven't inquired what the labor charge is. I need to get an alignment as well, I'm now getting vibration when driving and shaking when braking. There goes the christmas money. Any feedback or wisdom would be great.

Mike

whoa, the pump is $330 from subaru????

[dcarrb]

Subaruparts.com shows $395.

dcb

[Noir]

Originally posted by dcarrb
Subaruparts.com shows $395.

dcb

<Noir passes out.>

never thought they were that expensive. i tried bleeding the air out of my pump, but the whining noise is still there. when i cut the car off, air bubbles up from the reservior.

btw-it may take me a few days to deposit the check. i kinda misplaced it somewhere in the house.

[blue thunder]

I went ahead and paid the piper. No power steering takes almost all the exhileration out of driving. All told the re-manufactured rack and pinion, labor and next day air cost 534.00. The P/S pump I ordered today plus labor and next day shipping will cost around $500.00. Also a four wheel alignment tommorrow if possible. I have replaced almost every major component except any major engine work at least once with only 86,000 miles. But the car is paid for and I like having no monthly payments. At least not to a bank that is. Hopefully tuesday the steering will feel like new.

P.S When my rack started leaking I put in the Lucas stop leak in the P/S reservoir (two bottles) thinking I'm saving money but I think I damaged the pump because of the difference in viscosity. Just a little nugget to anyone getting the smoking effect from a leaking rack.

Mike

I put in a little StopLeak PS fluid into my PS reservoir a while back to hopefully stop my rack from leaking. It worked, though my steering wheel has gotten a little harder to turn (not much, so I'm not that worried about it). I need to replace my entore steering system sans wheel anyway and I figure reconditioning the seals bought me another couple months at least.

BTW: NOT recommending that anyone do this, the only reason I did was because my boots were held on by bailing wire when I bought the car, so WTFever, right?

[Beav]

Many OEMs use wire to secure the boots - nothing wrong with that. Some use clamps, some use nothing at all.

Nothing wrong with Lucas either, in the proper proportion. It was never intended to be used as a replacement for ATF or p/s fluid, only as an additive. I've used it on many cars and have watched others use it as well and it has done a good job for us.

Hard to believe a car with only 86k on it had such a catastrophic steering failure. Very atypical.

[immortal_suby]

Originally posted by Noir




<Noir passes out.>

never thought they were that expensive. i tried bleeding the air out of my pump, but the whining noise is still there. when i cut the car off, air bubbles up from the reservior.

btw-it may take me a few days to deposit the check. i kinda misplaced it somewhere in the house.

Harry - you've already done the O-ring fix, haven't you?

[blue thunder]

I had been driving for around a year with the boots split open under the rack and leaking alot at first until I used the Lucas product. Then last week the steering lost the power assisted and became stiff. Still driveable but not much fun. So I figured its time to replace the rack. I had the rack replaced but the problem didn't change. The dealer says its the P/S pump. So I have that scheduled for replacement on Tues. The previous rack may have been driveable with just a P/S change. I don't know. They said the fluid was low. I regularly checked that and know it wasn't. So what caused the steering to tighten up I'm not sure. I'm hoping with the new P/S pump the problem will go away. Also, for people buying parts online 1st Subaru parts.com is always a few dollars cheaper than Subaru parts.com. Compare for yourself.


Thanks for the feedback.
Mike