Steering...humph.....tooo...urg.....TIGHT!!!

[3rdGenMartyr]

A couple months back i noticed that my power steering was slipping in and out. Well, now it is just out.... unfortunately the power steering pump works like a champ, but i turns tighter than a manual steering, and i dont know what would cause it....

i thought of a couple of things but the most confusing of them all is the speed control sensor, is that for the speed of the car or to tell the power steering to tighten up, if it's the latter then would this sensor going out cause my problem with turning the wheel....

im not joking either, when i back out of the drive way, or start turning at a dead stop, im 2 fisting it to get it straight.... it's killing my arms and probably isnt good for the rack so any help, especially immediate help, would be greatly appreciated

[anchovies]

How do you know the steering pump is working like a champ? Did you check the belt?
It is intermittent?

[3rdGenMartyr]

i unhooked the main pressure line going into the pump and when i turned the car on, out it came, all over my nicely painted parts, i've thought about it being the belt, but the a\c still works fine, even though it is gettting cold, and theyre on the same belt, arent they?, ill double check, i just have a gut feeling it's something stupid, but since me nor any of my friends have had power steering like this before, we dont exactly know what makes it work the way it does with speed sensitivity

how do you mean intermittent, im not sure i follow you on that one

[AZmike]

The speed sensor only reduces the assist at higher speeds. It would not cause the problem that you are having. Just because the pump is moving fluid doesn't mean it can generate the pressures your PS system runs at (1200-1400 psi).

Did you unhook the pressure line coming OUT of the pump? There is no pressure line going into the the pump--the pump is what creates the pressure.

Check PSF level and belt tension. The a/c runs off a separate belt. Check the one that only runs to the PS pump.

By intermittent anchovies meant do you sometimes have assist or does it never work?

[3rdGenMartyr]

it used to help out a bit, but now it just lets me do all the work,

there is plenty of fluid in the resovior, and i only had to add some when i shot it all over the valve cover and exhaust manifold, the belt seems to be tight enough, but ill double check....

is there anyway to tesy the pump without taking it out

[AZmike]

When I was having trouble with my pump (turned out to be a bad pulley seal) I got another one from from a good savage yard that accepted returns and tried it out.