Power steering pump failure.

[Billy81]

Last week i replaced the steering box and the power steering pump on my 76 chevy truck they were 38 years old and pretty worn out. I also replaced the tie rods, idler Arm and the pitman arm with all new Moog parts because i only wanted to do this job once. Everything had been running just fine for the last few days the steering was nice and tight almost like a new truck, i was a pretty happy guy.
Well today i was pulling out of my driveway when all of a sudden the steering wheel got almost impossible to turn and i could smell burning rubber. So i get out and pop the hood and see that the power steering pulley was rubbing on the fan belt i thought maybe the bolts had come loose and the pump moved. I checked the bolts and they were nice and tight so i am standing there thinking what the heck it's all new stuff and was working just fine yesterday. So i decide to pull the pump off so i could check the brackets and as soon as i get the belt off the pulley just falls off with the shaft still inside it. I have never had a pump fall apart on me like this before but like a lot of parts these days it was not remanufactured in the USA. It was a Master Pro reman pump i got from O'Reilly's and the box said it was from Mexico. I already traded in my old pump for the core charge so looks like i will be returning this one to O'Reilly's for another one. I knew i should of held onto my old pump it just needed new seals but i was getting lazy and just wanted to get my truck back on the road.

[old Rusty C10]

they may still have the old pump id try and get the old one back and either bring it to a rebuilder or reseal it

[Billy81]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

they may still have the old pump id try and get the old one back and either bring it to a rebuilder or reseal it

I tried that but unfortunately the guy that picks up the cores already took it a couple of day's ago. I went to return the broken pump today but they don't have any in stock to exchange it with. So i have to wait for them to get one in on Monday.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I've never seen a failed pump before. They were made to be...fail resilient...to the extreme.
Damn. Don't think I will get a new pump for mine now

[DirtyLarry]

That's not really that uncommon of Saginaw p/s pump failure. Years ago when working at my dad’s shop I remember changing a few Saginaw pumps like that where the pump shaft broke and the belt was the only thing holding the shaft in the pump. I’ve also seen brand new trucks with Saginaw pumps that did the same thing under warranty. That is not to say Saginaw pumps are no good, because they is not the case. Saginaw pumps are actually be best ones ever used but they can break too. Heck, in recent history I've seen brand new ZF power steering pumps on medium duty trucks my company builds break in the same fashion and it makes for one hell of a mess too. Poop happens.

P/S fluid with water contamination that has frozen is the most common cause for shaft breakage. FWIW, old Saginaw pumps work best with ATF apposed to actual power steering fluid. If you used the dime store parts store powersteering fluid as well could have caused this if the truck sat out and froze. Cheap P/S fluid can be just as bad as contaminated good ATF. I've seen a few P/S cooler lines blow off due to cheap P/S fluid freezing. The line blows off if your lucky, if your not lucky....the pump can break. Not all pump failures can be attributed to fluid but a great deal of them certainly are.

I wouldn’t be worried about “Hencho en Mexico” parts though. Typically, Mexico quality is on par with Canada and USA. It’s the Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian and Eastern European parts you should avoid.

[Billy81]

Actually the shaft isn't broken it looks like it just fell out as if the person who rebuilt it forgot something. I have never rebuilt one of these pumps so i am not 100% sure if that shaft is pressed in or held in with a clip?

[DirtyLarry]

You could always pull the reservoir off of the pump and see if there is a retainer laying inside. I believe there is some kind of clip that holds it in. I can’t tell if the shaft is broke towards the end or if the clip just came off. Could be either way. Regardless, I would be going back and asking for a new one.