power steering gearbox and pump

[454HO]

Is there anything I should do to the gearbox while I have it off the truck, besides cleaning the gunk off, painting it and replacing the rag joint? Are there any seals or wear items that I should check? It seemed to work fine except for a bad fluid leak which I think was the high pressure hose. I do have a new hose.

And for the pump, same question... anything I should do to it while it's off the truck? I do want to replace the pulley. It has a bad dent on the inside belt groove and will throw the belt. How do I get the pulley off? It looks like a press fit and I may need a special puller.

[boxrodz]

I'm not too sure whether or not any seals or o-rings can be replaced without disturbing the worm thrust bearing adjustment.

Yeah, you're right about the pulley. It is pressed in and requires a special tool. You local auto parts store may 'loan' out the pulley remover/installer tool or Harbor Freight sells one for about $10. The second time I installed a pulley using the tool, I used an impact wrench. Being careful, I only wanted to press it in another 32th of an inch. Well, I ended up shearing off the bolt used in tool kit. Oh well, there's an advantage in using 'weak' tools sometimes. BTW, if your power steering pump has a lot of wear and tear, you may want to think about replacing it.