This can be a tricky job so I spend a lot of time on each step of the job I just completed. I link to two related videos: 1) Replace the reservoir and 2) Use a pulley installation kit.
Some added tips, I bought a tie rod puller tool which is cheap to pop the windshield wipers off and really you are best to remove the whole windshield wiper shroud to do this job give you so much more room and you can come in from the top. Also the new o rings if you replace them I used a butter knife to get them off. That low pressure line going into the pump that fitting piece uses 5mm allen 6 sided bit wrench to take off and I recommend taking the pump out then trying to remove it not when its on the car. Also the rear high pressure line going into the pump uses 16 mm wrench you should take that off before removing the 3 screws holding the pump in or you prob not get it off you need the pump held in place to remove that nut I just was able do it by hand just make sure your turning it right way it wasn't hard to get off. Also the three 13 mm bolts that hold pump in I got lose by hand they were not hard to move just hard to get at and you can actually see two of them from above if you remove the power steering shroud. The whole shroud comes off in about 30 min the hardest part is popping the wiper blades off is why I used tie rod puller tool for this and be careful not to damage your windshield. The only other hardest part so far is changing the pulley, pulling it off the old one and putting on the new one, autozone has a good kit for pulling and installing the pulley and they have a video on autozone website to show you how to use it. It was hard to break the pulley lose but I did all by hand you can remove the pulley and put new one by hand it takes a little getting used to but when okay once I broke the pulley lose removing old one. Other option buy a new pulley and just press it on the new pump.
It's more than a tricky job. If you have significant aging and rust on your vehicle, be ready to fight with mounting bolts, clamps and other beasts. I hesitate to criticize instructional videos that volunteers take the time to make and upload; there are some very good suggestions in this one. But Doug made a critical decision at 9:05 only 1% of DIYers would do and that affects practically everything that follows, by removing AC drier canister from a discharged AC system in order to get at the pump. How many viewers have an already-discharged AC system, or would even think that discharging the system would give them an opportunity to change the ps puimp? Removing the wiper cowling and tray is much easier than fiddling with AC and that's what I should've done at the start. I got my wipers loose with a standard puller, and the two pieces are standalone parts that come off with just a few bolts, opening access to the pump fittings and, possibly, the high pressure line fitting to the rack (if you have very long arms). With the canister out of the way, Doug now is able to get the pump to "drop down" to the bottom of the frame, something that I simply could not do at all. Getting in from above with the cowl removed is the way to go. I think he also underestimates the effort to get the high pressure line fitting off the pump. Mine was frozen, and I mean totally frozen, to the pump. Struggling with it eventually damaged the line, forcing me to cut it to free the pump. The high pressure fitting into the steering rack is an engineering nightmare, as one reply has pointed out. On my '07 Caravan, it's tucked just under the return line in a small piston-like tower deep underneath the steering column, wedged against the driver side wall and absolutely impossible to reach without pulling the entire suspension carriage or somehow snaking an extra-long 18mm flarenut wrench among the heater hoses and brake lines down onto the fitting . I finally turned that job over to a mechanic with a hoist and special tools. I think that there are better pulley pullers than the claw-like ones that grab and pull the pulley (I used OEMTools 27031, which worked very well www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014WH9SY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Finally, this project doesn't produce just "drips" of fluid. No matter how well you drain the system, there's fluid in there and it gets on everything, including the pulleys run by the drive belt. Expect the belt to slip if you don't get it clean. Dodge really messed up the design of this ps system on these older minivans.
I had this done on my 1993 Voyager. It wasn't any easier, and this was before the days of the "cab forward" design that moved a lot of stuff under the cowl.
You did everything the hard way. Pulling the wipers and cowl tray literally takes 10 minutes. There's no reason to crawl around under the car to do this. With the cowl off this is actually fairly easy. I'm not sure why you wouldn't pop the clamp on the return hose and just slip it off rather than fighting with that allen screw on the flange. Once again this seems like the hard way to me. It should be noted that the pressure line fittings are very tight on these cars and insanely easy to cross thread. It's very hard to get them started straight working from the top, I wouldn't want to try it from under the car. You will need to get under the car to handle the serpentine belt installation, obviously.
Remove the wish wipers off the wiper assembly and top motor mount makes job lot easier and faster changed many of these also replace the power steering pump pulley they are plastic and 9 out of 10 times the pulley has hairline cracks and that is the real problem but you have to remove pump to change pulley never change pump without changing pulley it cracks and will be stripped
Meineke just did ours...still makes noise when turned all the way. Claim there is air in the system. I asked why they didnt bleed it and they said they did. Then tried blamming me for replacing the alternator, idler, and belt tensioner...I'm like they only bolt on one way and there is no pully adjustments like in the old days of sliding a alternator on a bracket. They refuse to do anything and say its fixed
May I ask you why you replaced it? I have just niose coming out of it when engine is cold but no issues other yet. I replaced the reservoir but it did not help. Is this could be a problem to drive like this? I have heard people had an accidents because of this issues when power steering fails as they can not brake property.
The only question I have was the noise yours was making before installing the new pump. I have a squeal and not sure if it’s the PS pump bearing or not? No wine on mine. I changed the idler, tensioner pullies and belt but still a squealing noise.
Thanks for the comment. The only whine or squeal I'm aware of from an engine is the steering pump. It's quite an annoying sound, like a small child can be irritating. I think you could likely isolate it by opening the hood and getting as close to the pump as possible.
2002 dodge caravan 3.3 keeps blowing off power steering hose at the cooling fins under car,do you know if the power steering pump is bad? A pressure relief valve stuck ?
Very detailed video - thanks! Looks like a real PITA job. I just replaced the reservoir thinking it was a possible clogged screen, but it still whines, so it's got to be the pump. About how long did it take you for this job from finish to end?
Knowing everything that I've learned, I'd say 3+ hours. If the pump was easily accessible it would be quite straightforward, but I spent so much time just trying to get a wrench of those bolts.
Great video Doug, thanks for making it... so @ 14:35 you say you are using a ratcheting wrench, it's ratcheted on the open end? I have sets of these style wrenches but never seen the open end part ratchet. Thumbs up! 👍🏼 PS I saw the Canadian Tire (Maser-craft) screwdriver and the Eliminator Battery so I knew you were from 🇨🇦Eh! :)
Thanks for the comments. Good guess on location :) I think my wrenches are all from Canadian Tire and they're designed like non-ratcheting wrenches with open and closed ends.
An update: I bought the metric ratcheting open end set the other day from CT, man they were pricey! $125! BUT the set didn't have the 16mm just the 18mm. The 16mm is needed for the top fitting. I managed to cut a cheap (princess auto) 16mm open end wrench with my metal cutting chop saw and It was short enough to fit in. A small piece of pipe helped to get some leverage on the bolt from below. Then from the top I could unthread it. I did this a couple days ago, I still need to install the new line. I'll see if CT sells individual wrenches so I can get the missing 16mm...
Hey Doug, I don't know if you'll see this after all this time but at 15:10 you mention an open ended ratcheting wrench? I know the closed end ratchets but does the open end ratchet as well on the ones you have? I don't think I've seen any like that and can't imagine how they would even work. Did I just not understand something? Thanks
What year is your Grand Caravan so I can see if this video is applicable to my vehicle. I'm unsure how to gain access to my pump on my 2011 with 3.6l motor. Thank you!
My question why the hell use a pry bar to remove of the serpentine belt just use a three-quarter inch breaker bar there's a slot right in the back for it very easy to get don't even have to take the tire off
@@DougBrownVancouver I didn't say that they hit deer and it busted the power steering resivior and it has been sounding like it was coming apart at power steering pump
@@kennethqueen7783 I see. I think the steering pump is under severe pressure because there's no lubrication. It could seize up. What kind of deer? Whitetail or mule?
I managed to get the pump removed, low pressure line removed, but the high pressure line is NOT breaking loose. I have given it all I have in me, and all I have to show for it is bloody knuckles and numerous scratches down both arms. Any advice on how to break this thing loose? Would it be better to reinstall the pump, then try to break it loose? Or should I just reinstall and sell the blasted thing? :-) Any advice would be appreciated.
+Nora Wininger I did it both ways. First, I unbolted it so it was loose, but found (like you did) that you need a good grip on the pump to get that line off. I had to reach way up in the back of the engine and couldn't get enough power on the wrench. So I put the pump back on like you're suggesting but couldn't get a wrench on it due to the angles. I wound up unbolting it again and pulling it all the way down to the rear of the engine. Then I got under the car where I got the pump pressed up snugly against the metal frame, and I was able to get a wrench on it with one hand while firmly grasping it with the other. It broke loose, but it didn't need superhuman strength like you need when unbolting a lug nut etc. Hope that helps in some way?
+Doug Brown I did as you suggested, and at first, I thought the wrench slipped off when it finally broke loose. But yes, was able to undo it by hand after it broke loose. Now to get the new one back in...
I also reattached both lines to the new pump by feeding it back down to the bottom of the engine. I couldn't manage to get the high pressure line in without looking at it and threading it properly. When both lines were reattached I fed it back up to the top and bolted it in, which was straightforward.
Thanks for Posting . Don't know if I want to try this or take it to a shop . Would you have ANY rough estimate on the cost if done at a shop ? ( Not the DealerShip ) . Thanks .
+Ka Zak It really depends where you live. I would start by calling the dealer because they have a fixed price for everything and it's a good start. Then just call up a few garages and they'll definitely tell you, if they'r respectable. Good Luck.
Pep Boys, the same bunch who lied 3 times about having adjusted the camber on my vehicle (they never even touched it) during an alignment and two subsequent re-do jobs, said before the alignment that they would charge $680.00 to replace the power steering pump. I got my whole steering rack and pump replaced on this for $600.00 with parts included at a body shop.
Thanks for the info Rema . Yea ,, now ,, whenever I take my vehicle's in for any service anywhere else than the garage and mechanic I've known for years ,,, I want them to SHOW me what's wrong .
How did you get the other end of the high pressure hose detached from the power steering rack ? I need to replace the hose and can get access to the rear of the pump but have absolutely no room to undo the other end. I tried accessing it from underneath and was able to get a 18 mm wrench on it but have not room to move it. Any suggestions or special tools that you used ?
Are you talking about the section starting at 13:05? Before that section I show how to use an Allen bit to loosen the bolt that secures one of the lines. At 13:05 I say that you can attempt to get at the threaded, high pressure line but you have to do it by feel. If you do it from below you either need a super long wrench (I don't have) or you unbolt the pump and bring it down where you can get a wrench on it. That's what i did and it's in the video. Good luck.
18mm flared crowsfoot can get in there. Use a long extension to manipulate it. If you maximize your loosening rotation and it isn't seized horribly it isn't too bad to get out. I am here trying to figure out how to get the new high pressure hose back in. Thinking I will have to take off the line above it, but I have big hands and can't thread it in.
I often look up a replacement part online then look for the part's specs. If not, you can probably call someone at a parts shop and get them to measure for you. They're generally pretty helpful if you're pleasant.
