brokedown
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- St. Louis, MO
I know most of this information can be found if you search long enough, but I'm hoping that this post makes it easier for the next guy who experiences the joy of how I've just spent my morning!
There are a few reasons to end up needing to remove your power steering pump pulley, and they all revolve around that darn bracket. The pump bolts to the bracket in 3 places. You might need to remove the pulley because your bracket broke and you either repaired or replaced it, or maybe because the bolts that hold the pump to the bracket came lose, broke, or just flat disappeared. Maybe, like me, it was both reasons.
I used the Harbor Freight pulley tool. It's HF part #40749, and I spent $13 on it. It is relatively easy to use, although the documentation isn't exactly reassuring, and it can remove and install the pulley. To use it, I used a 1/2 drive 1/2 inch socket, and a crescent wrench. A 13/16 inch wrench would have replaced the crescent wrench.
The key to using the tool successfully appears to be lubrication. I've read reports of people breaking the tools in use after not lubricating them. I used silicon lubricant liberally on the tool, as well as on the pulley and pulley shaft.
This is the 3rd time I've had to mess with the power steering pump in the last 2 months, and I went to great lengths to avoid removing the pulley, expecting it to be difficult and/or expensive. Now I feel dumb for not doing it right the first time. Taking the pulley off gives you plenty of room to properly tighten, thread-lock, and for good measure even spot weld those bolts in place.
There are a few reasons to end up needing to remove your power steering pump pulley, and they all revolve around that darn bracket. The pump bolts to the bracket in 3 places. You might need to remove the pulley because your bracket broke and you either repaired or replaced it, or maybe because the bolts that hold the pump to the bracket came lose, broke, or just flat disappeared. Maybe, like me, it was both reasons.
I used the Harbor Freight pulley tool. It's HF part #40749, and I spent $13 on it. It is relatively easy to use, although the documentation isn't exactly reassuring, and it can remove and install the pulley. To use it, I used a 1/2 drive 1/2 inch socket, and a crescent wrench. A 13/16 inch wrench would have replaced the crescent wrench.
The key to using the tool successfully appears to be lubrication. I've read reports of people breaking the tools in use after not lubricating them. I used silicon lubricant liberally on the tool, as well as on the pulley and pulley shaft.
This is the 3rd time I've had to mess with the power steering pump in the last 2 months, and I went to great lengths to avoid removing the pulley, expecting it to be difficult and/or expensive. Now I feel dumb for not doing it right the first time. Taking the pulley off gives you plenty of room to properly tighten, thread-lock, and for good measure even spot weld those bolts in place.
