# 89 GMC Power Steering Pump Alignment



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

89 3/4 ton w 350 4wd truck. I'm chew'n up belts on this old truck and I'm pretty sure it's the pulley on the power steering pump out of alignment. Steering works fine. I can't figure how to get to the pump to inspect. There's only one visible bolt on the back, the rest appear to be under the pulley. Do I need to and how do I pull the pulley?

Man I am miffed dangit!


----------



## chevboy167 (Dec 7, 2011)

Hello. U need one of these to remove the pulley from the pump. click on the link.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Performance...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item56477af9a2


----------



## chevboy167 (Dec 7, 2011)

Also check that all pumps, idlers, and tensioner spin freely. Check for proper spring tension from the tensioner. Inspect the harmonic balancer for wobble when engine idles. also inspect the groves of all driven pumps and/or the tensioner. Look for crud build up in the grove valleys. also any fluids that get on the belt, will shorten the lifespan and/or throw the belt. Hope you get her figured out!


----------



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

Guys, with the belt off, there is no play in the power steering pump shaft and the PS is working while driving. Clean grooves on all pulleys, taken apart n put back together, new alt, new watr pump, new idler. But when you look down the face of all the pulleys, the PS pulley looks canted, and thats the puley that the belt appears to be riding up on, thus torching the belt on the front facing side of the belt. 

Being that the PS is working (although torching belts), would this indicate that a bracket that holds the PS pump is bent?

Got the link for the tool, and thanks for the kind words. Merry Christmas.


----------



## chevboy167 (Dec 7, 2011)

Your very welcome. could be loose mounting bolts for the bracket. watch the pump and bracket for movement when some one turns the steering wheel fully lock to lock both ways with engine running at idle. if i remember right, ( not always), isnt the bracket aluminum? possibly cracked or broken?


----------



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

chevboy167;1390833 said:


> Your very welcome. could be loose mounting bolts for the bracket. watch the pump and bracket for movement when some one turns the steering wheel fully lock to lock both ways with engine running at idle. if i remember right, ( not always), isnt the bracket aluminum? possibly cracked or broken?


No aluminum brackets that I can see. All stamped steel brackets. Gonna involve a pulley puller at some point and a pair of expert eyes (the old man down the street). Might put it back together for the stress test like you mentioned before taking the pump off.

Thanks.


----------



## Snowzilla (Oct 24, 2009)

Plowcrack, 
I had this same exact problem about 6 yrs ago on an '89 K1500. Chewed through belts 1 after another. It's been a while but I did take pictures. I remember either bolts being broken off and missing down where the metal bracket the that holds the power steering pump to the engine block. I remember buying an entire new bracket at a chevy dealer. Its a big heavy bracket that goes around 1/2 the motor. Also remember having to use an ez-out to remove broken off bolt studs & some heat via torch. I'll attach some photos. Check to see if your bolets are missing there. It throws the alignment of the pulleys off.

I think I bought my power steering pulley remover at Harbor Freight. I can't find it on their site. But here is one similar at Northern Tool. Auto stores should carry or you can rent them. example: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200396080_200396080

Good luck. I'm retiring my '89 this year. Frame is getting too rusty in back.


----------



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

Snozilla, son of a gun that's it! Both bolts are.....MISSING! Or broken off. Just like in your pictures above. Ok this gonna b tricky but I'm determined to get it done before dinner tonight. Hopefully I can re-use the large bracket instead of going to the dealer for a new one.

Thanks


----------



## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

hey plow,,do you need the tool to get the pulley off?? im not super far from you i could lend a hand if you need 1 or 2 ?


----------



## Snowzilla (Oct 24, 2009)

plowcrack;1391011 said:


> Snozilla, son of a gun that's it! Both bolts are.....MISSING! Or broken off. Just like in your pictures above. Ok this gonna b tricky but I'm determined to get it done before dinner tonight. Hopefully I can re-use the large bracket instead of going to the dealer for a new one.
> 
> Thanks


Glad I could help. That's a strange one. It's kind of deceiving since the bolt heads are gone. I don't know if the left one in the photo is part of bracket that is cracked. Since it required removing the bracket for me I just went ahead and put a new one on. I thought the old one may be bent. It took some work because it hold the a/c compressor too. It should be possible to swing that out of the way connected. More than likely the heads are broke off and the stud is still in there. I think the right one came off by using a small vise grip & penetrating oil. The left one was broken off more flush in the block. I drilled and use an extractor. I was losing hope, but heated a little with a portable torch and eventually broke free.

fyi, I guess by left I meant top bolt, since I took that photo from side. I think part the bracket flange is cracked. Ya, I could probably welded mine and reused, but I just replaced to save time.. I think you may need a dealer to get those hard metric bolts.


----------



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

dieselss, awful generous of you buddy. Wound up not needing to pull the pulley or pump. We got her and thanks.

Snozilla, word for word exactly how this went for me minus the heat and the new dealer bracket. I detached the lines to the power steering pump and left the AC lines attached. With both the AC and PS pump still connected to the big bracket, they swung easily to the passenger side of the engine compartment and wire tied out of the way. Under the watchfull eye of my old friend, his set of reverse drill bits/extractors, vice grips, and a 12 pack of coors light, both of those buggers came out. Buddy even had a fist full of good bolts to select from. All bolt holes on the front of the block got re-taped, cleaned, and everything gets never siezed. Reassembled loosely for now because we had to cruise out for Christmas dinner and football at our friends. I might go ahead and tighten things up tonight and start adding accys back to the big bracket, but I gotta make sure at some point I check NORAD's Santa Tracker.

Cant thank you all enough for the help. Really had a Christmas miracle getting those broken bolts out.

Merry Christmas all.


----------



## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

No prob. Just trying to help out where I can..glad it sounds like it was easy?


----------



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

dieselss;1391652 said:


> No prob. Just trying to help out where I can..glad it sounds like it was easy?


Naw not easy, time consuming.


----------



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

Success. Everything back together and had a good 50 mile test flight on the highway today. 

Thanks again everybody.


----------

