• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Rebuild or replace power steering pump

stev

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2022
Location
Orange, CA
So I am rearranging my accessory pullies on my B230 and I am changing from the 92+ integrated pump style to the 85-91 separate pump and reservoir style. I haven't bought the pump yet but I am not sure whether I should just buy a junkyard pump or buy new. I can't find any rebuild kits for the pump but I don't want to buy a whole new pump if it's going to be the same as a rebuilt junkyard one. Or do they just not go bad?
 
You'd need a 1985-90 pump. 1991 cars had the integral reservoir pump. I'm assuming you're going to the late 940 regina fuel system B230 accessory layout with the alternator and AC compressor on the distributor side of the block and the PS pump near the oil filter? If so, it might just be easier to get the parts from a 700 or 900 series car with a B230 engine. You'll need to rebend the lines where they mate to the rack, since the 7/9 series cars have the rack under the crossmember, instead of in front of it.
 
How is that pump compared to the older used style pumps? I?m just going to go buy a pump off a junkyard car that isn?t leaking if it isn?t worth buying a new one.
 
I bought the guts to a Saginaw at advanced auto I believe for about $65.00

I think I was three or four remanufactured Saginaw pumps deep from advanced before I went the GM type II style pump. They didn?t leak but for some reason the axial movement of the drive shaft in those things were quite excessive and the noise those pumps made drove me nuts.

A good used one is a viable option. That is what I did on my winter beater 245 and it lasted a couple of years before I sold the car.
 
... for some reason the axial movement of the drive shaft in those things were quite excessive and the noise those pumps made drove me nuts.

I am at my limit with Saginaw pumps for the same reason. I took one off a car where it was driven from the AC pump, and was silent, to replace one that was rattly on a car with the non-AC mounting. The replacement pump made the very same noise as the one it replaced, once in its new environment.:grrr:


https://www.tuffstuffperformance.com...universal.html

smoothdurban, that page shows about 60 different pumps, some of which just have different finishes. Would you care to specify which one you chose, and why? Also, did you get your pulley from them? I don't see any V-belt pulleys there.

Thanks for any info
 
The rattly issue with the Saginaw P-type PS pumps is due to the bracketry. Usually the rear bracket, which fails with regularity. Even the intact brackets will rattle. If you run the engine at 2000 rpm underhood, you'll see the pump rocking back and forth as it makes the rattling sound. When I converted my original 242 over to AC, the rattly pump became silent.

With respect to the Saginaw GM type II pumps used on the later cars, you'll need to source the pulley from a 1985-on 240, 700, or 900 with a B230. Same with the bracketry and hoses. 1991-93 240s (and possibly the B234 powered 7/9 series cars) use the integral reservoir that sits on top of the type II pump and use different hoses, since they don't have the separate reservoir.
 
I am at my limit with Saginaw pumps for the same reason. I took one off a car where it was driven from the AC pump, and was silent, to replace one that was rattly on a car with the non-AC mounting. The replacement pump made the very same noise as the one it replaced, once in its new environment.:grrr:


https://www.tuffstuffperformance.com...universal.html

smoothdurban, that page shows about 60 different pumps, some of which just have different finishes. Would you care to specify which one you chose, and why? Also, did you get your pulley from them? I don't see any V-belt pulleys there.

Thanks for any info


The pump I ordered was this one.

https://www.tuffstuffperformance.com/i-24486101-type-ii-alum-power-steering-pump-an-6-and-an-10-fittings-m8x1-25-threaded-hole-mounting-aluminum-for-street-rods-custom-vehicles-w-limited-engine-space-factory-cast-plus-6175al-2.html?ref=category:1267415

The main reason I chose it was it had metric threaded mounting holes and pressure outlet side pointed towards the engine which worked with my ps pressure line.

As for the pulley I ordered it from summit. it was a 5.5" press fit but I cant seem to find the exact one I ordered but it fit perfectly. I also replaced the low pressure an fitting with a swivel AN. It was the same swivel AN fitting Josh uses on his vented valve cover caps.

As I mentioned earlier going this way was not cheap but for me it was worth it to get rid of that annoying rattle.

They do sell a reservoir as well although I didnt grab it

https://www.tuffstuffperformance.com/i-24486125-type-ii-power-steering-pump-reservoir-incl-twist-cap-w-built-in-dipstick-2-mounting-clips-o-ring-3-8-in-od-return-tube-gm-pressure-port-fitting-6175ares.html?ref=category:1267413
 
Good info; thanks to both of you.

I am going to reveal my ignorance here: not having spent significant time under the hood of a late 240, I am gathering that this GM typeII pump is what was standard on late 240's?
 
Correct. Was used on all B230 cars. Both in a remote reservoir configuration from 1985-1990 on 240 series, and most 700 and 900 series cars; and in an integral reservoir configuration from 1991-93 on 240 series cars, as well as the whiteblock cars, but with a serpentine belt pulley.
 
So I ended up buying a pump and its bracketry off of a 89' 740 in the junkyard and have learned a few things. Make sure you check to see if the belt pulley is in line with the water pump pulley. Apparently it is common for the 740/940 cars to have bent power steering brackets that bolt onto the pump due to too much belt tension causing the belt to not be lined up with the other pulleys. So I am either going to un bend mine or live with it until I go to the junkyard next and try to find an unbent bracket.

But now the pump I bought is leaking at the return (low pressure) side and am just going to rebuild/reseal it. So I am under the impression that all type II Gm pumps are virtually the same on the inside so any seal kit will work? Was trying to get the car assembled this week but going to have to be delayed. And probably should of put this maintenance and non performance section my bad.

hpFRseH.png
 
Last edited:
You just need the pressure regulator valve & hose fitting for the volvoid as well as the metric threaded housing with the relevant bolt holes tapped. Once in a while the housings too worn?

Sometime ?85 the bypass pressure increased bit & directional valve on the rack got stiffer on some of them (like 4 racks per year & -?78 14mm spline & ?79+ 19mm spline :roll:)

I just use/recombine guts from random chevys in OE quality early or late/no care except the pulley, housing, hose bits & pressure bypass valve & spring i press off & had to recycle from the Volvo?
I think with the late model square reservoir pump on the 240s the guts from the white block pump work even (not the pulley but gears & seals, yes!)

The rare bear (in USA & Canada) ?85-only non-a/c bracket doesn?t have any hooptie bushings to go bad & works reliably?
No mess or hoses/single belt stupid 7/9 accessory setups, can be made to work with the 91-93 pump with alternate stamped steel arms/clocking.
Re-use your low side rack banjo & low pressure hose, careful of the plastic hose barb on the integrated reservoir pump?


The early ?76-?84 bracket you basically have to straighten out the top 2 holes & make a reinforcing sleeve beteeen the top bushings with large diameter flexy thin stainless washers welded to the sleeve & use one long bolt up top with some sort of lock nut.

Then, the stupid thing will work seemingly without shattering or further babysitting with with OE rubber bushings in decent shape (raid the n/a 7/9s for dry under stressed bushings under the alt that doesn?t leakon the dead a/c compressor not doing much on -?92 models on cool weather pnw cars & flip them around/put some industrial heat shrink around them as needed / poly bushings too bouncy?) & get the right sized belt and some loc-tite for the bolts between the ?77-?84 Saginaw Pump & stamped steel arms . :roll:

You can usually find a Saginaw tear drop pump that?s still good/tight under the hood of a bunch of junkyard cars / grandmas & grandpas Oldsmobile with a serp belt & 50k miles on the SBC 4.3, 305 & 350 that gets driven to the bingo hall gently.
 
I repaired mine taking apart one with an external reservoir. They are practically the same, only difference is the backplate which sometimes differs in diameter (if i remember correctly), but the internals are interchangeable. At least this is what i understood from what i found locally.

If you ignore the parts you see in the dotted box of the diagram, you have the diagram of the remote reservoir pump.
 
Back
Top