p/steering pump "growling"

ok ... the p/s pump on my 87 4.0L limited is making a nasty loud growling noise... works fine... i have never heard this kind of noise regarded as "normal" but the previous owner said it has done it for 2 yrs since he bought it.. and another friend says he knew of 2 other XJ's that made the same sound... works fine though i can spin the wheel with 1 finger.. i think its shot... or is this just one of those "jeep things" ? i dont like it and will replace it but just thought i'd throw the question out there for ya....
TIA...
mike

have you tried getting the air out of the system?

My pump makes plenty of weird noises, cause its got a slow leak, so im always refilling it (im in the process of getting a new reservoir, but as of now its got a small crack in it), and because of this, theres sometimes air in my system. Makes a growling type noise because of this...

never thought of that.... the resevior is full to the top and i was going to try to change out the fluid.. no leaks in my system though.. how do you purge air from the system?? ive never heard of this...

sidriptide,

First off having the reservoir full it not a good thing, look at the dip stick on the cap and make sure you are at the "cold" level after the vehicle has sat over night, if there more fluid suck some out until you are at the cold line.

In April I changed my power steering hoses on my 88 XJ. I had sucked the fluid out of my reservoir 3 times and it still came out black. I concluded I may have hoses breaking down on the inside. Figured after 15 years they had served well.

I went to my local parts store and got a new set of hoses. I had to wait till the next morning for the pressure hoses to show up but still in time for my project. Don't forget to pick up a couple of 3/4" hose clamps for the new return line.

The new hoses came with a cap for the reservoir nipple. I changed out the pressure hose, you will need a 18 mm and a 5/8" flare wrench to loosen and tighten the fittings.

You replace the pressure line then install the new return line to the steering box. I then fished the new return line out and stuck it into a empty 2 liter soda bottle. I brough 2 with me and used both before I was done.

The manuals say to put the front wheels up in the air and support then on jack stands then turn on the engine and turn the wheel left to right to purge the old fluid out.

I did start the engine and made sure I had fluid in the lines since they were new hoses then I turned off the engine and had a buddy cycle the steering wheel left and right.

I did this and keep filling the reservoir and looking at the fluid to come out. The fluid went from coffee, to cream soda to clear in color. It took me 3 quarts of fluid to get to the clean fluid. I then hooked up the return line to the reservoir and filled it to the "cold" line. I ran the engine for a couple of minutes to get the air out then topped it off to the cold mark.

I know it helped out the steering system and may get rid of the noise, no guarentee. I noticed my steering box was a little different in feel but not sure how to describe it.

Also, when you buy power steering fluid look on the back of the bottle and make sure it says it meets the GM and Chrysler power steering fluid spec, if it does buy it. I have seen some "generic" power steering fluid without any certification info on the bottle.

I used 4 quarts of power steering fluid doing my change out, highly recommend it.

Martin

I just changed the box in my MJ. When everything was all connected again, most of the fluid was gone from the box and pump reservoir. I filled the pump once, started the engine and cycled the pump, then shut it off and checked. It was VERY low again, so I filled to the COLD mark, capped it, and went for a test drive.

I heard lots of growling noises, loudest when turning but there all the time. When I got back, I opened the reservoir and it was almost emply again, and foamed. I filled it again and let it sit over night. No more noises.

The noises could be a sign of a failing pump, or could indicate cavitation and foam in the fluid.

well it doesnt look like you missed anything there between the three of you... i am only beginning to address the underhood issues , master cyl yesterday.. p/s is next.. 250000 miles, i would say somethings due to be replaced....
mike

It's not clear from the first post whether the growling is constant, or just when turning. If it's constant, it might be time for a new pump. My 95 just had this problem, and it's obvious that something very serious was going wrong inside the pump. No effect on steering, but if you put your finger on the pump, you could feel the roughness .

oh its all the time.. louder than the engine at idle... nasty vibrations in the pump and the good ole B F screwdriver stethoscope time for new.... definatley going OEM on that part... F reconditioned! i cant wait to see what comes out of it.. was odd that 3 different people told me the same thing.. so i figured id throw the Q out to the people who actually know these things the best.... its on my "issues" list right below "think of a way to pay for this" and right above "find a woman who will finance my addiction"
thanx guys
mike

sidriptide said:

oh its all the time.. louder than the engine at idle... nasty vibrations in the pump and the good ole B F screwdriver stethoscope time for new.... definatley going OEM on that part... F reconditioned! i cant wait to see what comes out of it.. was odd that 3 different people told me the same thing.. so i figured id throw the Q out to the people who actually know these things the best.... its on my "issues" list right below "think of a way to pay for this" and right above "find a woman who will finance my addiction"
thanx guys
mike

Click to expand...

I haven't opened up my old one either, but I'm curious to find out what it was that went. Let us know if you do.