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WJ steering pump install

XJNoah

XJNoah

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fayetteville, Ar
Ok lets see if you can follow me. I've got the wj steering pump installed in my xj. Well lets say its physically installed but not working for crap.

Its whining like crazy and I've bled over and over again. I am really hoping its not the pump. Here is what I'm thinking.

When changing over to the wj pump I changed the fitting on the wj pump to the xj one. The only difference is the inside diameter and the xj one fits the xj hose. In doing so I drilled out the xj fitting to match the wj one. Some how that got messed up maybe? Looks good to me.

Its acting kind of like its not getting enough power steering fluid. When I rev it when steering feels like its working ,but when I'm stopped it feels like I have no power steering at all. All the time it is whining and especially when I rev it.

Any ideas from the all knowing naxja community would be helpful. Thanks!
 
If you JUST did it, let it sit a bit and see if it is better. I'm not familiar with that specific pump, but many when first fired up and filled will fill the fluid in the resivoir with little bubbles causing pretty much the exact problem you are describing. The fluid is thick enough it takes a good while for the bubbles to rise to the top and get the air out of the fluid.
-Aaron
 
Well I did it yesterday. Its not my dd so I will let it sit a few days and see what happens.
 
my first guess would be air in the system. i know that sometimes its a SOB to get bleed out. have you tried to bleed the ps system? if so how? is the pump new, reman, or used? how is the steer radius both L/R? was everything centered upon install?

does the problem exist at start up and also after the engine has been run for a while and the steering system? if its only when its been in use, you may be overheating the pump. WJs came stock with a power steering cooler that sat in front of the ds of the radiator.

i suggest bleeding the heck out of it then see how hot the ps hoses get (with an infrared thermometer). if they are unusually hot, then install a cooler in the ps return line (a stock xj trans cooler or a zj or wj ps cooler would work).
 
I've been bleeding the system by removing the cap and turning the wheel back and forth from lock to lock.

The problem occurs both on start up and after its been run for a while. Doesn't seem to be affected by heat to much.

pump is used 60k on it. Seemed in good condition when I got it.

Everything is straight and true on the steering.

Thanks for the input!
 
Jack the front end up. Turn the wheels lock to lock 20 or so times with the engine turned off.

Then fire it up, and try it out.
 
Ok got home today. Haven't driven the jeep for 24 hours. I jacked up the front end and turned left and right 20 times. Then pulled the cap off and turned back and forth 20 more times.

When I first took off it was much better. Still some whine but much better. I drove to the gas station and noticed a little more whine but still not bad. On the way back I was taking about a 25 mph turn and had to stiff arm it. No power steering. Lots of whine. So...dangit....back to square one.

Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks guys I appreciate the help!
 
Why did you drill the fitting? I put a WJ pump on mine and just swapped fittings, didn't drill a thing.

Sounds like you need a new pump. JY? Take it back. Parts store? Warranty it out.
 
Lame...

To match the wj fitting that came off.

Dude on naxja...soooo I'm screwed. Owe well expensive lesson.
 
What fluid are you using? Mine only whines when I don't use the Mopar clear power steering fluid. Any other brand makes it whine straight away until I flush it all out.
 
Sounds like you have air in the system still. I find the best way to bleed PS systems is to turn the wheel full lock in one direction and shut off the engine. Let the truck sit for a while (at least 15 min or until bubbles stop surfacing in the reservoir), top up fluid and repeat the process whith the wheel turned full the other way. This ideally should be done with the vehicle on level ground. This has always worked better than the wheels in the air process for me.

Gojeep is correct with the fluid, certain systems are very picky with the type of fluid you use, some others will take anything.
 
I'm using a supposed mopar compatible clear fluid from I think Valvoline. I'm going to try and stick a stock xj fitting in there and see what happens.
 
I am having the exact same issue as the OP. what did you find out?? I installed a new (reman) pump from the parts house from a 2001 WJ. Power steering seems to work fine, but it whines like a bit$#@, especially when accellerating or anything over 1500 rpms. Just gets worse with RPM. I bled the crap out of and dont think its got any air in the system. I jacked up the front end and went lock to lock at leats 100 times. I installed it on Friday, and Sunday its still doing it just as bad. I also drilled out the fitting as the op did (seemed like the logical thing to do??) to match the WJ i.d. I may run to the junk yard and pull out a fitting from an XJ to see if it fixes it.

Does a whine come from a fluid issue (flow, etc) or from air in the lines?

~James
 
I am having the exact same issue as the OP. what did you find out?? I installed a new (reman) pump from the parts house from a 2001 WJ. Power steering seems to work fine, but it whines like a bit$#@, especially when accellerating or anything over 1500 rpms. Just gets worse with RPM. I bled the crap out of and dont think its got any air in the system. I jacked up the front end and went lock to lock at leats 100 times. I installed it on Friday, and Sunday its still doing it just as bad. I also drilled out the fitting as the op did (seemed like the logical thing to do??) to match the WJ i.d. I may run to the junk yard and pull out a fitting from an XJ to see if it fixes it.

Does a whine come from a fluid issue (flow, etc) or from air in the lines?

~James
 
Well I will update this with my info for anybody else searching like I did.

If you put on a WJ pump, simply swap out the fitting from your XJ pump. DO NOT try to drill out the hole to match the WJ hole. I did this and the pump was whining like crazy. It was completely bled, but was whining like it was out of fluid (it was a new pump also.)

I stopped by the junk yard and grabbed a stock/undrilled XJ fitting, put it on, bled it out, and problem solved. Steering is GREAT now.

~James
 
I will have to try this. I did this swap a while back. I pull vacume on the system to bleed it. I do get whineing when it gets heated up, but only over 3k RPM. I'm also running a cooler. I also drilled out the XJ fitting to match the WJ. I'll go to the junk yard and get another one.


Great find.
 
What bfitting are you all talking about? My pump the01 wj one has a bigger hole than the xj pump. How are you getting the xj fitting to work? I had a hose made to fit the wj pump. Guess that was a mistake?
 
Sorry for bringing up an old thread but i had a question about the swap.

I just bought a wj pump from county line today and they told me the WJ pumps off the 4.0's and the 4.7's are the same. I ended up calling crysler and asked them, they could not tell me for sure, but they said it is very possible that they are.

Does it need to be the 4.7 to be an upgrade? I have also heard that it needs to be from a 2001+ WJ to be an upgrade. Can someone steer me in the right direction please. (no ghey pun intended)
 
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