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Recommendation needed for high PSI power steering pump on an XJ

lordoeuf

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Vancouver Island
I went wheeling this weekend for the first time in over a decade. My kids loved it, so hopefully more to come. Unfortunately, my high PSI power steering pump began leaking quite a bit after 2 hours of driving. Everytime I stop, I see a puddle of power steering fluid on the floor, about the size of a small diner plate. It looks as if it is coming from the pump from behind where the pulley mounts. Is this a common problem? I had poured in the reservoir some Blue Devil Power Steering leak fix stuff as there had been a small leak and I hoped it would fix it. I guess not. So I'm not sure if ithe Blue Devil made the situation worse, like overheating the pump and busting the seal. I had thought the small leak was at the gear box as the fluid flowed down the pitman arm, so not sure why the power steering pump developed an explosive leak. Luckily I brought some power steering fluid on the trail and made it home.

Anyway, back in 2007 I had ordered a PSC high PSI power steering pump, SP-1275, but I had to return it because something didn't fit right. I think it was the threaded fluid line port that didn't fit, but that was a long time ago so I'm not quite sure. Nonetheless, I then ordered an AGR high PSI power steering pump, part 812256. This pump has worked great with my PSC gear box and later with a '98 Dodge Durango steering gear box.

I was considering ordering another AGR high PSI pump, if they still exist, but I remember reading on the forum recently that the quality of AGR's products had gone downhill. If this is true, what other brand high PSI power steering pump do you recommend for a '99 XJ with stock fittings?

Much appreciated.
 
I have two older AGR powersteering pumps on my FSJ Wagoneer's and they rock.
Last year I needed a new pump and thought "jeeewiz, I should just order an AGR pump for my Cherokee XJ?"


I came to find out that the original AGR company is no longer, and even though they are still called AGR their products are less than stellar.
I went through hell trying to get them to send a replacement for a VERY expensive pump that I had bought, not to mention using high dollar fluid to honor their warranty as well.
The first pump would only cavitate the fluid, and I could NEVER get it to work right. The second pump (after weeks on end not hearing from them, like three!) did not work either.
So after hundreds of dollars in a pump, and lots of money in fluid, I ended up sending it back to Summit Racing. Thank goodness I bought it through Summit otherwise I am sure I would have been out the money for the pump too. Yeah there is also a nice review on Summit's site on that pump.
I ended up going with a PSC pump and one of their external reservoirs too.


If you look on youtube I know Nickintime had the same kinda problems with AGR as well.
 
Mind if I ask which PSC part number you ordered? Is it a direct fit, or a complicated installation requiring some creativity? Where did you mount the remote reservoir?

This Jeep is my daily driver and ran fine with the old AGR. I'm hoping for a quick fix to get it back on the road. Well, it is still on the road, but I have to fill the reservoir each time I come home. It is not ideal. Does nobody else make a high PSI direct replacement pump?
 
I was also wondering if these pumps have a pressure relief valve and if so, if brake fluid is coming out of there? Perhaps the Blue Devil leak stop sealed the leak, but this let pressure build up too high and the fluid is coming out of the relief valve?
 
I would suggest a phone call to PSC. They are one of those companies where you can actually have a conversation with someone who has two neurons to rub together. I would be surprised if they can't come up with a pump that will work for you. If nothing else, they can rebuild your existing pump.
 
I have sent PSC an e-mail and I plan to call them today as well.

I do see that they have this remote reservoir product, PK1852: https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/pfn-pk1852
But I've read reports on summitracing that the resevoir is too tall to fit into the XJ's engine compartment and still be gravity fed.

Then I read on summit about the Lee pumps for the XJ which fit no problem: https://leepowersteering.com/collec...w-hi-flow-pump-kit-jeep-cherokee-xj-1987-2001

The site says 2 week lead time though. I'll have probably gone through 50 gallons for power steering fluid by then. Aside from the supposed guarantee to fit in the engine compartment, does the Lee pump offer any benefit over the PSC with remote resevoir? What about vs. the PSC with stock reservoir? Thanks!

I'm starting to think that the PowerTrax no-slip locker I installed in the front Dana 30 may have been taxing the steering pump too much as with every turn, there is resitance as both tyres turn at the same rate. So maybe a full day of wheelin' overheated the AGR and caused the seal to blow?
 
One other thing I noticed about the leak is that leaks right after the car has been turned off. Leaks for about a minute then stops. I had the car running idle and it wasn't leaking, as if the pressure generated by the pump is enough to hold some seal or the [faulty?] relief valve closed.
 
The Power-trax shouldn't even be noticeable in 2wd so I doubt any connection there.
 
My PSC #SP-1205 pump has been very good to me. I'm also running their steering box with a cooler.
 
Power steering pump I used.
SKU SP1210T








And this is how I mounted the reservoir.



img_2141_3822a03fd27e75d47aaac1c4c933c81981d68d11.jpeg
 
Looks like PSC also sells a cooling kit, CK100.

I spoke with tech sales at PSC this afternoon. He mentioned SP-1205 is really just a stock replacement pump. He said to get the high psi, the reservoir needs to be larger, so he said to get the PK1852. My concern is the mounting of the remote reservoir. Anyone have photos of how you mounted your PSC remote reservoir for the case where you have an K&N air filter with heat shield? I was thinking maybe it can be mounted right to the pump side of the K&N heat shield?
 
Did you remove your electric auxiliary fan to be able to mount the pump there?

The Lee pump seems ideal as I'd not have to mess with this mounting business.
 
I have two older AGR powersteering pumps on my FSJ Wagoneer's and they rock.
Last year I needed a new pump and thought "jeeewiz, I should just order an AGR pump for my Cherokee XJ?"


I came to find out that the original AGR company is no longer, and even though they are still called AGR their products are less than stellar.
I went through hell trying to get them to send a replacement for a VERY expensive pump that I had bought, not to mention using high dollar fluid to honor their warranty as well.
The first pump would only cavitate the fluid, and I could NEVER get it to work right. The second pump (after weeks on end not hearing from them, like three!) did not work either.
So after hundreds of dollars in a pump, and lots of money in fluid, I ended up sending it back to Summit Racing. Thank goodness I bought it through Summit otherwise I am sure I would have been out the money for the pump too. Yeah there is also a nice review on Summit's site on that pump.
I ended up going with a PSC pump and one of their external reservoirs too.


If you look on youtube I know Nickintime had the same kinda problems with AGR as well.


Same here, AGR is hell. sold me a junk gear box, even shipped me one too small, and then told me it would be fine, it lasted a few miles then I lost steering, the wheel would go near half a turn before tires turned, dangerous.
And that is after they sold me a dead junk pump. literally shipped junk parts, oh and then they over billed me, credit card charge was higher than the invoice. then they wanted me to pay shipping for return of the junk gear box and pump. No way, I ended up stopping credit card payment and won the case. Although i still lost money on power steering fluid, probably 40 bucks worth that got contaminated with metal when they junk blew. and then there was the hours wasted installing, removing their junk,

AGR is run by a bunch of clowns that feed BS to you on the phone or email, they lie, cheat, steal. Run away! total garbage.

Need I say more?
 
I decided to go with the Lee pump and reservoir. Apparently you can get the reservoir with a heatsink on it (known as the "finned" model), but it takes an extra week and I cannot wait any longer. I also decided I would use a transmission cooler (sometimes called an "oil cooler") from an automatic 4.0L Cherokee and mount it in the stock location and use this as a power steering cooler. I have a manual trans, so the spot is available. This way it is ensured air flow right up in the front of the car, which is infront of the radiator and the A/C's radiator. This way I don't need to mess with figuring out where to mount it. I'd have gone with the PSC PK1852 had the Lee unit not been available to ship tomorrow.
 
Let us know how the Lee pump work's out for ya.
 
I'll report back after I go wheeling, which will be some time away. Replacing the pump highlighted how much my steering gear box was leaking, so I have a reman '98/99 Durango box enroute.

First impressions of the Lee pump are that it is louder at high RPM (2500 rpm +) than the old AGR, but tolerable.

A point of confusion is to what level to fill the resevoir. There is this dashed engraved line (a knurl) on the outside of the aluminium reservoir, which is supposedly the fill line, but that fill line is no where near the top of the reservoir, it is around mid-level-ish. There are these two baffles inside the pump which look like funnels. The dashed line on the outside of the reservoir corresponds to this middle funnel (baffle), and there is another funnel right up near the top.

When I asked someone at Lee where I'm supposed to fill it, and if that fill line is for hot/running, hot/off, cold/running, cold/off, I got an answer that was somewhat ambiguous. He said, "The top baffle will coincide with the knurl on the outside. Car running.....warm".

But the knurl coincides with that middle baffle, not the top. Hence I am baffled.

I suspect that the knurl (middle baffle region) is the fill line for running/cold, and the top baffle (near the cap) is the maximum fluid level for the condition of running/very hot/strained system.

Maybe someone could share their "fill" experience here?
 
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