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Upgrade steering pump?

Jump This

Just another minion!
I know of the Durango steering box upgrade, but is there an upgrade to the stock pump?

I broke the hose off the back of the reservoir and NAPA doesn't have a replacement for just that. Since I will need to replace the entire pump, maybe now is the time for an upgrade.....if there is one.
 
go to www.westtexasoffroad.com to the TECH section.
They have a free how to mod so you can upgrade your power steering pump at home.
It's vey easy, you drill one hole larger & remove a washer or two. This generates more pressure and provides more flow at lower RPMs to your steering box.
 
My steering setup looks like this now:

DSC02856.JPG


DSC02846.JPG


Basically a stock-style TC pump...this one came from PSC with all the 'mods' done to it already (little increase in flow and pressure), but if you're happy with the performance of the stock output, you can do the same thing with a 4-cyl Wrangler pump. I like the added capacity of the external reservoir.

Even after full-out thrashing on the rig, the steering stays totally silent and keeps a pretty reasonable temperature. I've got over a year on it now with no signs of burnt fluid or damaged seals etc.

I think Goatman is running a similar pump (4-cyl, forget what application).
 
Here's pics of mine:

standard.jpg


standard.jpg





Don't be a cheap bastard and buy a good pump. :looser:

Of course, any pump you buy other than a factory replacement won't have the plastic reservoir that you broke, so you either need to buy a remote reservoir or buy another factory reservoir. Sounds like if you bought, or found, a replacement stock reservoir you don't need a new pump. I know I have one of those reservoirs laying around, does anyone closer to you have one?
 
I did the same thing and broke the hose off the reservoir on my '99 beater. I picked up a replacement reservoir for a pre 97 (as they list only 97+ as pump and reservoir) from Crown for $15. It fit just fine on the pump. Its a cheap way out if you don't want to spend money.
 
I seen a nice one (reservoir) somewhere with built in cooler and filter but was out of my price range. I would most definitely benefit from some extra capacity and a cooler.
Vetteboy, what is the clear tube coming off your cap? A breather?
Goatman, What about the cap on yours?
Generally are power steering reservoirs sealed or do they have a pressure release type cap? How do you know how full to fill it? Is placement important?
I want to build my own, But am unsure about what to use for a cap. My reservoir will most likely be made of aluminum,
but I am considering just using uhmw, we have some 4" round stock that's about .25 wall. I'm pretty sure its the same material used for the stock reservoir. We have a machine that welds the stuff (uhmw) supposed to be good to 200psi. I might even be able to hack up the stock reservoir and weld the filler neck on....
Never-mind,
Aluminum's a better idea. Could I just use a brass pipe plug for the cap?
 
Yeah, it's a vent line. I'm not overly thrilled with the design but it came with the kit.

The reservoir - mine, at least - isn't just an empty can...the return comes in on the bottom and goes up through the center so that the 'used' fluid ends up on top of the reservoir. This is so you're not just cycling the hot fluid in and out through the bottom.
 
Mine is sealed, no vent. You fill it to the fill line. The reservoir needs to be above the rest of the system.

My fluid runs through two coolers. (we need flip off smileys here) :D

Home made plastic reservoir? Ghetto. Steering is too important, I wouldn't take a chance on it. You have to deal with heat and vibration, and you don't want problems.
 
Is upgrading the steering pump needed if you DD your cherokee and it sees around 30% offroad (moderate but no rock crawling)? I have 33's with 456's and have upgraded the box using a durango (soon to upgrade to JCR steering) but do I need to upgrade the pump from stock?
 
Is upgrading the steering pump needed if you DD your cherokee and it sees around 30% offroad (moderate but no rock crawling)? I have 33's with 456's and have upgraded the box using a durango (soon to upgrade to JCR steering) but do I need to upgrade the pump from stock?

If there's nothing wrong w/ your pump, dont change it.
Add a p/s cooler if you dont have one and maybe an overdrive pulley.
After breaking my reservoir and always having it leak out the dipstick when offroading, I jumped on the chance to upgrade to an aftermarket reservoir system.
I've been really happy w/ the performance.
psc box, res, and matching pump.
100_4497.jpg
 
i heard a myth that a chevy 350 pump will work. but it is just because it holds more fluid...?!? not to sure...
 
Pumps are pumps, except for how they mount and what performance upgrades have been done. The XJ, and plenty of other vehicles, use a TC pump. CJ's and a bunch of GM vehicles use P pumps, and there are N pumps. What pump it is makes a difference, what it came off of doesn't. There aren't that many different PS pumps that will fit.
 
for us less educated in the field of power steering pumps

what does
TC
P
N
stand for?
 
That's it, just the name that was put on the pump by the manufacturer. The same pump can and is used in many different vehicles. It's just like a Saginaw steering box that fits our XJ's, there is an 800 and an 808, and they came on XJ's, YJ's, Durango's, Oldsmobiles, and whatever else.

Browse around on some performance steering company websites, like PSC, and you can see the various designations. It's helps to know what you're looking at, otherwise it's just someone's advice off the internet. :)
 
otherwise it's just someone's advice off the internet. :)


so is that to say what I read on here ISN"T gospel ??

and all this time... my NAXJA shrine... the drawings of you all... my bible "XJ according to NAXJA gods"... all for naught??

ahwell, thanks for the info. more reading to do.
 
go to www.westtexasoffroad.com to the TECH section.
They have a free how to mod so you can upgrade your power steering pump at home.
It's vey easy, you drill one hole larger & remove a washer or two. This generates more pressure and provides more flow at lower RPMs to your steering box.

Meanwhile 13 years later . . .

The above mentioned website appears to not have a tech section anymore and I didn't find a mention on their FAQ page. In case anyone else was curious about what they said I was able to find it here . . .

https://web.archive.org/web/20060528122023/http://westtexasoffroad.homestead.com/powersteering.html
 
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