How to Remove a Power Steering Pump

When you look at the power steering system of your car, you’ll see it’s made up of the power steering pump and the rack. The power steering pump delivers the power steering fluid to the rack which then helps the wheels turn more easily. The power steering pump can develop a leak which will mean you’ll need to remove it. Luckily, it’s not a very big job and it can be accomplished in just a few minutes. Apart from the fluid removal pump, the job only requires very basic tools.

Step 1 - Removing Fluid

Before you can start on the removal of the power steering pump, you need to remove the power steering fluid. To do this, take out the dipstick for the fluid and insert the hose from the fluid pump into the opening. You’ll need to operate the pump by hand to remove the power steering fluid. Keep going until you’ve removed as much of the fluid as possible. Put the used fluid into a sealed container and dispose of it responsibly.

Step 2 - Disconnect the Pump

With the power steering fluid gone, you’re ready to remove the power steering pump from the rack. It’s connected by a pair of hoses, one of which pushes fluid from the power steering pump to the rack with the other returning the fluid from the rack.

Typically, these hoses are connected to the pump by hose clamps. Use your flathead screwdriver to loosen the clamps and pull off the hoses. Where the hoses aren’t attached by hose clamps, they’ll attach with one nut on the end of the hose. You’ll need to use a wrench to loosen the nut before you pull the hose from the pump.

Step 3 - Mounting Brackets

Your power steering pump should be attached to the body of your vehicle with two metal brackets and mounting bolts. You’ll be able to see that on the lower bracket there will be a slot cut from the bracket for the bolt to fit into. This will allow you to alter the tension of the power steering pump drive belt.

When you loosen the bolts, you should slide the power steering pump toward the engine. That will lower the tension on the drive belt. Loosen the bolts all the way and remove the nuts.

Step 4 - Removal

To remove the belt, you’ll need to lift it and pull it off the pulley. This way the power steering pump is clear of all the obstructions. Having loosened the nuts on the power steering pump, you can take out the bolts at this stage and you’ll easily be able to lift the power steering pump out of the engine compartment.

You should be aware that power steering fluid will drip from the hoses to the rack. As you lift out the power steering pump, keep it level because there will still be some power steering fluid inside it. If you tip it, the fluid will leak out.