Hello, I just brought my 93 ram home and everything was fine. I went out this morning to move it over in the driveway and there was no powersteering at all. The only thing I did between the last time I drove it was turned the wheel with the truck off to get to a wheel moulding screw. What did I do? Could it be the vacuum pump? (the brakes feel ok though) How do you check the vacuum pump? Please Help THANKS Sorry if this is a dumb ? can the power steering pump go out with the vacuum pump still working?

 

It's possible.

how cold is the weather where you are? Is there fluid in the pump? Is it power steering fluid? I would change the power steering fluid to synthetic (I've had good success with the Valvoline stuff in the silver bottle) before you panic.

I change power steering fluid with a suction gun, just suck out the contents of the reservoir, fill it, start it up and run the steering back and forth a couple times, and repeat until the fluid I pull out looks pretty good.

 

when you turn the steering wheel with the engine off, you are manually turning the steering arm with the input shaft on the box from the wheel.

normally with the engine on, you would be opening a valve that would use hydraulics from the power steering pump to move the arm.

I'll bet your box was ready to let go and you put the straw on the camels back when you turned it manually.

also, check the u-joint on the steering shaft.

let us know what ends up being the problem, this is how we learn.

 

Timmy22, you think it might be the steering box itself? I can still turn the wheels I just dont have any hydraulic pressure. And no leaks that I can see.

Wannadiesel, it is full of fluid and worked great the night before. I am not sure what type of fluid since I just bought the truck. It was cold last night, around 20 degrees.

 

This is probably a REALLY stupid question but I have to ask the obvious... did you check the fluid?

 

Yes its full. Now that I think of it when I was test driving it the power steering wasnt as good as my ramcharger. I thought it was just because they are 7 years difference and maybe the 93 didnt have the over power steering my ramcharger has. Maybe my pump was going out then. I guess I will try a pump and since I will be in there how hard is it to reseal the vacuum pump? THANKS

 

thats an open center hydraulic sytem, meaning that the valve in the steering box always stays open when your not turning the wheel. i would test the pump right on the truck before going any further.

you have a pressure side and a return side. the return back to the pump is the connection with the clamps.

first, disconnect the return at one of the clamps. add on to the hose so you can work with it. get a clean pail, have someone start it up and see if she is pumping. you should quickly empty the sytem and put a pint or so in the pail.

if you dont get any, disconnect the pressure side and try again. if you get oil on the pressure side, you have a bad/clogged valve in the box. no oil on the pressure side means a bad pump.

 

Thanks again timmy22, If it is a clogged valve is there a fix besides replacing the steering box? Thanks

 

if shes pumping, just replace box. i would do the lines too while you have it apart. $18 at napa