Potential Power Steering Problem - Help!

[timothy c]

Recently, driving my 67 dart (6 cyl) around town, I noticed that if I hit a bump on the road I’d hear a high pitch squeal, almost like when you brake real hard and the rubber is in contact with the pavement. Anyway, the noise became continuous over the weekend…

Here’s some additional information…

• Noise gets louder the faster I go
• Appears to be coming from the front of the car
• Again, its sounds like when you skid the tires on pavement
• Only hear noise when the car is in gear and moving
• Car shifts fine
• No change in steering
• No unusual smells from under the hood
• Temperature, voltage and oil pressure are all within normal range
• No excessive heat around the wheel area

Here’s what I’ve done…

• Pulled front wheels, and inspected inner / outer bearings, race, seal, and spindle. Everything looked fine. Repacked and reassembled.
• Checked belts…all are within tolerance and no squealing at all (checked under load)
• Noticed level was low on power steering pump, so added fluid. When running the engine, fluid started oozing from under the cap. May have over-filled?
• Did notice recently leakage from the power steering pump area.

I’m contemplating replacing the power steering pump, just because it’s leaking from somewhere; however, I want to zero in on the root cause. Assuming it might be the power steering pump, wouldn’t I notice a change in the steering wheel?

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Tim

 

[cudamark]

If it was the P/S pump, it would do it with the engine running but without the car moving. We're assuming here that the car rolls easily and doesn't pull to one side? I would check the u-joints and the bearings in the rear end. I would start by getting the rear of the car up in the air and running it in gear to help isolate where the noise is coming from. Do this with extreme care since spinning parts can grab you and hurt you bad!