Power steering pump replacement questions

[Auburn Hills]

My power steering went out on my '74 Duster 360. I ordered a replacement from O'Reilly and it looks right. I have a few questions I hope you can help me with:

1. The power steering bracket is mounted using the water pump bolts. When I went to pull out the bolt so that I could take the power steering bracket off I was surprised to find coolant flowing out the bolt hole. Is my water pump is bad, or is this normal? This is odd because one has to loosen that bolt to tighten the power steering belt. I wonder how the coolant ever stayed in as there is no gasket around that bolt.

2. Pulling off the pulley will be no problem, but how will I put it on? I'm used to the shaft having a threaded hole down the middle. The power steering removal kits all have threaded "bolts" that you thread into the power steering shaft and adapters to crank the pulley on. How is it done on a mopar?

Thanks for any help.

Paul

 

[cudamark]

The bolts that go through the water pump and timing cover do go into a water jacket, so, totally normal. The original bolts had a nylon insert in them that helped seal the threads. You can use some thread sealer instead to reuse your bolts. There were several different pumps and pulley combinations on Mopars. Some had press-on pulleys with a solid/plain end shaft, some with a hollow shaft with threads, and some with a external threads and a bolt-on pulley. If your is a plain end shaft, you need to use a special puller for the pulley and then have it pressed onto the new pump.

 

[cudamark]

It's best to use a puller that attaches to the hub of the pulley. Using a jaw type puller that grabs the outside will usually result in a bent pulley. If the new pump comes without the reservoir (in other words, you need to use your old one) install it after you press the pulley on. I've seen those reservoirs and seals get damaged in the pressing process if you install it first.

 

[Auburn Hills]

Thanks cudamark. That explains a lot. I'll drain the coolant and then remove the pump; will use thread sealer when I reinstall.

My pulley is pressed on and has a nut. I got the nut off after some wrangling. There looks to be enough flange material to take off the pulley with a proper removal tool, although it is strange that the hub flange is not completely round but is sort of shaved off evenly on the sides. Maybe you can see it from the photos. Not owning a proper press I'll probably have to take it somewhere to have the pulley pressed on to the new pump unless I can fabricate something here. Maybe if I'm lucky there are enough threads and I can use the nut to screw press it back on.

I appreciate the replies

Paul

 

[cudamark]

That should be a bolt-on pulley. Maybe some rust or burr is keeping it from sliding off. Lube it up good with some WD40 and give it a little pry on both side. There is a keyway and it should slide off once the nut is removed. If you have a proper puller, give it a try too. Once the pulley is off, you can clean up the hole and keyway in the pulley before you push it onto the new pump. Use some grease or antiseize compound on the new shaft.

 

[Auburn Hills]

Thanks again cudamark. Using some kano kroil and then a proper puller it broke free and came right off. Easy. It barely taxed the puller.

I'm going to do an oil change before starting it up because of the bolt that leaked the coolant. I'm guessing some drained in the engine around the timing cover.

Again, thanks for your help.