How far am I supposed to seat the shaft seal? This is where I have it right now, flush with the "nose" of the pump body.
- PS Shaft Seal
- PXL_20230805_211406373.jpg (145.56 KiB) Viewed 751 times
I did replace the pump seals (the hourglass-shaped one, as well as the shaft seal) about five years ago. When I did the shaft seal, I must have seated it completely with an appropriately-sized socket because it was about 2mm deeper than the outside face of the pump "nose".
When I removed that 5-year-old seal just minutes ago, I noticed there is a rectangular port beneath it, presumably for circulating fluid to lubricate the shaft. (I made sure the internal passage was clear by blasting it with compressed air.)
Perhaps the "seated completely" seal was partially blocking that port, leading to the Sucked Into the Ports problem I recently posted about.
I rebuilt the PS pump five years ago. After that was when I first encountered the "sucked into the ports" problem. (The car really has only been driven a few thousand miles since then.) I posted about it on RL back then. While looking for "drive the seal this far" advice just now, I discovered several other folks on a different RL thread that posted their own pics of the exact same problem.
The thing in common was those posters had just rebuilt their PS pumps, too, and encountered the same problem.
The only advice was to make sure the supply hose wasn't collapsed/crushed, and that the reservoir filter is a potential problem. However, could it be over-driving the shaft seal and interfering with the port it covers?
My reservoir-to-pump supply hose is unobstructed and non-crushed. My reservoir is new, courtesy of a fellow Car-pokian.
- Double Sided Bolt
- PXL_20230805_211413369.jpg (179.9 KiB) Viewed 751 times
So, first, how far do I drive the shaft seal?
Second, there is one double-sided bolt (above) that attaches the two pump halves - which half goes into the pump and which half goes out? The "halves" aren't equal, so they aren't technically "half", but you get it.
That brings me to Three, and the story. My neighbors have a puppy. It's an adorable 4-ish month old Vizsla. It eats anything. Sticks and leaves, for sure. Anything dangling like jewelry or shoe laces, definitely. Small rocks... yup, those too.
As I was pulling the pump from the car this morning, laying under the car with tools on my chest, the 13mm tall bushing (that engages with the double-sided bolt) hit the cardboard under me and rolled on the concrete nearby. Both distinctive sounds. I knew where I needed to look.
In the few seconds it took for me to wiggle myself out from under the car, I'm pretty sure the adorable puppy (who "helps" me all the time by absconding with shop towels) picked up that bushing and moved it, or she ate it. If she moved it, it could be anywhere. If she ate it, her owners are on "check the poo with a magnet" duty for about the next 24 hours.
I'm prepared to order PN 944-347-442-00. Does anyone have a spare they are willing to part with?
I suspect the local hardware store might not have 18mm OD steel bushing with a 8mm center hole that is 13mm tall. Perhaps nylon would tolerate the heat of being attached to a bracket attached to the engine block? Regardless, I'm stalled until the dog poos, or I find/order a bushing.
So, how deep should the PS pump seal sit?
Could also make you one in carbon-fiber plastic. 
Seems like something I'd have, but I'll be darned if I can find it. It you want me to print on in some carbon fiber plastic, just let me know the dimensions.... sorry about that.