Power Steering Groan when *not* Turning

[Tom]

Make it shorter than the height of the channel, and fit in between that. Could keep the seal from collapsing.

I'm gonna try this. After a couple days of working properly and maybe 50 miles total, my pump started groaning again as I pulled into my driveway.

I'm gonna take the pump off the car again. I'm sure I'll find the hourglass seal sucked into the ports again.

I think there is enough clearance along the inside edge of that seal to slip a thin plastic strip, like the tail of a zip tie, in the areas adjacent to the two ports. I'm gonna try that.

How about a thin brass tube that you slide into the port, which stands proud enough to ensure the port stays open? Or just a new pump -- something is up with yours if this keeps happening even though everything else is ok. I don't know the PS system well enough, but any chance the rack itself is creating weird pressures?

[usury]

How about a thin brass tube that you slide into the port, which stands proud enough to ensure the port stays open? Or just a new pump -- something is up with yours if this keeps happening even though everything else is ok. I don't know the PS system well enough, but any chance the rack itself is creating weird pressures?

After a little f*ckery with zip tie tails on the workbench, I shook my head and said to myself incredulously, "What am I doing?"

At the very least I need a new seal kit. After being sucked into the port multiple times, the hourglass-shaped seal is no longer smooth and flat on the bottom where it has to, ya' know, seal.

The PS rack is one of the few major parts I haven't had to touch or go through. It is entirely possible something is up with the rack itself. What, I don't know. But possible, without a doubt (250k mile car, yadda yadda).

So back to temporary manual steering until I can make a parts order. I'm gonna start with the seal kit. I'll price out the pump while I'm at it - can't be too expensive in the grand scheme of all things 80's Porsche.

[Zirconocene]

What if you take the hoses off and run some weed whacker line down them? Check and clean them like you would sunroof drains. Maybe, too, there's a kink somewhere that's really restricting flow.

Just a thought.

Cheers