Hi,

My 91 honda just came out of the shop. now when i turn it makes a
slight moaning sound. PS fluid is full. Could it still be the PS
pump? Or might it be something else?

Regards Steve

 

utahgolfer wrote:

> Hi,
>
> My 91 honda just came out of the shop. now when i turn it makes a
> slight moaning sound. PS fluid is full. Could it still be the PS
> pump? Or might it be something else?
>
> Regards Steve

My first (educated) guess is one or more worn ball joints.

 

Sounds like the power steering pump - it's common enough.

My daughter's behaved the same way for a while. It got bad enough that I
eventually replaced the pump... problem solved. If you remove the belt from
the pump you should be able to turn the pump CCW with your thumb and
fingertip on the bolt head that holds the pulley on (it won't be easy to
turn, but if you are really struggling it is a bad sign), and turning the
pulley with your fingertips (for a sensitive feel) should be silky smooth
with slight drag. Hers would not turn by less than wrapping my finger around
the bolt head, and on the edge of the pulley it was not really "graunchy"
but had a lot of friction.

Be prepared for a high price on the pump; my daughter's lists at about
$650. If you want to replace the pump yourself or with the help of a friend,
you can look in wrecking yards. Car-part.com has lots of listings for the
pump I needed for $100-$220. I got the pump for $20 from a pull-it-yourself
yard - although there are two hurdles to that. There are several styles of
Honda pumps depending on car model and year; you have to know what type of
belt it takes (ribbed or V belt), and how the hose attachments are
configured (does one pipe come out the back or the rear side, etc.) and what
the mount looks like. It helps to have a few good digital pictures. Also,
most of the pumps were already taken - a testament to the frequency of the
problem. Replacement was easy enough but a bit messy. Be prepared to deal
with fluid leakage from all ports with plenty of clean shop towels... paper
shop towels work great. Leave the outlet fitting (the one with the O-ring)
loose to bleed it and fasten it down. As a DIY job it is on a par with
replacing brake pads and then bleeding brakes. There were no really hard
parts of the job and the access was good. It took a bit over an hour... I
work very slowly. Basic tools are all that are required.

Mike

"utahgolfer" <utahgolfer@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:56726c61-ac91-43df-8f61-e00af1f1a81a@s16g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> My 91 honda just came out of the shop. now when i turn it makes a
> slight moaning sound. PS fluid is full. Could it still be the PS
> pump? Or might it be something else?
>
> Regards Steve

 

"utahgolfer" <utahgolfer@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:56726c61-ac91-43df-8f61-e00af1f1a81a@s16g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> My 91 honda just came out of the shop. now when i turn it makes a
> slight moaning sound. PS fluid is full. Could it still be the PS
> pump? Or might it be something else?
>
> Regards Steve
Steve - it could be air in the system. Try the old turn "lock-to-lock" each
way several times and then check the fluid level again. Sometimes, if the PS
system is opened, air gets trapped and must be forced out... Just a thought.

DaveD