The HITS Keep Coming! Power steering pump...

[ktmcandog]

As a mechanic you should seek a mechanic and have it diagnosed properly 1st before spending your hard earned cash. If you loose pressure when turning one way but not the other then its in the steering box not the pump. The pump should have its pressure and flow tested on the truck using a proper inline flow tester which is a fast 1/2 hour approx test before buying a pump. Most of today's pumps are the smaller aluminum units that are susceptible to wear if system oil and filters have not been changed a few times in the trucks life. Most often the relief valve spool will scour itself or the pistons bore in the aluminum housing and hang up stuck in the pressure relief position leaving you with no or low pressure. A fluid and filter change with the proper fluid (dexron atf,syn better) as of the advent of egr due to higher under hood temperatures where as older engines use to use 15W40 engine oil. A lubricity additive that's slippery or frees stuck spools and valves such as in auto transmission additives (ie Lube Guard or others) may clean and free things up. if your mechanically inclined read up and drain the system and remove the big nut on the side or end of the pump carefully pull out the spring and plunger/spool and inspect for scouring on it and in the bore or for a broken relief spring. Minor scouring on the spool can be polished with fine crokus cloth or 3M pad.if damage is too major and the pump is leaking from the section halves or the system oil is black from the pumps front seal sucking in engine oil then it may be time to spring for a new one. As far as your alternator problems go are you purchasing a gold plated one? Unless its a specialized or very high amperage one I would just spring for a new Delco $250-300 dollar unit or a Paccar TRP Chinese alternator (they put them on their trucks new from the factory and are usually under $300 and keep your reciept for North American warranty purposes at any Pete or KW dealer. Hope these ideas help--ktmCandog!