Power Steering Foaming and Whining

L134 with Saginaw box and pump adapted from a mid-80's XJ...

After 8+ years of not running, I finally fired the old girl up tonight!! Smoothed out after a couple minutes of messing with the distributor, but I can't get my power steering pump to stop whining and foaming like crazy!! There is NO power assist whatsoever, and it actually shoots fluid out of the weep hole in the cap when I shut the motor down... Is it simply air entrapment, meaning I need to cycle it back and forth a few more hundred times (yes, already done it at least 100+ ) or am I fighting something else? No leaks to be found anywhere either... Are there any rules regarding the angle of the pump itself? It's quite a way off vertical, maybe 25 or 30 degrees. Thanks for any help!

 

Sounds like air is trapped. Jack up the front axle so there's no load then with engine off turn the wheel back and forth slowly. Recheck fluid level, do it some more. Then start up with axle still in air and do it some more. If it seems ok then put the wheels on the ground and try it again. If you do it too fast with air in the system it will aerate causing more bubbles and what you describe. Let us know how it goes.

 

Could there be a blockage somewhere? Are you getting any fluid to the steering box? The lack of power assist makes me think the fluid is just churning inside the pump.

 

Didn't get a chance to work on it Sunday, took the other Jeep to the moutains instead... I'll try to jack up the front end and cycle it some more one night this week and report back.

As for a blockage, I already checked for that by pulling the pressure line off at the box, and it spews out nicely as soon as the motor fires. I put the pressure line back on and then pulled the return line off, and it spewed out of the return line once the motor fired. Now granted it was foamy and such, certainly not a steady stream like I would expect, but it was at least trying to flow, so I don't *think* blockage is the issue...

 

Nickmil is right on the money, but you may also have a worn pump. If there are any ripples in the chamber, a little air in the system will increase the whine notably.

 

After sitting that long there is a possibility of water contamination. I would change out as much as the fluid as possible.

 

I should have stated that better... The Jeep has been under the knife for the past several years, not running. One of the modifcations was the addition of the XJ power steering gear, which was fully drained and not refilled until just prior to startup this weekend. So I'm still guessing the idea of air entrapment is the main factor here, as others have stated. I appreciate the input though!!

 

Gottit!!! Jacked up the front end and cycled it stop-to-stop a few dozen more times with the engine off. Got a HUGE burp of air and then it took about another 1/2qt of fluid, so I fired it up and now it purrs like a kitten.