Thread: 01 GP GTP - Help w/ replacing power steering pump and lines...

Hello. I have an 01 GTP and power steering is out. Last winter I noticed it was leaking. I just kept adding fluid throughout the winter and managed the leak that way. Car has 180k on it. Rack was changed around 110k. The leak almost came to a stop in the spring and summer of this year but has come back in the colder months.

I brought it to a local shop and they claim the pump, lines and rack are leaking. I ordered a pump and both lines from Rock Auto. I ordered GM parts. Supposedly they are for variable steering which I believe the GTP has.

Anyway, I tried some time searching for "how to's" but am wondering the best way to handle this install for all three parts. I would like to replace the pump and lines first. Hoping that the rack is okay.

I already removed the battery, belts and alternator. Coolant overflow was moved out of the but is still connected.

From looking at the pump by the passenger wheel well, it does look wet and there are drops on the garage floor. However there is a bigger puddle on the driver's side of the car. Does that imply the lines are leaking or is it the rack? What special tools will I need? Line wrenches and crows feet?

Any overall suggestions and steps on how to proceed?

Lines at the rack are 18mm. You can get them from underneath. Take the pass. side wheel off and get the lines off the pump itself. Unclip the single wire that is attached to the bottom of the reservoir. This is for the rear knock sensor and you DO NOT want to rip this wire. Bad day.

Once all of that is loose you can access the bolts through the pump pulley.

Pay attention to how the pressure line is routed before you remove it. It takes a funky bend somewhere near the exhaust. I just did this replacement on my brothers 01 GT and he pulled the line out before I could see it and it was a b*tch to figure back out. Return line should be easy.

If the rack is leaking it will be at the inner boots. Pull them back and check for fluid. And if you have a 2-wire connector coming from the rack where the steering shaft meets the rack on the drivers side and connects to something up on the trans then you have variable assist or "Magnasteer". Believe the RPO code is NV7 IIRC.

If you have to remove the rack here is the guide I used:

Jack and support car (usually at factory jacking locations right behind front wheels.
Remove both wheels
Remove the nuts holding the tie rods to knuckles and free tie rods from knuckles
Ensure steering wheel is straight and can not turn
Lift rubber boot on top of rack and unbolt the 11mm holding the telescoping shaft to the rack. Wiggle it free
Lower rear of subframe about 2-3 inches and support at that height using jackstands
Disconnect the two ps pump lines at the rack
Remove two bolts holding rack to subframe
Slide rack out the wheel well and reverse for installation.
Once completed, fill the power steering unit and start the car with it still in the air.
Turn wheel a few times in both directions an allow system to bleed air out.
Repeat with fluid/turning and sitting until system is at the correct level and not making noise.

Originally Posted by FordMan77

Lines at the rack are 18mm. You can get them from underneath. Take the pass. side wheel off and get the lines off the pump itself. Unclip the single wire that is attached to the bottom of the reservoir. This is for the rear knock sensor and you DO NOT want to rip this wire. Bad day.

Once all of that is loose you can access the bolts through the pump pulley.

Pay attention to how the pressure line is routed before you remove it. It takes a funky bend somewhere near the exhaust. I just did this replacement on my brothers 01 GT and he pulled the line out before I could see it and it was a b*tch to figure back out. Return line should be easy.

If the rack is leaking it will be at the inner boots. Pull them back and check for fluid. And if you have a 2-wire connector coming from the rack where the steering shaft meets the rack on the drivers side and connects to something up on the trans then you have variable assist or "Magnasteer". Believe the RPO code is NV7 IIRC.

If you have to remove the rack here is the guide I used:

Jack and support car (usually at factory jacking locations right behind front wheels.
Remove both wheels
Remove the nuts holding the tie rods to knuckles and free tie rods from knuckles
Ensure steering wheel is straight and can not turn
Lift rubber boot on top of rack and unbolt the 11mm holding the telescoping shaft to the rack. Wiggle it free
Lower rear of subframe about 2-3 inches and support at that height using jackstands
Disconnect the two ps pump lines at the rack
Remove two bolts holding rack to subframe
Slide rack out the wheel well and reverse for installation.
Once completed, fill the power steering unit and start the car with it still in the air.
Turn wheel a few times in both directions an allow system to bleed air out.
Repeat with fluid/turning and sitting until system is at the correct level and not making noise.

Thanks for all the information. Here is what I did so far. I was able to remove the pump successfully. I did disconnect the wire that was attached to the reservoir before removing the pump. I did not install the pump yet but was able to swap the reservoir and pulley to the new one. I guess I could install it now but wasn't sure if leaving it out would give me extra room to work with the lines, etc.

I am concerned about the high pressure and return lines I ordered from Rock Auto. They listed both lines with and with out variable assist steering. I assumed that GTPs had variable assist. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I can check the code you provided or wait till the lines come out. Don't really want to open the packaging on the new lines in case they have to go back.

I just tried to remove one of the lines on the rack with a crows foot from up top but had no luck. I just cam in to take a break and so your response. I will try from below.

I have a couple of questions.

1) Should I be able to disconnect the lines from underneath the car with the crows feet without removing or loosing the sway bar or lowering the sub frame?
2) In order to check for leaks on the rack, do I have cut the boot or remove any clamps in order check the inner boots?
3) I will not be able to jack the car using the pinch welds as they are rusted really bad. I had a flat once and attempted to use the scissor jack for the first time and it was pushing the pinch welds up through the floor. Right now the car is on jack stands under the subframe. Can I use the inner frame rails with a piece of wood or plywood between the jack and the rails?

thanks...

1. You should be able to remove the lines from underneath with a regular wrench. I never used a crows foot on either line. The subframe was dropped for this.

I've done it w/o the subframe being dropped and was able to get to the top line on the rack by going though the engine bay over the trans and under the brake booster. I had the airbox out at the time so it may have afforded some space for my arm. Got about a 1/4 turn at a time and had to flip the wrench a lot but it worked. PITA vs. dropping the subframe.

2. Yes, in order to check the rack for leaks you have to remove the inner boots off the rack. The steel clamps will have to be cut to move the boots. If you find out that the rack is not leaking then make sure you put the boots back in place and use a heavy zip tie to keep it on the rack. This will ensure no dirt, etc. gets in there.

3. If the pinch welds are junk then I'd go with the inner rails and a piece of wood. You have to be able to support the weight of the car without using the rear of the subframe. When I changed out my rack I used 2x4's on a set of stands under the inner rails, then a set of jackstands under the front of the subframe. Put the jack under the rear of the frame and loosen the rear bolts until I could drop it the 3 inches or so that I needed to pull everything. Had another set of stands under the rear for it to rest on once I lowered it. I never trust a jack to hold anything.

Originally Posted by FordMan77

1. You should be able to remove the lines from underneath with a regular wrench. I never used a crows foot on either line. The subframe was dropped for this.

I've done it w/o the subframe being dropped and was able to get to the top line on the rack by going though the engine bay over the trans and under the brake booster. I had the airbox out at the time so it may have afforded some space for my arm. Got about a 1/4 turn at a time and had to flip the wrench a lot but it worked. PITA vs. dropping the subframe.

2. Yes, in order to check the rack for leaks you have to remove the inner boots off the rack. The steel clamps will have to be cut to move the boots. If you find out that the rack is not leaking then make sure you put the boots back in place and use a heavy zip tie to keep it on the rack. This will ensure no dirt, etc. gets in there.

3. If the pinch welds are junk then I'd go with the inner rails and a piece of wood. You have to be able to support the weight of the car without using the rear of the subframe. When I changed out my rack I used 2x4's on a set of stands under the inner rails, then a set of jackstands under the front of the subframe. Put the jack under the rear of the frame and loosen the rear bolts until I could drop it the 3 inches or so that I needed to pull everything. Had another set of stands under the rear for it to rest on once I lowered it. I never trust a jack to hold anything.

Assuming I lower the subframe to disconnect the lines on the rack, do I need to disconnect the steering linkage first? If so, is that done from underneath the car or from above?
Also, any recommendations on where to buy a new rack from?

thanks again....

Originally Posted by zguy

Assuming I lower the subframe to disconnect the lines on the rack, do I need to disconnect the steering linkage first? If so, is that done from underneath the car or from above?
Also, any recommendations on where to buy a new rack from?

thanks again....

Yes, It's in the middle of my instructions

"Lift rubber boot on top of rack and unbolt the 11mm holding the telescoping shaft to the rack. Wiggle it free"

I've always had to use a prybar from underneath to pop the boot off the rack and then push it upwards. I've always gone through the drivers side wheelwell to get to the bolt. Kinda a pita. I had to turn the wheel slightly to get the bolt head to face outward and used my 2' extension to get to it. Hardest part is getting the stupid boot up far enough as it's not real flexible.

Originally Posted by FordMan77

Yes, It's in the middle of my instructions

"Lift rubber boot on top of rack and unbolt the 11mm holding the telescoping shaft to the rack. Wiggle it free"

I've always had to use a prybar from underneath to pop the boot off the rack and then push it upwards. I've always gone through the drivers side wheelwell to get to the bolt. Kinda a pita. I had to turn the wheel slightly to get the bolt head to face outward and used my 2' extension to get to it. Hardest part is getting the stupid boot up far enough as it's not real flexible.

Yeah I saw that later after I read it for the third time. Must be getting old lol.

Here is where I am as of yesterday evening. I removed the sway bar and then lowered the cradle about an inch in order to disconnect the steering linkage. I could not get the boot to go up otherwise. Seems like it was being blocked by a line or something against the firewall. The side of the boot on the drivers side had a split in it about a 1/2 inch or so. I assume this happened when the rack was professionally replaced 6 years ago.

Do I need the have the boot replaced due to the crack in it?

I plan to lower the cradle another couple of inches this evening to unbolt the lines connecting to it. Once those are disconnected I will breath a sigh of relief and unbolt the rack and remove it. I assume the lines will be easy to remove and replace at this point.

I did not notice a wire harness on top of the rack. Does that imply variable steering? I thought all Grand Prix racks were the same.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

if your gonna change the rack, lower the rear frame, then undo the lines, adds some room. you need to undo the steering shaft as well.

racks you can get on line, rockauto, napa. just get a reman one.

heres a rack vid, you can do this on your back on the driveway. ive done it two times now.

http://www.steeringrackandpinion.com/video-tutorials/

Thanks for the link. I saw this one before. This guy makes it look so easy. Seems so much harder for me on laying on the ground plus with grease, power steering fluid and rust everywhere.

The wire would be coming out near where that boot is. If you don't have any wires going into the rack then you don't have Magnasteer. Either that or when the rack was replaced they installed a non-variable unit. There were 2 different racks for these cars. If you look at the top of the trans. where the linkage connects, is there an empty 2-wire black plug around there somewhere? Worst case take a pic of the PRO sticker on the underside of the trunk lid and post it here. We can decode what options you have from that.

And no, I wouldn't worry about the boot. Mine split like that when I replaced it and it's been fine.

If you're leaking by drivers side, then it's the rack. These do go out often. There is a circle, joint, looking thingy on the rack closer to drivers side where fluid leaks from. If you were to jack the car up at a shop, and turn the wheels with it running, while standing underneath, you would be able to see globs dripping out. It is possible to disconnect lines from the top of the engine. I did it that way with an offset wrench I bought from Autozone, 16 and 18mm I believe. Quarter turn at a time, but I found it better than wrenching from underneath. Put a board over the engine and an old blanket on that, lay on that and turn. If you pull the rack out, try to do it out the passenger wheel well. You don't want to disturb the likely, very rusty, brake and fuel lines on drivers side. Having those start leaking will turn into a big costly problem. I did this not too long ago, there are pictures in my ride thread somewhere. My fuel/brake lines where out though because I was replacing them. Jack car and remove wheels, unhook lines, loosen the tie rod connections, loosen the rack mounting bolts, remove steering shaft bolt, drop subframe, and you're on your way. I used an ACDELCO Pro Reman rack from RockAuto. Good luck.

I just got the rack out. Lowered the cradle about 2.5 to 3 inches and disconnected the lines. I also disconnected the harness that connects the rack to the transmission. I took some pictures of the lines from under the car but they moved all over the place once I took the rack out. Hopefullly I can figure out how they were positioned later.

Since the rack has a harness, I guess I can assume it has magnasteer or variable steering. Not sure if they are the same. I think it is magnasteer since I believe that is controlled by the rack versus the pump. I did take a picture of the codes on the trunk but have yet to post it. Not sure if that is still necessary.

A few more questions.
1) is it safe to say that the GM lines from Rock Auto that state with “variable steering” are the correct ones now? These are the ones I bought initially with the pump.

2) I was heading to Napa auto parts to pick up their reman rack but I was late by 2 mins and they were already closed. They want $221 plus tax and the core charge. I asked and they said it is not A-1 cardone. It is remanufactured by someone called bb&t or something like that. I’m am debating ordering an Ac delco professional reman one from rock auto but will need to wait till next Wednesday to get it. Just hate to buy one and have problems with it. I also called Autozone and they have one for $201 plus tax and the core charge from a different remanufacturer.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

thats magna steer with the blue plug near the trans shiftier.

the lines will only fit back one way really.

Trying to put the rack in. Struggling with the lines. I took pictures but I am not sure how the high pressure line is routed by the pump. Regarding high pressure line. Thing is very long.

Does it loop up into the engine bay? How do I route it?
Also, is does the high pressure line go on firewall side of the rack? The side closest to the sway bar? If so, this would have the return on the engine side of the rack then.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

it loops around and clips to the sub frame.

The funnny thing is that the high pressure hose just fell out when I removed the rack. The return has three clips on the bottom of the subframe. I installed that one and just need to connect to pump. Didn’t see anything for high pressure hose though. Just seems like a lot of hose to shove up into engine bay.

Also, forgot to ask. Bleeding the system. Can I do this without a Mityvac pump?

I read posts about leaving the car jacked up, fill the pump and then turn the wheels left to right and vice versa. I also read to do this without the car on. Will that work? Meaning can I get fluid to go through the entire system without starting the car? In my case the pump, rack and lines have been replaced.

Also, the instructions for the rack and pinion state to recalibrate the Magnasteer system with a engine diagnostic tool. How do I do that?

thanks again...

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

how i do it. lock to lock 15 times. top off as needed.

Well everything is in. Tried bleeding with car off and still on stands. As of now I only used a little over a half of a quart of power steering fluid. I went left to right about 30 times. Pump is still making noise. Tried starting the car and moved the wheels back and forth but still have the noise.

Any ideas why? What should I do?