2000 caravan Powersteering pump/rack replacement

Can anyone offer advice on performing these repairs?

The rack looks easier then the pump...is it a must to disconnect the
exhaust to change powersteering pump on a 3.3?

thanks Mike

 

Mike
Dec 27, 2:43 pm show options

Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.chrysler
From: Mike <> - Find messages by this author
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 20:43:43 GMT
Local: Tues, Dec 27 2005 2:43 pm
Subject: 2000 caravan Powersteering pump/rack replacement
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<<<<<Can anyone offer advice on performing these repairs?


The rack looks easier then the pump...is it a must to disconnect the
exhaust to change powersteering pump on a 3.3?
Yes.

 

Ok , this group isnt any help....well to answer my own question ,you
do NOT have to take the exhaust off to change a powersteering pump on
a 3.3.
I went through the side and took off the pump bracket and the harmonic
balancer and it worked out ok....took me quite awile so i saved the
rack for today...hope its easier then the pump but i think it will be.

Mike

 

Your refund is in the mail.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Mike wrote...

<<<<Ok , this group isnt any help....well to answer my own question
,you
do NOT have to take the exhaust off to change a powersteering pump on
a 3.3.
I went through the side and took off the pump bracket and the harmonic
balancer and it worked out ok....took me quite awile so i saved the
rack for today...hope its easier then the pump but i think it will be.

Mike <<<<<<

Yippee. As Ted says, your double refund is in the mail. How long did
it take to remove the pump bracket and balancer? It takes a couple of
minutes to remove the exhaust, and no special tools. One electrical
connector and two bolts. Plus you get the added bonus of easy(er)
access to the rear plugs while it's off. Changing the pump, lines, and
rack is about a 3 or 4 hr job, IIRC. Good luck with the rack.

 

Hey Steve - you owe either Ted or me an apology!

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

<<Hey Steve - you owe either Ted or me an apology!

Bill Putney <<

Yes, it seems I do . I'm sure Ted was thinking it even if he didn't
say it. At least I offered double the money back!

Steve

 

Not nearly as long as it would take to remove a bunch of rusted to
heck bolt on an exhaust...

pump bracket and harmonic balancer is the way to go on a pump install
i thnik...just wanna help other people down the line since there seems
to be little help from others here..

 

<<<Not nearly as long as it would take to remove a bunch of rusted to
heck bolt on an exhaust...

pump bracket and harmonic balancer is the way to go on a pump install
i thnik...just wanna help other people down the line since there seems
to be little help from others here.. <<<

You asked a question about maintenance. I answered based on my personal
experience of 438,000 miles of driving and maintaining V6 Chrysler
Corp. minivans, from 1989 through 2001. I'm sorry if you didn't like
my answer, but I don't know what more help you would expect from a
newsgroup. You do it your way, it sure as heck ain't gonna bother me.
I'll continue to zap the two (or maybe 4, I don't remember) non-rusted
stainless steel bolts with my air impact like the shop manual says and
spend the rest of the time doing something a lot more fun.

 

Mike all you need to do is remove the axle on the right side to access the
pump, very easy to do

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

Usually I tell them that the advice they get is worth what they paid for it
;-)

Ted

 

Hey Glen, your right , it was either the axle or the harmoic balancer,
i thought the balancer was easier then the axle ... had it offf in a
couple of minutes...(buddy already had a puller) and it seemed to give
me more room then the axle looked like it would have given...
but thanks for your advice glen....

As for Steve , well im sorry if you feel SCHOOLED on a repair with all
your experience but at least you lerned something new from this
post....it still WAY easier to pull a balancer then to remove the
exhaust..

Got the rack in ok too if anyone interested..
I must say though for as long as ive owned my Caravan its been very
unreliable...belt problems,timeing chain cover leak, power steering
pump, rack, waterpump,trans is starting to shift hard, and something
else im forgetting but the bottom line is chrysler makes a VERY POOR
QUALITY PRODUCT and this will be my last purchase from them....
I called the 800 number to comlain about the belt problems and they
could give a shit...
I dont know about you guys but im thinking HONDA OR TOYOTA

 

<<<<As for Steve , well im sorry if you feel SCHOOLED on a repair with
all
your experience but at least you lerned something new from this
post....it still WAY easier to pull a balancer then to remove the
exhaust..>>>

I learned something, allright, but it has nothing to do with auto
mechanics. Let's see...I spent 4 hours reading the shop manual, then
removing and replacing the pump, rack, and hoses. You spent a day
asking questions, then a day bitching about the answers from the one
person here that tried to help you, another day replacing the pump and
bitching some more, another day replacing the rack and hoses, and
another trying to convince me that I have been SCHOOLED. Okay, you win.
The Honda and Toyota crowd ARE probably more your style. I hope they
enjoy you as much as I have.