Power steering pump custom mount

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Nick Davis

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02 3.7 4WD Limited - So I hear a noise as I'm about to park. Upon inspection I notice the power steering pump is about to fall off and the cap is gone. Then upon further inspection I realize only one of the PS pump bolts really even line up from the pump to the engine(The upper left corner one) the other 2 are just a little bit off. So whoever put this pump on improvised. They made a homemade mount that goes from the bottom left bolt to the water pump bolt, and the top right bolt(under the reservoir) is off just a smidgen to the right so they made another mount, but they drilled the hole to far to the left... So that one appeared to be screwed in at a very slight angle, even though it would obviously strip at some point being crooked. I came to realized it was only in a few threads, almost for show. Now because the bottom water pump bolt is out further the pump is being pushed out at a slight angle, it's small enough that it has worked for the year and a half I've owned the Vehicle. Now the upper left bolt that does go in cannot get the water pump flush with the engine because of the bolt under it pushing the pump out. To improvise they used 2 washers to cover the gap between the pump and the engine.

So I make the Junkyard trip and pull a 05 3.7 Liberty PS pump. On this one I notice it has two bolt holes next to each other on the engine where the pump mounts, expect for the upper left where it lines up correctly on mine. It seems like it would make my current power steering pump line up as they are all right next to each other. Now because of this I wanted to figure this out before I buy anything. Are there Different PS pumps? I haven't seen any when searching. Obviously something has changed for mine to have 3 mount holes and the 2005 to have 5 with only 3 being used. I don't want to keep these hillbilly mounts as it seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

I will post pictures when it's daylight.
 

ltd02

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02 through 06 should have the same pump. Not sure about 07s. I've had an 02 and have an 05. Just use the holes that line up when the cap points straight up. You'll probably need new bolts too. I seem to remember extra holes in the head behind the pump when I changed the pump on my 05.
 

Nick Davis

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Yes but my 02 Doesn't have the extra holes. And the holes it does have is not lining up with the pump thats why whoever replaced it beforehand made these hillbilly mounts. I got the 05 from the Junkyard and no dice there either.
 

ltd02

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So it sounds like the pump isn't the problem but what about the head? Seems unlikely but I'm wondering if someone swapped it with something that is a bit different. Not sure that is even possible. I looked at a couple part sites and see only one pump listed for 02-06.
 

Nick Davis

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So after pulling a pump from the junkyard and taking off the reservoir it fit. But the reservoir make it not fit. So I came across this on ebay https://tinyurl.com/yxt3a5ga. That piece coming out the pump would push the reservoir to a position where it would fit. None of the other 6 Kjs in the Junkyard had that part. But there also weren't any 2002s like mine. This must be it. Now maybe I can find that part separate. Right not I'm using a 1" heater hose that I have hose clamped over where the reservoir attaches and am using a metal tube from my Merkur to attach the hose to the reservoir.
 

ltd02

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I've never seen one with that metal tube. I used a Cardone from Rock Auto in my 05. It fit perfect but I had to swap the OE reservoir onto it. Hope it works out for you. If you can, post a pic of the pump with the reservoir attached. I'd be curious to see how that works.
 

Nick Davis

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Ok so yes everything I mount any pump from Napa, Advance Auto or Pep Boys and Junkyard Pumps, the reservoir hits the metal part that the upper radiator hose attaches to(where the bleeder is). So I came up with this Solution(Link below). I've put 523 Miles on it and I know this isn't the best way. Until I can figure something else out it has to do. I tried mounting the reservoir up near the brake reservoir. It fit great but I don't think the pump could handle the extra distance. Both lines attaching to the cooler blew even after fixing them.

https://tinyurl.com/y3zasdr6
 

Nick Davis

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Well after 756 Miles I shredded the belt. Since only 2 bolts fit is eventually slightly misaligned itself, Going to get one of the "better for misaligned pulleys" belts. Hopefully that will last longer. The last one was a used one from the junkyard.
 

JasonJ

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Well after 756 Miles I shredded the belt. Since only 2 bolts fit is eventually slightly misaligned itself, Going to get one of the "better for misaligned pulleys" belts. Hopefully that will last longer. The last one was a used one from the junkyard.

That's unfortunate to hear. I just had my own PS pump woes a couple weeks ago- lost the belt and then the pump pulley (with bearing, and shaft) came out of the pump body and fell to my frame rail on the expressway. I was halfway through a 100 mile trip downstate. I limped it to an advance auto and got the cardone reman pump, a new pulley and some fluid. I pressed the pulley onto the new pump using the loaner tool at the Autozone across the street, then swapped the pump in about 20 mins in the parking lot.

Mine's an 03, April build and my replacement part was identical in bolt alignment to the head as the original that failed after 148k miles and 16 years. I think it did alright.

Odd that you have so many bolt alignment problems with this. Mine had 3 bolts, 3 bolt holes in the head, there was only one way it could go on. The new pump had a reservoir pre-installed, and it tucks under the top rad hose, the cap coming up straight right behind said hose.

My return line did not have that huge honking tube coming out of the pump, but a smaller one, perhaps 3/8", maybe 1/2"?

My biggest issue/complaint was all the damn black paint A1-Cardone put on the entire reman'd assembly, including the reservoir, so I will have to strip it to be able to see better the fluid level without peaking inside the cap.
 

uss2defiant

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yeah. that's what I did with the black paint in order to see the fill level.

Are the post 06 engine have different mounting location for the P/S pump? I read a recent engine swap post here that noted that the P/S pump was a different location?
 
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