Have you tried lucas power steering treatment?  I have only good things to
say about this products effectiveness at curing my slow PS leak and quieting
it to inaudible level.  Mine's a 1991 so not quite as old as some of ya'lls
pumps I reckon.

-Ry
http://www.google.com/profiles/rylincoln

On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 10:21 AM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:

>  Dennis,
>
> My pumps still function. BUT - they whine like crazy, it's loud, and
> it's far worse when turning under a load such as when trying to parallel
> park or when at or near the limits of turning of the steering wheel.
>
> I realize that even with a new pump there is always some slight whining
> when the steering wheel turn limits are reached. I have a new PS unit
> installed, freshly flushed and filled - and my pump still whines like
> crazy. In fact, all three used pumps that I have put on subsequently
> have protested loudly.
>
> Like alternators, these pumps see a lot of work, and because they are
> raight at $300 a pop, and I have three vans, I'm real interested in
> finding a simpler, cheaper solution to the pump issue. Plunking down
> $900 for three pumps is not my idea of fun. And right now all three vans
> have pumps that whine like crazy.
>
> John. Rodgers
>
>
>
> On 8/22/2010 11:28 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>
>> Why do you think these pumps are bad? The part that usually wears is
>> really
>> the housing, (side play) and fixing this take machine work. They also
>> usually last almost forever. I have only replaced two of these and they
>> were
>> used on a number of VW and Audi products. Both died from being run dry.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
>> Of
>> John Rodgers
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 3:13 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Power Steering Pumps - Again!
>>
>>   Since I now have three Vanagons to maintian, and all three have bad
>> pumps, I am facing a $900 bill for PS pump replacement, so needless to
>> say, I have been studying the pump problem intently. Bentley has some
>> really good illustrations of the construction of these pumps, and I see
>> absolutely no reason one cannot rebuild them in one's own garage. The
>> problem is the availability of parts.
>>
>> These pumps are simple. A few gaskets and seals, a spring loaded
>> pressure relief valve, a stator, a rotor, and some vanes to go in the
>> rotor.
>>
>> The parts that wear are the vanes - which wear against the stator, and
>> the rotor, where the vanes wear in their respective slots on the rotor.
>> Those three parts - stator, rotor, vanes - are really easy to replace.
>> So, what is the deal with getting those parts. All of our regular list
>> vendors carry the seal kit, ie, gaskets, o-rings, etc, but I have yet to
>> see one carry the stator, rotor, and vanes. So why not? As common as
>> these parts are on Vanagons, surely they are available somewhere to the
>> public at large. Why would/should these parts be the exclusive purvue of
>> automotive component/appliance re-builders.
>>
>> I hope to turn this situation around, and I'm on the trail. Any input
>> anyone has would be appreciated. I would like to add this as a  success
>> story to the archives.
>>
>> Homey's have rebuilt/repaired AFM's, ECU's, Auto Trannies, PS racks, to
>> name a few - all in their home garages. So why not PS pumps??
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>>
>> Thanks for putting up with a semi-rant!
>>
>> John
>>
>> --
>> John Rodgers
>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>> Chelsea, AL
>> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>
>>
>>