Hello This will be a long post but it might help somebody out.

I drive a 96 IH with a DD S-60 with 935,000 miles. I keep the truck up real good and I usually have a list in my head of things that due to the age of the truck and the miles need replacing or rebuilding, even if they are not giving me any problems. I just figure it just a matter of time.

Well the power steering pump and air compressor have been on my mind. Before I got to changing the power steering pump I started having problems with it. I was getting what the TRW trouble shooting guide calls wheel kick and shimmy. This is caused from air in the system and it would happen when I hit a bump like a RR track small pot hole.

I replaced the pressure hose, return line and the supply line on the pump. No help at all. I then took the top off the power steer reservoir and put the bolt and spring back in to keep the filter down. Started the truck and the oil was just a bubbling. Well there is only two more things to look at, the gear and the pump. Talked to the IH mechanic and he said more than likely the pump.

Put a new pump on, no more air in the system and the truck steered perfect. I was real happy, for 4 weeks. Then I was making a turn and the wheel kicked and no more power steering! Sh*t I had to get reloaded in Detroit and go up to Traverse City and back home. About 450 miles with no power steering. I am a little guy and I had allot of problems doing this but I made it home without any more mechanical problems.

Took the 4 week old pump off and it was shot. The pump shaft almost felt like it was broken inside but I think the seals went out of it and the 450 miles I drove it without any oil (I did add some after the I lost the power but it just went inside the motor) took out the bearings or bushings in it.

IH dealer warrantied the pump and gave me a new one. Put it on and steering was great again but I was worried about this happening again but didn't know what else to do to the truck. The IH mechanic said it must of been a bad pump but added that he has never seen a pump do what this new one did.

Couple days later I decided to put a new air compressor on the truck. It seemed to be making some noise, pumping up slow and I was getting some oil out of the air tanks if I held my finger in front of the valve when I drained the moisture out.

Put the old compressor on the bench and grabbed the drive gear and wiggled it. Oh Man there is all my problems with my steering. It had at least 1/4" slop in it. The power steering pump bolts to the front of the accessory drive cover and directly behind the pump the air compressor bolts up. The air compressor drives the power steering pump. The pump has about a 3/4" shaft with splines that fit into two other gears that slide "into" the the air compressor gear. When this is all bolted up it is a pretty rigid set up but with all the slop in the air compressor it was getting transferred to the power steering pump and that little guy just couldn't take it.

There was big parts of the the air compressor bearing laying in a pocket in the front cover. The way the cover is designed the parts couldn't get further down into the motor.

New compressor is very quite and pumps up quick. That old compressor was just junk.

Also when I pulled the fuel transfer pump off of the compressor the plastic coupler that couples the compressor to the fuel pump came out in pieces.

Hopes this helps someone.

Mike

I've been running a '95 FLD120 that had the air compressor replaced twice about 20K miles ago just before I got it. The first time they put in a used comprssor that didn't last and replaced some of the accessory drive gears that the original bad compressor ate. Second replacement was a new compressor so hopefully I'm set. Just wondering if you checked the condition of them gears to make sure they don't eat your new pump? After reading your post I think I'm gonna check my power steering pump and fuel pump for damage!

Hi Roadranger Ya I looked all the gears over real good and they were all in good shape. The seals and bearings in the power steering pump took the blunt of the movement from the wore out compressor.

I think if you were to take the cover off your power steering reservoir and start the truck (put bolt and spring back on to keep the filter down) if there is no air bubbling your pump should be OK.

New power steering pump was $335, compressor after core charge was $330 Bendix 550 tru-flow, fuel transfer pump coupler $2.50. You will need a gasket to put that new coupler in.

Mike

I may be "using" power steering fluid, I had to put a quart in a couple weeks ago. The last couple days were in the single digits and the power steering was a bit wonky when I first started up in the morning. I guess I should check the fluid again :lol: . The fluid isn't leaking out so maybe it is going through the seal into the engine sump? Anyways it isn't a big problem yet so I guess I'll pull the pump when it warms up a bit more and check it out 8) .