Power Steering Pump Removal & Installation - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I would like to share my experience on working with my Boxster (Base & TIP) year 2002. But I would like you to know that I am not a mechanic. I am just a trying hard hobbyist on fixing cars. Last month, my car started creating a whining noise so I did check and found out that the noise is coming from the steering pump. I bought a new pump from autoparts warehouse for $327 brand new. So here we go. 1. Open the compartment engine as usual. 2. Remove both the trottle body tube and resonance tube by unscrewing the four screw type brackets. Be carefull because there are some wirings and vaccum hoses attached to the underside of these tubes. I actually broke one that is connected to the throttle tube and cost me $18 to buy from the dealler. Remove everything connected to it including a flex hose connected to the AOS. 3. Once cleared, disconnect the two sensor terminals on top of the engine block and behind the reservoir to make room. 4. Try to siphon or collect as much fluid as you can from the reservoir. What I did is I used a syringe with flexible tube attached to siphone some of the fluid from the reservoir. However, there is no way you can avoid leaks from the reservoir. 5. Now you will see the back of the steering fluid reservoir and the fluid's return line. "YOU HAVE TO DISCONNECT THIS METAL PIPE FIRST" before doing anything else. This is a PIA. The return line is connected through a compression fitting with a RED plastic compression ring and two rubber o-rings. My pump is seated on top of this reservoir. It took me two days and a broken knuckle to dislodge this pipe. It was so painfull and I start cursing out loud. What I did is use a block of wood as a lever and wedge it between the pipe and the back of the plastic reservoir. I used small crow bar to separate them. 6. Then, go inside the passenger side and loosen the 3 bolts holding the steering pump's flywheel. Then remove the serpentine belt. Remove the 3 loose bolts and the pump's flywheel. 7. Then remove the 3 bolts holding the pump in the front and the two bolts at the rear. 8. At the back of the pump, there is a half circle metal between the pump and the reservoir. Loosen the bolt that holding this half circle metal and temporary tie it up to clear up the area. 9. Loosen the compressor by loosening 3 bolts. Ther are 2 bolts in the front and 1 at the rear. You can use universal swivel socket through the gap in the intake manifold to reach these bolts. You have to do this because the compressor's plumbing is blocking the way. 10. Now, you can detach the filler tube reservoir by un-screwing. Once removed, the whole unit (pump & reservoir) can be maneuver and remove in one difficult way. It will takes time to remove the whole assembly. The installation is the reverse. You will need some ties or wire to temporarily hold those things blocking your way. I totally forgot to take pictures and I am sorry about that. Well, thats all folks. I hope this explanation is clear to you.

Thanks, good explanation. Now I'll try to avoid this repair. That hose sounded like a bear.

Thanks for the post! Can you describe the noise you heard? Thanks, John

The noise sounds like a jet engine but not that loud. Before, the noise will dissapear after a couple of minutes. Then last month, it became continous.

THERE IS A 2 PINS ON LOWER TANK... SAVE FLUID AND EASE OF REMOVING THAT HARD TO REMOVE HOSE...REMOVE TWO PINS ,AFTER REMOVING FRONT PULLEY. LEAVE LOWER TANK IN PLACE.MUST REMOVE 2-REAR BOLTS AND SECURE RING TO SLIDE PINS OUT.SEE PICTURES.

Quotes source post: 249947

Sounds like my issue....I described it recently to a Porsche tech "as a nearby neighbor's string trimmer" running. High pitched whine, goes away as I back out of garage, seems noticible only on cold starts. He mentioned secondary air injector noise and normal, however this sound was not there during my 1st month of ownership. Does this sound like a power steering pump going bad?

Verhag, did you replace your power steering pump? was it easy?

If the OP is still around, or anyone else who has done this, does moving the compressor require a regas of the aircon? How long did the whole process to replace the power steering pump take?

Quotes source post: 374003

You can remove the 3 bolts that secure the A/C to the engine & leaving the hoses connected move the A/C into the passenger compartment. My 2000 Box A/C is ice cold with zero maintenance even after moving the compressor as above.

I remember the pump was a PITA to remove even when I had the engine out of the car and infront of me. So maybe a few pic's to go along with the advice and instuctions in this thread will help. A.C. has been removed.

Thanks for the advice and the photos, guys. I started doing this today, but have some questions. I don't understand why the two rear bolts need to come out. They just connect the plastic tank to the metal part of the power steering pump, right? So if I am replacing the whole thing, I can just remove the three bolts in the front, and not worry about detaching the air con compressor to access the two rear bolts? Does the power steering pump eventually come out via the front or the back?

Yes the steering pump comes out via the back. If I recall trying to get the unit out as a whole was the issue, due to its length. That may be why its suggested to remove the tank from the pump (back 2 bolts). I was able to continue removing parts from behind until it finally came out (if i recall I was getting close to the hammer stage). Did you check out -101 projects for your porsche boxster- site?

Here's a tip to removing the return line at the back of the reservoir. The service manual refers to a "special tool" which really looks like a door panel remover. I had a similar plastic tool that I got from eBay several years ago and it worked great. Just slide the tip between the red compression fitting and the ridge on the pipe and gently push down and toward the pump and the pipe will slide out super easy. This makes at least one part of this process painless. Here is a link to similar tools on eBay.

Hi. Am new to forums; first time posting. I posted this same thing in the general section but thought maybe it belongs here. I am replacing the power steering pump on a 2002 Boxster 986. I read the posts on this forum re power steering replacement as well as watched the Youtube video for 2001 Boxster PS pump. Both show removing the return tube in the rear of the PS pump reservoir using a small crowbar like tool to pry out the seal. I made the tool out of a steel ruler as shown on youtube and got the thing out. It tore up the red plastic slightly on the rear end (see pic). To re-insert the return tube I used a wrench to press against the ridge in the tube and tapped the thing in with a punch (see pic). It inserted more easily than removing. Now it's in and there is some play when I try to wiggle the return tube up and down. I'm wondering if the tube should feel rigid when installed or if the 1/4 inch or so of play is normal. Before installing, I inserted the O ring, but am concerned that maybe it got pushed out of place inside the housing or that the red plastic seal that surrounds the tube is compromised. I don't want to put the car together if it's not properly sealed and have fluid spewing all over. I'm not sure if I need to remove it one more time and re-do. In case, can the red plastic seal be replaced or does one have to replace the entire return tube which I understand is a real pain?

Removing this pipe should be the easiest part of the PS replacement, yet it seems to be the most troublesome for most people. That red ring is a compression fitting, and is designed to hold the pipe in. The harder you pull on the pipe, the tighter it will grip the pipe, so don't keep pulling harder, and definitely don't try to pry it out. That 2001 video is dead wrong and he just got lucky the second time around. You need to relieve the compression by pushing the ring toward the pump before pulling out the pipe. Then the pipe will slide out just like any other well-lubed male/female coupling You can either use 2 plastic spatulas (as described in the service manual) in which case you will need 3 hands, or use a tool like the one I linked to above. Believe me, it will be the best $2 investment you've made. You don't need to make one out of metal, plastic works fine and won't destroy your pipe or fitting. Just remember, if you pull and there is resistance, don't keep pulling or it will just get tighter. In your case, it looks like you tried to pry out the compression ring from the pump ? The red ring should stay with the pump and only the pipe slides out. Putting it back in is easy as there is no resistance to push the pipe back in. The compression fitting only works one way. I don't think you can buy the fitting separately. You will probably have to buy a new lower reservoir if you have any leaks. It also looks like you have mangled the pipe pretty badly so you may want to consider replacing that too.

Thanks newBgeek!. Yes I pried the compression ring along with the brass insert out of the reservoir housing. Not good! The prying pretty much wiped out the old ring and also cracked a small piece off the reservoir as well. Lesson learned. The return line is intact, however, so I purchased a new lower reservoir from Pelican which includes the compression ring and will slide the return line into the ring as you described. I'll update when it's back together.

I have PS fluid on the top of my motor. I can't find the source of the leak but think it may just be where the reservoir connects to the pump. Do I need to go through all 10 of those steps or can i just detach the reservoir after I siphon it? TIA

First I to thank ITOY for her version of the removal, and Yes it took me two days of fighting with that RED ring. My neighbor was wondering why I was in the same position (lying half into the motor the other half across the trunk and rear quarter) then he tells me "that RED compression fitting ; the more you pull out the tighter it gets. He suggested to push the pipe inwards towards the reservoir and push the RED ring into the pump and slowly pull out the metal tube. That took 5 minutes and it was out , every else just follow ITOY instructions. Now on the third day trying to figure out how to install the new pump, in a two part installation, pump with lower half of the reservoir then the upper when it's in place. or try as one complete unit , but from where I'm standing thats going to be difficult . So I'll try my first option.if that works it's down hill from there. If by any chance any follow members wants to give me tip please do . LOL

Excellent thread with one addition. I tried and tried to get the line out of the reservoir. I made the tool, got is about 1/2" out and that was it. I had the compressor loose, the pulley off and on and on. Follow the line to the front (of the car) of the motor. Driver side, just under an to the right of the pump there is a clamp with the hose in a rubber grommet. I had to get the bolt out of that bracket which gave me enough slack to get the line out of the reservoir. Also, once you loosen the plastic connection to get the upper reservoir off, is it just pull, or is there another twist needed? I am not sure what I did to disconnect it.