-Power Steering (PS) is intermittent after pump rebuild, bomb swap, & bleed.
-Pump whine is less after rebuild, tho still present & also intermittent.
-PS filter is NLA, unable to swap
Full story:
Since I got the car (5/24), PS has always worked, tho very whiney & noisy. Brakes also worked, tho, as I learned, the brake bomb was toast.
2 weeks ago the OE pressure hose from the PS pump up to the valve body ruptured, so I replaced that, & replaced the break bomb as well.
Also picked up the OE PS pump rebuild kit.. new seals & grommets all around. Pump internals look good, besides (& worth noting), I noticed the sleeve/bearing that is pressed into the PS pump housing is worn & out of round (crude reman from 2013 with very low miles).
All relevant fittings and fasteners have been checked, rechecked & appear good. No visible ATF leaks.
OE PS filters are NLA, so I did not remove, inspect or replace.*
I followed the bleed steps outlined here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDNTygiDhRk
After the initial bleed, the whine quieted down nicely. Then, after pumping the breaks a number of times the whine returned, intermittently. Engine revving or light taps on the brakes will quiet it back down... whine seems to come and go... when it does quiet down, its much much quieter than it was when I got it. Despite the noise, PS actually worked before that line burst!.
When I took the first test drive, break assist was good. However, power steering function remains intermittent at best.. occasionally works, most times not... WTF!? Tho noisy, PS worked fine before the line burst & I thought I bled effing this thing!
*Asterix:
As stated, I did not replace or remove the PS filter.. Randomly though, I noticed that when I tipped the reservoir's central rod to the side a little, I think it breaks the seal on the filter and i get an inrush of fluid to the can and the whine quiets down right away.
Conclusion:
Now thinking the filter may be plugged and not allowing enough flow, which may be taxing the pump and contributing-to/creating the issue. PS filters are NLA and not seeing anything aftermarket available anywhere (I found one Romanian site selling something that looked as equal, but no shipping to the western hemisphere, so still searching).
Questions:
-Are the steps I followed to bleed correct?
-Why am I getting good brake boost but no power steering (except sometimes)?
-Could these symptom relate to a clogged PS filter?
-Can I pull the filter and clean, bake, or otherwise refurbish it?
-Does anyone have a NOS filter they want to sell (p/n 32411128167)?
-Honestly, do I really need a PS filter on a 40yo e28?
-Can the PS pump housing sleeve/bush/bearing be replaced?
-Will I need to tear into the steering box next?
-Can anyone offer any other thoughts or advice?
Much Obliged!
