Chrysler power steering pump shaft play

[shadango]

Hope that nobody Minds that I'm posting this question here ....it is Mopar related and more specifically steering related. Wondering if any play is acceptable in a power steering pump? We are replacing the power steering pump in my son's 1980 Volare. We were replacing it because it was leaking from the shaft and you could grab the pulley and wiggle it and there was some play there. Well we go through the effort of replacing it and just before we're ready to put the new pump on, after we put the pulley on the pump, we find that it too has play in the shaft. Not in and out end play, up and down play like a wiggle. So do we have a bad pump? Or is this acceptable and normal? I check the power steering pump on the Barracuda, and it has no play whatsoever. To me, that's how it should be. But could we have gotten a bad pump right out of the box?

[shadango]

Here is a short video clip to show the the wiggling..... look at the pump housing relative to the shaft....

[jhaag]

that's no good. that would be why it was leaking before. yes you could get a bad one out of the box. remember these are rebuilt units, and bad ones can slip out the door easily. what brand is it? I would return it and try again.   

[burdar]

I just bought a rebuilt pump as well. It does the same thing. I was pretty disappointed when I saw that. I think I might try it the way it is. If it leaks I'll have to put a new shaft bushing on it. I rebuilt my Challengers original pump with a rebuild kit from Advace Auto. It was only like $14. It came with a new shaft bushing and wasn't hard to install.

[shadango]

that's no good. that would be why it was leaking before. yes you could get a bad one out of the box. remember these are rebuilt units, and bad ones can slip out the door easily. what brand is it? I would return it and try again.   

SO I returned it.....cant recall the brand off the top of my head.....they got me another one and it has the same amount of play.

The amount of play is less than the original leaky one, though.

So we decided to just run it.....and see what happens.  It has a lifetime warranty on it. Got it at advanced auto.

It is leak free SO far.  But time will tell.  I still HATE the way the PS pump pulley lines up with the crank.....for the life of me cant see how I can shim it in any manner to get the path straighter....

I am returning the core today....cant figure any reason to keep it...may as well get my $14 core charge back.

[rUNCHARGER]

Just run it. I'm pretty sure they all do it, it may be designed in so the shaft and pulley can float a bit to autoline the belt the last 1/8 inch.

Sheldon

[shadango]

Well, we installed ita few days back and have put a few miles on it....so far so good.

I guess the first one we bought wasnt bad after all.   

Had I run THAT one, it would have leaked..LOL

Will watch it and see what happens.

I considered a cheap rebuild kit but figured I would screw it up...LOL

Thanks all!