[NCSaabStory]

I've got an 85 900 8v which I bought 3 years ago. I haven't had the resources to work on this car much until now, and boy have we been working on it. Tightened all the belts yesterday and the original A/C still works better than my wife's 92 Accord. I have some suspension squeaks and the alternator is still squealing on startup, but that I can fix. The main problem I have which is keeping me from really enjoying this car is that the power steering does not work at all. I was told by the guy who sold me the car that it needed a new pump and new boot on the right-hand side, which he claimed would all cost about $300. With that price in my head I figured I could just live without it, but I recently looked at rockauto.com and they have the pump for $50 and the boot for $12. So my question is, how hard is it to replace the boot? I've done PS pumps before so that's no problem, but I'm not thrilled about paying the Porsche dealership $50 an hour if I don't have to. But I'm jumping ahead of myself here. What things do I need to check to find out if the pump and the boot are really the problem? This is a wonderful car that drives really well, but it's a pain in my tuckus to get in and out of parking spaces with no power steering Any help would be appreciated

 

[ProfZ]

What I would do is this:

Replace the boot (see if www.eeuroparts.com has it cheaper).

Top up fluid in pump reservoir (you have the "canned ham" pump with integral reservoir). Make sure P/S belt is OK.

Start engine. See if P/S now works. Check/top up fluid as you turn the steering lock-to-lock a few times (this will bleed the system). Listen for noise from pump (grinding, shrieking) that would indicate worn pump bearing.

 

[Matt88S]

Well, if the "boot" you are referring to is the one on the end of the rack, then its fairly simple.

You should be able to take the tire off, knock the tie rod end loose, unscrew it carefully counting how many revolutions it takes so you can put it back on without effecting alignment too much, slide the old boot off and the new boot on over the end of the inner tie rod, replace the tie rod end, bolt it back on, and put your wheel back on.

I can't think of anything else. :roll:

The pump is much harder, if you can change it then you can defiantly do the boot.

 

[philbert]

Having had to just replace the boot on my '87, it isn't all the difficult, but can be a pain (like most things on a Saab). There is very little room to get the inner side of the boot on, and getting the metal band on and tightened was a joy also. You must remove the tie rod and locking nut first, and if the tie rod has been on for a while, again, it can be a pain.

One thing to look out for: If you buy the boot from Eeuroparts, ask them if it comes with the metal bands that clamp it in place. They had some kits with the bands, some without. I'm glad I asked first and had them ship me one with the metal bands.

 

[Basre]

Couple of Points: Yr AC works better than your Wife's Accord?? Then the Accord is Damaged.. Period.
My, bought new 84's, AC is simply lame, countless hours inna Shop under warranty and it still is Lame (sister also wned the Dealership.. so it did get serious attention) simply not up to the sun and heat of the Pacific northwest.. can't even imageine the low expectations that considers it 'acceptable' in yr part of the world.
Power steerring IS a genuine problem ..as it is in ANY GM car between 1980 and 1995.. cuz it's a GM supplied system.
Racks fail early and repeatedly if you own the car long enough. Suggest getting it into a GM shop.. it's their parts, they can patch it, eventually.

 

[NCSaabStory]

Well, if the "boot" you are referring to is the one on the end of the rack, then its fairly simple.

You should be able to take the tire off, knock the tie rod end loose, unscrew it carefully counting how many revolutions it takes so you can put it back on without effecting alignment too much, slide the old boot off and the new boot on over the end of the inner tie rod, replace the tie rod end, bolt it back on, and put your wheel back on.

I can't think of anything else. :roll:

The pump is much harder, if you can change it then you can defiantly do the boot.

Perhaps it would be easier to approximate the revolutions enough to get it back on and to a shop to do a full alignment (since it needs one anyway)? I have an arrangement with the local shop to do free alignments for all my vehicles. But if that's not a safe plan I'll take the time to do it accurately. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[NCSaabStory]

Couple of Points: Yr AC works better than your Wife's Accord?? Then the Accord is Damaged.. Period.
My, bought new 84's, AC is simply lame, countless hours inna Shop under warranty and it still is Lame (sister also wned the Dealership.. so it did get serious attention) simply not up to the sun and heat of the Pacific northwest.. can't even imageine the low expectations that considers it 'acceptable' in yr part of the world.
Power steerring IS a genuine problem ..as it is in ANY GM car between 1980 and 1995.. cuz it's a GM supplied system.
Racks fail early and repeatedly if you own the car long enough. Suggest getting it into a GM shop.. it's their parts, they can patch it, eventually.

I live in the southeast U.S., so trust me, it gets hot here. Once I tightened the belts up on the compressor it cools down fast (about a minute or so) and blows air that would make an eskimo shiver. I imagine it hasn't be serviced in a while as it has yet to be converted from freon. As for my wife's accord, it needs to be recharged, but even with a full charge it takes a long time to get as cold as my Saab; around 15-30 minutes. :evil: