How to Remove Power Steering Pump Pulley Without Puller

Wondering how to remove power steering pump pulley without puller or tool?

Modern-day cars have made it easier through the help of power steering systems for you to steer a car and remove the steering wheels comfortably.

This is done through the power steering pumps determined by your vehicle’s engine via belt-&-pulley devices. When your power steering pulley becomes faulty, you must remove it and change it.

However, is it possible for us to remove a power steering pulley without a puller or tool? This article will answer such questions, how possible it is, and how it can be done.

What Is A Puller?

Knowing what pullers are is the first step to knowing how it works and the rest. “A puller refers to a tool which is used in removing vehicle parts” Examples of such tools are bearing, gears, or pulleys from shafts. Pullers have about 2 or 3 legs that are circled inside a part or at the back. It also has a forcing screw that centers up at the shaft’s end. The screw uses force in order to make the user put little effort into removing it.

Can You Remove the Power Steering Pump Pulley Without a Puller?

Those that experienced manual vehicles when the steering system was manually operated would understand how blessed they’re to have this modernized power steering system. It was stressful using manual steering.

But while we appreciate the power steering, it is necessary you know its function and how it is used. For instance, the power steering pulley allows this power steering to work.

The reason for these power steering pulleys is for driving the power steering pumps in your vehicle. Usually, it is powered by a serpentine belt or one V-type; it depends. The power steering pulley was primarily built to let the pump work faster than the engine’s speed.

So, if your power steering pulley is damaged or faulty, remove and replace it immediately. The problem is, power steering pulleys usually need a special tool to enable you to remove and change them when necessary.

Though you can remove your power steering pulley even without making use of tools, it’s not advisable because it could be dangerous and risky.

Despite being idle, your engine still produces a lot of force; now, you can imagine how fast this power steering pump works if its speed is faster than that of the engine. This is to say that your power steering pump tightly secures the pulley since it moves at high speed to meet up with your belt.

However, if you make a mistake along the line, the speeds at which your pulley rotates might end up destroying the system entirely.

In a nutshell, trying to remove your pulley without using a puller could destroy or damage your pulley and your pump too. Though the tool is somehow expensive, repairing the whole system is much more costly.

Also Read: Can You Use Power Steering Fluid as Brake Fluid?

How to Remove the Power Steering Pulley Without a Puller?

By now you are already aware of how risky it can be to remove the steering pulley without a puller. Technically it is possible to do this, but all we want you to know is the danger and risk that comes with doing it. Nevertheless, if you must remove it without a tool, do the following:

Firstly, ensure that the steering pulley bolt is removed with impact tools. A wrench can also be used to unlock it; you are expected to take it off counterclockwise.

If you want to use a wrench or screwdriver to take it out, remove the bolt or the screw holding your steering pulley, then put the screws you removed into the other hole of the pulley.

Search for the other holes in the pulley; these holes should be like 2 or 3. Now, insert those screws you removed into these other holes.

When you have inserted the screws into these other holes in your steering pulley, use a screwdriver to tighten them; now, the screw will push the pulley. Allow your pulley to release itself while the screw pushes it. This makes removing it much easier.

See these steps for more ease:

• In order to remove your pulley, a certain space would be needed to maneuver your steering pump at the front. You will need installer tool kits, power screwdrivers, and other essential tools. Your engine layout will determine if the pulley can be removed while your steering pump has not been detached from the engine.
• Use the bolt with thread (at the top left side of your box), and connect the same with the little log underneath it. Use the 2-halve of the rings (at the bottom left side of your box).
• Take the nut connected to the bolt, and thread it on the pulley; hence those 2-halves of the rings could hold both the nut and the pulley together. This would join the two halves and let you take off the pulley. Slide the cover of the ring in order to hold everything together.
• Take a suitable size of a wrench (13/16” of the wrench), then use it to grip the nut to stop it from rotating.
• The back side of your bolt was shaped in a way that it could accept sockets. An electrical or manual power wrench can be used to remove the pulley; this can be done when you pull off your power steering pump.

Since an electric power wrench needs additional space to plan, you could succeed in removing the pulley inside your engine’s bay using ratcheting wrenches.

Apart from the necessary time required to remove your power steering pump, this process takes just a few minutes.

How to Attach Power Steering Pump Pulley with a Puller

• Look for the appropriate size of a threaded bolt (at the top left side of your box) that can fit into the hole of your steering pump.
• When you are done threading it for a few minutes, connect the sticker disassembled bolts to it.
• Put in your pulley over your bolt any length it could go while ensuring that it’s facing the right direction.
• Firstly, place the big washer, followed by the small one, then start threading the nut in front.
• Manually spin the nut using a wrench while you apply some force on your pulley to stop it from changing position. As you do these steps from disassembling in reverse, you’re required to hold down the bolt with a socket wrench.
• Patiently work on your nut, then check the space in between and check how far you have gone. When you hit the end of your thread, take the bolt off and connect only the one used for disassembling. Put back the washers, followed by the nuts, using a wrench.
• Check how your pulley was aligned; if it is in the correct position, you can take off the puller tool and reconnect your winding belt.

Can You Put a Pulley on With a Hammer?

If you have been wondering about the tool(s) that can be used for putting back your pulley, then know that a hammer can do that for you. But for safety reasons, using a hammer can be risky, so you are advised to avoid it.

Using a hammer to hit the pulley down does not require so much force due to the fact that the pressure that comes with pounding it could damage your pulley, hence causing it to become unstable. Because while using a hammer, you may apply more pressure than required.

Some nuts and a screw can substitute for a hammer. You need to put your nut on the screw and place the washer first before putting it on your pulley shaft. After this, put the nuts, screws and lastly the bolt into your pump shaft, following this order.

When you drag the pulley into your pump shaft, you’re required to hold your pulley and tighten the nuts. After this, reduce the pressure on your pulley.

Cost of Replacing a Power Steering Pulley

Depending on your engine, replacing your power steering pulley costs between $15 and $160, while the labor cost is about $150 to $250. So changing it yourself can help save you a lot of money.

Also Read: Serpentine Belt vs Timing Belt (Are They Different?)

Frequently Asked Questions ­- How to Remove Power Steering Pump Pulley Without Puller

Conclusion – How to Remove Power Steering Pump Pulley Without Puller

You should never think of removing your power steering pumps without a puller or a tool. With a few dollars, you could buy the appropriate tools to take it off and replace it yourself.