Can I change over to a power steering pump with an attached reservoir?

[Bronze Knight]

Hello everyone I was wondering if I could swap out my power steering pump for one with an attached reservoir? Here are some pictures so you can see what I have right now.

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So here are the facts that I know. This truck (85 crew cab) left the factory with a 6.2 diesel and AC, at some point someone put a CBB (butchering the wiring harnesses while they were at it). The casting numbers on the back of the block drivers side are 3999289 on the front behind the alternator there is only T020trk no build code or partial vin number that I can see. So this should be a 454 from 72-74 era. Anyhow I wanted to put a new pump on because the one on it now has the third fitting for a hydroboost system and my truck is a vacumboost in addition to that I think the pump is leaking oil when under load. So I wanted to replace it with a new one.

I work at Advanced Auto so all the following part numbers are from there. Reman Cardone pumps that should work (as far as I can tell) are either 20-6182 (threaded pulley attachment) or 20-6882f (press on pulley).

 

[Raider L]

@Bronze Knight,

All you have to do is take the pump off and all that goes with it because you aren't going to need it anymore. At your work just order the power steering pump for a '85 Crew Cab with a BB and it should come up a regular Saginaw pump with the res. on it, just like the ones that went on other years gas cars and trucks, not that thing you've got on it now. Follow the directions for the pulley removal, put it on the new pump and bolt it on. You may have to look for an adjustment bracket for the left side, like a trip to the wrecking yard would get you the old A/C bracket or what went there to attach the pump to and the belt should be the same.

 

[Raider L]

@Bronze Knight,

I had a post, I don't know what happened to it, but I found this for you:

'85 C20 454, P/n 20-7999 for $73.99 with a core of $32.00

 

[Raider L]

@Bronze Knight

I went on OReilly site and they had a ton of power steering pumps that would work for your application. Like I said you may have to go to a wrecking yard and find the brackets for it, but anything would be better than what you've got. Good Luck!

 

[Craig 85]

What ever you do, don't throw away the remote hose if it is still good. Someone may need it. They don't make that molded hose anymore.

 

[Raider L]

@Craig 85

You recond that's a molded hose? It just looks like a regular hose somebody put on there. But I have to admit I've never seen anything like the setup for power steering he's got on there, before.

I can't imagine why the engineers thought this would be a good setup. I always try to look at what the engineers have done on our trucks and try to figure out why they thought their design was efficient. I mean, any idea that works is a good idea and any of us could come up with something that works. But what in the world were they thinking for a 1985 model truck, that is if this came with this truck, when you've got twenty-five years or longer of designs for accessory components before this trucks setup to use for power steering that was a much better design than this one. It's ridiculous.

Craig what do you think, or know that this would have been done like this? Is this arrangement for something else to be used like it is, or is there something else missing that was taken off at an earlier time that went to something, for some other function, like Bronze Knight said that he was thinking of putting on hydroboost and this is what you'd use?

 

[Raider L]

@Craig 85

I just noticed that you, yourself have one of these trucks an '85 K30 454! was yours set up like this, or is it still like this now?

 

[Camar068]

wow.....never knew they were ever seperate. Learn something new every day.

 

[Craig 85]

I know hydro boost trucks got the remote reservoir. I would assume for extra fluid volume. Mine still has this set up. I know trucks built after 1/1/85 have the reservoir mounted closer to the pump as they had a dual smog pump (at least for HD emissions). Unless you had the original hose, you would never know one end is molded with a bend. Using standard 3/4" hose tends to collapse in the bends.

I've seen pre '81 trucks on the forum with hydro-boost using a non-reservoir power steering pump set up. I have also seen people move the reservoir to the core support or driver side fender well.

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[SquareRoot]

I have the same exact remote reservoir setup off an 85 diesel. My current 85 is serpentine system with hydroboost and integral reservoir. The internal pump/sump with the second return nipple does not play well with the serpentine bracketry but I made it work.

 

[Bextreme04]

I can tell you the newer HMMWV's with 6.5 turbo's have a remote reservoir and is a MUCH better setup than the built in reservoir. The remote ones are easier and quicker to replace and last a lot longer than the integrated style. The 1997 K2500 with an L29 454 and hydroboost did not have a remote reservoir. So apparently at some point they went back to not using the remote reservoir in those applications.

I would have expected a diesel K30 to have come with hydroboost from the factory though... right?

 

[Turbo4whl]

My '98 3500HD with a 454 and hydro-boost, also does not have a remote reservoir.

 

[Craig 85]

Here's how they did it on my '01 8.1.

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[Ricko1966]

I think all BB chevy swp cars and trucks were remote reservoir, and trucks carried it on until at least the early 70

 

[SquareRoot]

Here's how they did it on my '01 8.1.

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DAMN! That's sexy.