intermittent loss of PS

[xschroederx]

So I have in my 79 K10, an intermittent loss of power steering. It only happens every once in a while. Fluid is clean and new, belt is tensioned properly. Never had the problem in my 78 where the pump was pulled from along with the engine. Fluid level is at proper level. When I loose PS its not so much hard to turn like lack of PS, its more like its kindof siezed, but not entirely. Just really fudgin hard. Im a light mech, and I haul hay every year so I know its not cause im weak. Im assuming the pump is finally going bad. Any ideas?

[zieg85]

You could have a frozen front u-joint making that issue.  I would check that first.  Welcome from NW Indiana since this is your first post!

[bake74]

     Zeig has a good point.  But since you said it only happens once in a while, and since you said it is all clean and working properly.  The question is, when it does happen, does it feel like you lost your power steering, or more like you described that something is seized ?
     I would think if seized, it would feel like you can not move the steering wheel at all, and if a loss of power steering, it would just be very hard to move.
     Also welcome to the site.

[burbboysgc]

Is the p.s. belt tight. Mine was loose and it would give me the same problem.Also when it's cold, it sticks until it warms up.

[xschroederx]

The belt is tight. And there are no u joints to inspect. Its a solid steering shaft all the way to the box. The steering is finicky. The firt time it happened, the fluid was a hair low after I took it for the first test run out behind the old rock quarry. It didnt happen till after I got back into town 2 blocks from my home. That felt like loss of power steering. The faster i went, the less i noticed, the slower i went, the harder it was..... Today I went to turn the corner leading up to my apartment and it would barely move at all. I was really wrenching on it as I was a hairs breath from taking out a brand new duramax I just inspected this morning. I mean it would barely even turn a half inch at a time as I was cranking it. After about 3 to 5 seconds worth of cranking it, all was well and I had PS again. What it would do earlier today was move about a half inch, freeze, then move again a half inch. And it kept doing that. I was at about 20 mph at the time, and both times PS problems came up, it was still hot out, and the vehicle had been up to prefered op. Temps.

[bake74]

     Sounds to me like it's the pump.  Especially since you said the faster you go the easier it is to move the steering wheel.

[xschroederx]

     Sounds to me like it's the pump.  Especially since you said the faster you go the easier it is to move the steering wheel.

And thats what I was thinking, but when im turning a corner at 15 to 20 mph, and I lose all steering to the point it will barely move, that isnt necessarily loss of PS. Thinking the steering box is toast?