pump condition?

[Eric_R_Kissell at email.whirlpool.com]

My bet is the pump is weak. I have similiar symtoms on my 1986 5000cstq and I
have a couple of good used pumps to try to see if the intermitent brake light
goes away. However, the wife's 200q Avant suddenly has a severely slipping
clutch, so any other auto repair work that is not already underway is on hold
until after the clutch is done. I will finish installing the remote locks I gave
her for Mother's day into the Avant though, before I start the clutch.

I am so not looking forward to pulling the tranny in the 200q Avant. :-(

Eric Kissell

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: pump condition?
Author:  Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net> at INTERNET
Date:    5/15/2002 2:25 PM


Gents,

While test-driving the car, I realized that the brake light was
coming on when it shouldn't be...a blink here and there after a lot
of stop+go/steering.  Granted, the reservoir was right at the min
line, so I filled it up to slightly below max, and same symptoms
persist.

This flickering business started the night before the hose let go.

The bomb seems perfectly fine...I get about 40-50 full pedal presses
before the pedal instantly goes rock hard.  If the bomb has been
fully discharged, it takes about 18-20 seconds with the engine held
at 2k rpm for the light to go out as it charges up the bomb again.

Engine on, I can quickly "bounce" the brake pedal continuously and
after a few seconds, the light comes on...then quickly goes out once
I stop.

   Steering assist has always been pretty poor since the day I bought
the car, but I was used to a 5000 with skinnier tires at the
time...probably has gotten worse over time, and the fatter tires
installed a few months ago don't help.  My guess is that my pump
isn't quite up to task in the volume/pressure department, but I
wanted to hear what the list had to say.  I am using DTE-13M instead
of Pentosin 11S, but the two have identical properties at room
temperature or near it(all the above tests were done with the engine
stone cold, so yes, the fluid was at about room temperature) and
things are pretty much the same as when I had 11S.

Belt does not seem to be slipping(it's hard for a one-man operation
to twist the wheel and eyeball the belt)...but it is an almost brand
new Conti belt.  Also, assist never goes completely dead nor "pulses"
in and out, which is sort of a dead giveaway of belt slippage.

Listers?

Brett
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