Re: Fools rush in .....

[cordeiro@adi.com (Alan Cordeiro)]

To everyone with the ZF pump, 
(the one that LEAKS sooner or later )


It took quite a while, but the power steering pump is back
in the car, and there have been no leaks for over two days.

I used a rebuild kit from PAP, the one for $14.95 which
included bearings. The kit had no Audi numbers on it so
I called them back and asked where it had come from. John
exlained that the supplier who rebuilds their ZFs for them
had put this package together.

Three posibilities, depending on your degree of paranoia:

1. The rebuilder knows what really works, from a lot of trial
   and error.

2. The kit works part of the time, if you get lucky, because
   some of the parts are slightly "off". This is why the
   rebuilders have the spotty record.

3. The rebuilder really does not want do-it-your-selfers to
   succeed, it would be bad for their business...

John was reluctant to give me their name, ( I asked if I could
talk to some mechanic there to get pointers on how to do it
right).

 I had the rebuild kit in my hand and a leaky pump in my car, so
the next weekend I proceeded to remove the pump. No real problem,
a few nuts are hard to get a wrench on, I soon had it in my hands.

It took a lot of work to get the pulley flange off, but the real
DOOZIEs were those cap-like ports with the "X" slots on them. I had
a slow leak from one of them so I HAD to replace all the O-rings.

Those #(@%!! things were really tight. Took me about three days
and some "tool-making" to get them off. I now wonder if the
Zelinda people have such a tool.

I took much care in re-building it. Got all the O-rings changed
and even the shaft seal. Finally got it put together Tuesday but
needed to wait for the weekend to clean out the CRUD in the
reservoir, so I would have fresh clean oil for the pump.

Its has been working with no leaks since Saturday. I now need
to get some long term data, like months, before I can claim
success. I will keep my fingers crossed.

( It wasn't the $179, but the challenge that made me do it. 
My wife thought I was crazy, after the project dragged on I
began to agree with her. I know she will be taking a wait and see
attitude, and will avoid driving the Quattro until it has built  
up a track record. So little faith ... I wonder why ?).


Alan ( keeps opening the hood to check ... ) Cordeiro.