Over time, the power steering pump in your P2 chassis Volvo may begin to leak—causing a loss of fluid, resulting a loss of power steering function, and a whole big mess in your engine bay. Here's how to replace it.
When looking for a new Power Steering Pump we were given 3 choices:
- A Genuine Volvo Pump - The most expensive option
- A OE Supplier Pump for a few hundred dollars less
- A Remanufactured unit for around $100
We chose the OE supplier Bosch/ZF pump because it's at a reasonable price point while not sacrificing quality.
While tearing into the job, we noticed a leaking power steering reservoir and hose on our content car—so we installed the FCP Euro Power Steering Reservoir kit as well. The kit comes with new fluid, a new hose, a new reservoir, and new clamps.
Finally, it was time to remove and replace all of the components. But we wanted to know why the old pump started to leak in the first place.
From the photos above you can quickly identify the grease and residue left behind from the leaking fluid. It seemed to be coming from where the two halves of the pump join together. But we wanted to go even further.
After removing the 4 torx bolts and separating the two halves, it became obvious that there was a seal to blame for the leak. Unfortunately we weren't able to locate the seal sold separately, so the pump replacement was inevitable.
This job took about 2 hours time. You can follow our DIY Repair Video below for reference:
