Postby ShipFixer » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:46 pm
Fluid level is correct but the pump has always been oily (leaking somewhere) and it's the one fluid I haven't touched in forever. Never had a steering problem but that doesn't mean the pump doesn't have issues.
I saw comments on clubfrontier where people had drained it, cleaned an inline filter or trap, and noises went away so I could try that. But otherwise the pump is only $60-70 online so if I had to it can't be that bad aside from the PITA of getting to it.
The rattle appears to be something on or around the belt I've just never been able to figure out exactly what. Other trucks don't make the noise. The whole front of the engine was a little shaky with the old motor mounts and there were pipes and whatnot shaking with the knocking noise so I couldn't isolate it. With the PRG mounts the engine is better but this one noise is still bad.
I still need to check the alternator with my stethoscope (hard to get to from the top and I park against a wall on the right in my garage) but the steering pump is the loudest thing that sounds like the rattling/knocking noise.
Louder than the water pump cover, cylinder head, air box, etc...