Otto …
How many of these have you completed ?
*Replacement of engine mounts (new mounts should arrive soon)
*Replacement of power steering pump seal (seal kit ordered)
*Replacement of electric fan (replacement fan ordered)
*Replacement of driver’s door seal (old seal will be cut on the sill section and intact seal will be glued to the old remaining seal)
Dennis,
2: I have replaced the engine mounts and the electric fan.
I will probably replace the power steering pump seal and the door seal during the winter break.
My very next tasks are to install the TPS and the thermostat switch. My aim is to do these next week.
Otto …
I’ve done all four of the jobs on your list and …
… the hardest part of the power steering pump repair is removing it. There are three bolts. Two very easy to get to and one REALLY hard. A lot of us who have done this job made a special wrench. Believe me you’ll understand when you get there.
It’ very easy to remove the back of the pump and pull the unit apart if you follow the instruction very carefully. This way you don’t have to use a press to remove the adapter housing.
… I found replacing the door seals one of the most frustrating jobs I’ve ever done. It looks like it should be a simple thing to just slip the rubber in the metal channel but even though I lubricated them with soapy water they fought me every inch of the way. Maybe if you soak them in hot water first or use some other trick it will help.
I’m sure that your hard efforts in accomplishing all these repairs will really pay off in the end.
Thanks for your views, Dennis.
It would be great if you had the opportunity to provide the measurements of the special wrench you made for the pump bolt removal. Then I could make such a tool before starting the project.
For the actual shaft seal replacement I have found these instructions:
*Bryan’s description in another thread:
If you attack it from the other end, once you’ve removed the cover,
the spring, the end plates and the rotor and stator (all very easy
on the kithen table!) you can remove a circlip and withdraw the
shaft c/w drive dog forward to gain access to the seal.
Providing you remember which way around everything goes back
together, that method is very easy and you don’t need to go
searching for a machine shop or someone with the Jag special
removal / re-fit tools to handle the drive dog. An added benefit,
you don’t need to worry about the drive dog being re-fitted in the
precise location on the shaft to avoid mashing up the drive
mechanism in the timing cover (as happened to one of our bretheren
in the distant past)
I think it only fair to warn them that correct re-assembly of
the innards of the pump is only really ‘easy’ providing you pay
absolutely critical attention to the orientation of the parts when
you remove them from the pump body. There are only two ways you can
install the rotors, stators and end plates.
*I have also found these instructions:
Step 1: If the power steering pump is operating correctly, the leak is likely due to a worn or defective shaft seal. This specific part (or a seal kit) is readily available from large auto parts supply chains for a very low price as this is a GM part. With the part in hand, compare it with the existing seal and continue with the following steps if they are identical. (I have already acquired the seal kit).
Step 2: Drill a small (1/8") hole in the metal top of the seal to allow access for a seal puller or small screwdriver. Be very careful not to touch the pump shaft … best to tape the shaft as a means to protect it during seal removal.
Step 3: Using a seal puller or screwdriver, grasp the seal through the hole and lever the seal out of its housing. Once the puller engages the seal, it will pull out of the housing easily.
Step 4: Thoroughly clean the pump shaft and the seal recess areas. Cleanliness is very important when installing the new seal. Inspect the pump shaft seal area for damage or wear. A slight scoring from the old seal will likely be visible and will not cause any problems when the new seal is installed. However, if you can feel any groove in the shaft from the seal, purchase a rebuilt pump assembly.
Step 5: Lubricate the shaft with a small amount of power steering fluid or silicone o-ring grease. Carefully locate the seal on the shaft and move it into position over the seal housing.
Step 6: Using a small hammer / block of wood or large deep well socket the same outer diameter of the seal, carefully tap the seal into place within its housing. The top of the seal should be slightly recessed (1 mm) below or flush with the top of the seal housing when properly seated.
I found out that the bottom mounting bolt of the pump can be loosened with a standard 3/8” ratchet and a 10 mm socket. This must be done underneath, and I had to push the ratchet handle with a shaft of a hammer. However, this was not as difficult as I thought. I have not tried to loosen the two top bolts but they should be quite easy to get to once the manifold heat shield is removed.
I have now removed the power steering pump. Once I had removed the manifold heat shield the two upper bolts were easy to remove. The bottom bolt was quite easy to remove underneath with a standard length 3/8" ratchet and a standard 10 mm socket. A standard length 1/4" ratchet is too short and a standard lenght 1/2" ratchet is too long.
Otto, are you going to rebuild the PS pump? When I did it, I used an 8" C clamp to compress the back plate to remove the metal retaining ring.
Otto …
Rebuilding the pump is really quite simple … If you do it correctly.
First purchase a quality seal kit.
Press in the rear plate using a clamp or a large vice. You only need to push it in slightly so as to remove the large metal retaining ring. Look carefully around the side of the pump and you’ll find a small hole. Insert a short metal rod (or drill bit) and push in the metal ring enough to allow you to get a screwdriver in between it and the pump body to pop it out.
As you disassembled the pump take pictures of the position of everything before you remove it. There are two ways the inner plate can go in and only one way is correct. This is very important.
Also make sure the vanes are positioned correctly.
Inside the pump there is a small metal C clip that is a little difficult to remove but other than that everything else is easy and straight forward.
When I recently rebuild my pump I failed to make sure the large metal retaining ring was fully seated on reassembly. It popped off as soon as I started the car and I had to do the entire job all over again.
In the seal kit, there are two large O-rings, the shaft seal, and a small O-ring. However, I don’t see such a small O-ring in the pump. 
Hey I might steal that pic for my avatar!
I dismantled the pump before I got the instructions from Dennis. It took me a while to figure out how to remove the rear plate. Finally, I noticed the small hole on the side of the pump. I put a 3 mm screw there and hit the screw with a hammer. Then I could remove the retaining ring.
The C clip inside the pump was difficult to remove. I ended up using a Dremel tool to cut it.
I could not simply push or “unscrew” the shaft from its position once I had removed the C clip. Instead, I had to use a hammer to get the shaft out. Additionally, the old shaft seal was quite difficult to remove. I tried to pry it out but ended up using the Dremel tool again.
Now I have changed the two big O rings in the pump housing, installed the new shaft seal and pushed the shaft back to its position. I have pictures of the parts I have removed. So, I guess I should end up having the parts in place correctly. Let us see. 
The problem is the small O ring (pictured) that came with the seal kit. I don’t know where I should put it. I have not noticed such a small O ring in the pump. At first I thought that it should be put to the groove in the shaft. It can be put there but it would not stay in place when the shaft is pushed back to its place.
I just installed everything back to the pump and bolted two of the three bolts in place. Tomorrow I will bolt the bottom bolt in place. Then I can fill the reservoir with Dexron II D and check how the refurbished pump works. Overall, I would say this task is relatively straight forward.
I finally received the new TPS. I installed it to the throttle body and checked the voltages which were correct. The idle was still high but not as high as it was with the damaged TPS. I adjusted the idle and now the idle is 700 RPM when the engine is warm.
I filled the power steering pump reservoir with Dexron II D and bled the system by turning the steering wheel from side to side several times with the engine off and then with the engine on. I lowered the car from jack stands and had high hopes for the first drive in three weeks. Well, I did not have power steering. 
What could be the reason for this? When I reassembled the pump I checked from the pictures I had taken during the dismantling that everything should be correct. When I bolted the pump back to the car the plastic steering pump coupling fell to the ground. I put it back. I guess it can’t go back to place incorrectly.
Otto …
Get the front wheels off the ground and turn the steering wheel lock to lock about 25 times. I’m sure your steering will work then. You just haven’t bleed all the air out. The same exact thing happened to me when I rebuilt my pump 
Thanks for your encouraging tip, Dennis! 
I will do this. When I had turned the steering wheel several times I noticed that steering fluid was bubbly in the reservoir.
By the way, I just found out that the small O ring belongs to the pressure outlet regulator. I did not remove the regulator, so, I guess it is fine without the new O ring. Otherwise, I believe I have done the job correctly. Well, I did not remove the high pressure hose connection to the steering rack in order to expel any old power steering fluid from the rack and pinion unit. Instead, I drained the system by removing the power steering pump suction hose and the high pressure discharge hose from the pump. The old fluid was very bright. Of course, I used new fluid when I reassembled the pump.
Dennis, I raised the front wheels and turned the steering wheel way more than 25 times from lock to lock. Still I don’t have power steering. I noticed that the left side of the steering rack, just before the steering rack boot, leaks fluid. It did not leak before I refurbished the pump.
Otto …
Before you give up, try bleeding the system again. Make sure the reservoir is full and leave the cap off while you go lock to lock another 25 times. I know having to jack up the front of the car is a pain but give it a try. If you are absolutely sure you reinstalled everything correctly I can’t think of anything else it could be.
As for a leak in your steering rack I’m afraid that may be one of those crazy coincidences.
Yes, those coincidences make you have to think. I had replaced my power steering reservoir with a good used one and then just days later there was a trail of PS fluid where I had parked the car. The new to me reservoir with associated hoses were clean of any fluid. Turns out the high pressure PS hose had blown.
Just confirm that it is PS fluid that is leaking, I seem to recall the boots contain oil in there?
Dennis, I did the bleeding once more this morning and it did not help. It is around 8 AM here and midnight in Texas. 
I think I don’t have any other option than dismantling the pump again. However, the problem is that I don’t know what should I do differently when I reassemble it.
You can see the leak in the picture. The leak seems to agitate when I turn the steering wheel from lock to lock.
