Hi everyone, I had a bit of a misadventure today. My 2005 4.4L LR3's power steering pump has been moaning (quietly, but enough to bother me) for a few months, and I finally got around to trying to replace it. I've verified with a stethoscope that the PS Pump is the source of my noise. Steering is unaffected, and I've tried replacing the fluid with CH11S + a new reservoir, but without any noticeable change other than the color of the fluid.

Today pulled the skid plates and splash guard, unhooked the accessory belt, removed the fan, and was able to get the front mounting bolts of the pump out no problem.. but the two in the back are INSANE. I can see the heads just fine, but if I reach an offset wrench (the only tool that would reach) up and in there from aft of the steering rack, there isn't enough room to turn it. With zen-like focus I was able to loosen the rear lower mount bolt, but the upper was completely inaccessible.


Location of the 2 rear power steering pump mount bolts, as seen from laying under the front of the LR3, with my head behind the steering rack.

Does anyone have tips? This seemed crazy. I feel like I must be doing something wrong, but unlike every other maintenance task, I wasn't able to find any LR3-specific PS pump replacement videos. Any suggestions would be deeply deeply appreciated.

 

That is a horrible job. It's not just you having trouble with it! Just did this on mine, but I did the rack at the same time, which made it a bit easier to get at the pump. I'd recommend trying to get it off by removing the mounting bracket the pump attaches to. There are 3 bolts holding the bracket on, 2 on bottom and 1 on top, facing the driver wheel well.

If all else fails, you can unbolt the rack the get more access, but of course that involves disconnecting tie rod ends, locking the steering wheel in place, unbolting the rack and steering shaft, lifting and rotating the rack out of the way etc, then replacing the shaft pinch bolt, and reattaching the tie rod ends. LR says to also replace the rack mounting bolt nuts also, but I just used thread locker on the bolts when reinstalling.

I couldn't believe it when I saw someone had posted about what an easy job replacing the rack was for them - it was harder than doing a Rubik's cube 1 handed underwater and blind for me lol.

Good luck!

 

Woof, that sounds above what I can stomach doing without a lift. Do you know if the steering pump bracket bolts are all accessible through the splash guard? I didn't even realize that was a removable bracket and not just some casting of the block. Glad (I guess?) to hear it wasn't just me suffering. It seems beyond nuts that anyone would design in four bolts to mount the pump there instead of two longer ones that thread into the bracket rather than the pump!

 

Yes, those 3 bracket to engine bolts can be gotten to directly through the splash guard area. Mine at least were easier to get off than the 2 rear pump to bracket bolts.

 

I removed and replaced mine by the bracket, same as tracyc. I did have the left inner fender completely removed and the little splash guard out. It was still a b-word to work each bolt out and no easier to work back in. Good luck!

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestion! Is there a good diagram to show the bracket bolt locations? I was having fever dreams of drilling out the inaccessible bolt from the front, so any of this sounds way more approachable!

 

Here's a photo. Single bolt is at the top. 2 bolts at the bottom.

 

Thank you @tracyc if not roomy clearance, this at least looks doable!

 

Here are a couple images I found in the manual. I didn't take any good pics of mine, but looks like tracyc got a good one.

 

Is that upper (hidden) bracket bolt accessible without removing other stuff, or do I need to get the AC compressor loose to get at it?