Since my last oil change when I casually make sweet sweet love to my truck...I noticed this part is starting to get all gunked up...something is leaking and its slowly getting worse, the leak collects dust and cakes on...what is it?

Edit -> its not the hose....its whatever that pulley is attached to.

 

Notice that lid on the right side of it with the yellow writing? Yea... It has to do with that.

 

That was my first thought...but when I saw pics of a power steering pump....they look nothing like that. Is that some sort of cover or bracket that comes off revealing the mysterious pump underneath?

 

Well, you taken a picture of the pulley, the bracket the pump attaches to, and the belt with some other junk in the picture too.

Most likely it is the front seal to the PS pump. The pulley is pressed onto the shaft, so you will have to remove that first, then the lines, then the pump itself. You can rebuild it, or have a company rebuild it, or do like i do, and just make sure there is enough fluid in it and keep going.

The bracket is that big giant alluminum block that is odly shaped.

 

Gotcha! Thanks! For some reason I thought that whole bracket thing was the pump. Makes sense now.

 

just keep filing it. if it gets bad and really starts noticeably loosing fluid rebuild it

 

fix the dang thing so its not leaking oil everywhere lol

 

hahaha the sight of oil and dirt freeking you out?

 

Is it that big of a job to change the front seal out without doing a whole rebuild?

I know you need a special tool to get the pulley off, I can get that from the loan-a-tool....but other than that?

 

Its about a 1.5 hour job not bad

no just remove the fan
take belt off
Remove 3 bolts holding pulley on

 

This is why your truck is in the shape it's in.
Band aid on a broken wrist.

 

knock on wood. its fine atm.

 

Is that the only part of the engine with oil on it? Is the fluid in the PS reservoir low? Also, loosen the bolts on the pully(not all the way, just loosen a turn or two), then take the belt off.

 

Yes it is the only part....and or course parts below it. The PS reservoir is not too low...but isn't as full as it used to be.

What are you getting at about loosening the pulley? An easy way to get the belt on/off?

It isn't leaking too bad....but it wasn't leaking at all last oil change....so its coming...just getting ready for what I will be required to do.

 

It's easier to loosen the pully with the belt on(the pully won't turn that way), just don't take the bolts all the way out.

 

I would like to think of it as a neck tourniquet for a bloody nose.

I vote to let it leak. Think of it this way, its not leaking oil, its sweating power.

 

Yep, it looks like a loose muffler bearing.

 

Gotcha! Thanks for the tip.

 

Sweating power.... I must be dining something wrong my truck hasn't broken a sweat. Well except for last year when my water pump leaked. Of course I had it fixed.