I've been working on another thread about a fluctuating temp gauge https://www.ranger-forums.com/2-9l-3...-again-174614/
and thought I would check the various pulleys to see if I was getting some extra drag or some such thing that may be contributing to the issue.

When I came to the PS pump the pulley (sans belt) was very hard to turn as opposed to all the other accesories of which the pulleys spun very freely.

The PS pump does not whine or make any odd noises, power steering works fine, it's a '93 with 215K 3.0L 4WD 5-speed. I was just wondering if it was some miracle that the PS pump was still working or is it supposed to have so much drag on it?

I can change it out, I noticed my mileage dropped significantly lately.

 

Ford CII style pumps are like that, so no issues. If it isn't making any noises and it's sending power assist to the steering box, don't ever replace it. The aftermarket ones are junk (they always end up whining or having weird rough spots) and if you get air in the system, it isn't easy to get it out.

Mine has been whining for at least 8 years now but I just let it sing because I don't want to deal with the aftermarket junk.