Modern vehicles come with a power steering system that makes it easier for you to steer the vehicle without putting much effort into moving the steering wheel. The way it is done is through a power steering pump, which is driven by the engine of a car through a belt-and-pulley device.
If the power steering pulley has become faulty, it only follows that you need to remove and replace it.
But how do you remove the power steering pulley without a tool?
Here’s how to remove power steering pully without a tool
You can remove the power steering pulley without a tool by extracting the screws that hold the pulley. From there, you should insert the removed screws into the holes found in the pulley. Tighten the screws and notice that the screws will bottom out against the pulley to push the pulley loose.
Normally, you should use a puller to remove the power steering pulley because of how difficult it is to remove it without this tool.
But the good news for you is that there is a solution that can still allow you to remove the power steering pulley without having to use a puller or any other tool that you probably don’t have at home.
Can you remove the power steering pulley without a tool?
Those who lived through the time when cars were operated by manual steering systems would know how much of a blessing the power steering system was because manual steering was quite a workout for the arms.
But while power steering is a godsend, it still is important for you to understand a bit about how it works. And one of the things that allow the power steering system to work is the power steering pulley.
The purpose of a power steering pulley is to drive the power steering pump on the car. This is usually powered by a single V-type belt or a serpentine belt, whichever the case may be. In most cases, the power steering pulley is designed to allow the power steering pump to operate faster than the engine speed.
However, if you do have a power steering pulley that is faulty or damaged, removing and replacing it should be a priority. The problem here is that the typical power steering pulley requires that you use a special tool that will allow you to remove and replace it with a new one.
But is it still possible for you to remove the power steering pulley without using a tool?
Yes, it is possible that you can remove the power steering pulley without using a tool. But it isn’t the most recommended thing to do because of how it can be risky and quite dangerous, to some extent.
If you want to know why you might not want to remove your power steering pulley without a puller or a tool, it is important to discuss more about what can happen.
The engine produces a ton of force even when you are at idle. Now, just imagine how the power steering pump has to operate at speeds faster than what the engine can produce. This means that the power steering pump keeps the pulley tightly secured as it runs at very high speeds to keep up with the belt.
So, if you end up making a mistake somewhere down the line, what will happen is that the speed at which the pulley spins may end up damaging the entire system.
So, attempting to remove the pulley without the use of a puller can possibly damage the pulley and the pump. While the tool you should use might be a bit expensive, the repair costs for the entire system will be much higher.
How to remove the power steering pulley without a tool?
At this point, you already know the risks involved with removing a steering pulley without a tool. While we did say that it is technically possible for you to do so, what you should know is that there are dangers and risks associated with it. But if you do insist on removing the power steering pulley without using a puller, here are the things you should do:
- First things first, you need to make sure that you remove the power steering pulley bolt by using an impact tool. You can also use a wrench to unbolt it, and doing so requires that you turn it counterclockwise to remove it.
- If you decide to use a screwdriver or a wrench to remove the screws or the bolts that are holding the power steering pulley in place, the next thing you need to do is to insert the removed screws in the pulley’s other holes. You have to look for the extra holes that are in your pulley, and there should be about two or three of these holes. After that, place the screws you pulled out into those extra holes.
- After putting the screws in the extra holes in the pulley, tighten them using a screwdriver. By tightening them, what happens is that the screws will now push against the pulley. What will happen is that you will allow the pulley to loosen by itself as the screws push against it. This will make the removal easier on your part.
How do you put a pulley back on?
Now that you know that you can remove a power steering pulley without a tool, it is also important for you to know that replacing the power pulley back on is almost impossible without using any kind of tool. It is much more challenging to put the pulley back in its place without a tool, but using a tool to put it back can be manageable.
- The first thing you need to do is to find the threaded bolt of the right size. It should be able to thread into the steering pump hole well enough.
- After threading the threaded bolt in for a few turns, what you need to do next is to attach the thicker disassembly bolt to the pulley.
- From there, slot the pulley over the disassembly bolt and make sure that it goes as far as possible. Make sure that it is facing the right direction while you are slotting it over the disassembly bolt.
- After that, look for the bigger washer first and then follow it up with the smaller one. Thread the nut all the way through.
- Go and get your wrench to rotate the nut all the way through, all while you are applying pressure on the pulley to make sure that it doesn’t move out of place. So, basically, what you are doing here is that you are simply following the reverse process of removing a power steering pulley using a puller tool. Hold the bolt down using your socket wrench.
- Rotate the nut all while you check the gap to see how far you have gone. This can take some time, but be patient.
- By the time you hit the thread while rotating the nut, remove the bolts and then attach the one bolt that you used to disassemble it. Slide the washers back on it and then put the nut. Rotate the nut using your wrench.
- Always make sure that you check the alignment of the pulley so that you will know if it is in the correct spot. If it is in the right spot, that is when you can remove your puller tool and then attach the serpentine belt.
The important thing to know regarding putting the power steering pulley back on is that you would have to use tools to remove it. Otherwise, it would be completely impossible for you to manually put it back in place without the use of specialized tools or any tools, for that matter.
So, even though it may be possible to remove the power steering pulley without a puller tool, it is best to avoid doing so when you are putting it back on. This is why having a puller tool is actually a necessity.
Can you put a pulley on with a hammer?
If you are wondering what tools you can use to put a pulley back on, then you should know that you can use a hammer to do it. However, for safety reasons, it is best to avoid using a hammer because of how there are some dangers to doing so.
Hammering down the pulley doesn’t need a lot of force because the pressure or the force from the pounding can possibly damage the pulley and make it unstable. Using a hammer may end up applying more force than what is necessary when you are putting a pulley back on.
So, if you don’t want to use a hammer, you can use a screw and a few nuts as a substitute. What you can do is to put the nuts on the screws first and then place the washers before putting the pulley on the shafts. After that, insert it into the pump shaft and then insert the nut, screws, and bolts in that order.
Dragging the pulley onto the pump shaft requires that you grip the pulley and then tighten the nut. After that, reduce the tension on the pulley.
Sources
vehiclefreak.com: How To Remove a Power Steering Pump Pulley Without a Puller
When it Runs: How To Remove Power Steering Pump Pulley Without Puller
