Seeking an estimate of approximate length of time it would take a DIY-er of average skills to R&R the power steering pump on a '92 400E? IIRC, book time on this is 8 hrs, so of course it will take me... ...longer... just hoping it's not double the length of time.

Doesn't look like rocket science, just a PITA of un-bolting and re-bolting a number of parts including the exhaust header on that side.

Out of curiosity...Is it leaking? (if it is, I hear that 1 o-ring is responsible for a leak - most of the time anyway).

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09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Yes, leaking, and I didn't get lucky, seals and "lil' rubber hose / tube" already replaced. Leaking like a MF-er.

If the radial seal is leaking, you don't have to take the pump and mount off the car. You can pull the front off and get to the seals that are most likely leaking. The first time I took the pump off, and put it on, it took about 8 hours. Now, I think I could do it in about three. It's a PITA, especially the back two pump bracket bolts (13 mm). You will have to snake your arm up there from underneath. You won't be able to see the bolts--just feel for them. Good luck.

If you decide just to take the front off, the last picture shows 5 of the six bolts that need to come out in order to pull the front half of the pump off without removing the bracket. Be careful when you pull it out though because the blades will fall out and you need to know how to get them back correctly.

Attached Thumbnails

     

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1993 400E, 256,000 miles (totaled)
1994 E420, 200,000+ miles
1995 E420, 201,000 miles

Just went out to the garage and took a look at the old pump. The only other place yours could be leaking--other than the seals you can replace without taking off the whole pump--would be where the small rubber supply hose enters the top of the pump or the fitting on the top of the pump that the supply hose goes into (see third picture between pump and reservoir). It doesn't look like the fitting would be the culprit. It's secured with Torx bolts. Are you sure you want to take the whole pump off?

You could have the front part of the pump off in 30 minutes.

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1993 400E, 256,000 miles (totaled)
1994 E420, 200,000+ miles
1995 E420, 201,000 miles

I need to further study this thing and figure out where it is leaking. The small rubber supply hose has been replaced as have the radial seals. Thanks for the tips - I need to look at this thing a bit more before I commit to what sounds like eight + hours of work.

There is another large O-ring where the front of the pump mounts to the rear. When I pulled mine out, that ring seemed to be fine. It didn't look like something that would be subject to leak excessively, but that O-ring is included in the rebuild kit. BTW, if you order the kit, look at the metal tag on the pump first and get the type. There were two different brands of pumps used on that car--a ZF and a Vickers. I think the difference was that the Vickers reservoir was not an integral part of the pump bracket, whereas the ZF reservoir is welded to the bracket and comes out as one piece.

Here's a link I previously posted with some pictures of the inside of the pump. Power Steering Pump Reseal Question

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1993 400E, 256,000 miles (totaled)
1994 E420, 200,000+ miles
1995 E420, 201,000 miles

Question for an old, but still relevant, post. Hope someone is following.
Emerydc8...When you say "Be careful when you pull it out though because the blades will fall out and you need to know how to get them back correctly."...how do you know how to get them back in correctly? Do they just fall out as you pull it apart? And when you re-install the front is there an alignment of the shaft required?

I believe this is mentioned in the FSM. From memory, one edge of the blades is square, the opposite edge is rounded. The round edge goes outward against the metal donut. It's difficult to see, best thing is to not lose the orientation in the first place.

No alignment is required when re-installing, everything should be keyed so it only fits one way. (Except the aforementioned blades.)

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