This is a kragen replacment, a few.. maybe 5 year old pump. It is seeping fluid between the resevoir and pump body at the very bottom. I was thinking of cleaning it off and smushing some silicon in that area to see if it helps. I can take it out and return it for another one, but meh I don't feel like pulling the pump.

What would you guys do (other then going to manual steering)? Is there a brand pump you find that works better then another?

There is an O ring in between the pump and the "ham can" housing that is probably bad. Doesn't much matter where its from, there are actually a few companies that rebuild for eberyone, including the dealer's parts counter. The only difference in most is the name on the box. (And the rebuilders don't print their own)

You must have the Federal pump. I fixed mine by getting some O ring material from a plumbing supply store (1/8" diamiter) and cutting it to fit around the grove on the pump housing that the reservoir fits over. I used a gel type super glue to join the material into a true O ring. Put the glued joint on top, toward the filler neck. I also used some silicone when reinstalling the reservoir. It still leaks some though, but better than it was. I believe the reservoir was damaged during remanufacturing as there are some tiny little dents on the bottem. Oh well, a few drops a week isn't that bad.

Bummer, sounds like there is no alternative. Ahh well, I'll live with it, perhaps try some stop-leak type fluid.

Wait... Eric, is there a different kind of pump, other then the Federal, that works better?

I believe the other type of pump is made by Saginaw. It is the pump that has the oval shaped neck on the reservoir and the dip stick under the cap. I had one on my '70 Fury w/383. I have also seen them on other big block cars. They where also used on slants from around the mid '70's. I was going to use one off a '74 Dart, but the fittings on the high pressure hose where different. The hose from my car wouldn't fit the back of the pump, and the hose from the Dart wouldn't thread into the valve body on the steering box. Really, try my methode of fixing the leak. You might get lucky and not have any leaks! It only takes a couple of hours to do.

If I have to take the pump off, I will just warranty it. That is what I will end up doing if smushing some silicon around it doesn't work.

My pump has a round neck. Do the saginaw pumps go together the same? ie, press fit resevoirs?

Don't know, never had one apart.

nope, they aren't a press fit. Once you get the pump off and onto the bench, take the brackets off and you will find that the studs that hold the brackets also thread into the back of the pump. They are bolts that have the head 1/2 way down the shaank rather than at the end, and there are threads on both stubs on either side of the head. If I remember there are 2 of them. Unbolt them and the reservoir should fall off the pump. Often, the parts stores will ask whether you want a pump with or without the reservoir.

Sounds like they may produce a tighter seal becasue there is positive pressure keeping the resevoir on. Would it be possible to put one of these on a slant, and what pressure hose would one have to use?

Edit: err, on an earlier 71 slant that came with a round neck resevoir type. I guess the bracketry may need to be swapped over, perhaps a special hose made?

I would try making a hose up.

First though I would check whether the pumps have the same output at the same speed and the max pressures aren't different. I'm assuming the hoses were made incompatible for a reason, maybe if you put one pump onto the wrong car it could blow seals due to the relief valve being set higher. The pulley diameter and position would also have to be checked. All systems go, I'd take the two hoses to an industrial hose supply shop and ask whether a new hose could be made with one style fitting from either hose. I'd look in the yellow pages on Hoses and Couplings - Industrial. Regional Hose, Aztek Hydraulics and Hydraux are common places over here, and there is one place here called Expert Hose that I know could do the job if no one else could.

I'm sure though that there is some way to get your pump design to seal properly. Maybe that's the simplest way. The only thing you can do hands-off is to throw some Lucasoil into it.

_________________
I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

There is a tab on the bottom of the pump, and it seems to be dripping from there. I smushed in some silicon, and poured in a few spoons of Trans-X stop-leak stuff labled for atf and ps fluid. Lets see how it holds.

The industrial hose place on the edge of town is called Motion Industries, fyi.