Jiyu

My 02 Cav has a leak in the steering rack. I put Stop Leak in it a week or so ago, but it's still leaking. Can I remove or disable the power steering pump and simply drive without power steering? Replacing the rack is too major a job for me and I'd rather not pay the big bucks to have someone else do it.
Thanks

oilcanhenry

Try some AT-205. (you can look it up online)

Youtube's Scotty Kilmer swears by it. He is a professional independent mechanical who knows his stuff, trust me.

It's about $12 bucks or so for 8 oz. Besides that, you'd have to find a serpentine belt that would work without the PS pulley.

Jiyu

Thanks for the info, will try it. If that doesn't fix the leak, I'll try to bypass the rack by simply connecting the pump outlet directly to the pump inlet (the same way you'd bypass the heater). I don't mind driving w/o PS.
The car is slowly turning into a Frankencar: left door lock NFG, fuel gauge NFG so I write down odometer reading to calculate fueling intervals, radio/remote NFG 'cause the BCM went belly up and the new BCM isn't programmed for the car, some body rust, etc. But very clean interior and still runs great!

MikkiD

I feel your pain. I have my Grandmother’s Cavalier and the fuel gauge went out on it recently. I fancy cut a dry erase decal for the dash and add 250 to the odometer number every time I fill up!

Jiyu

Well, you can forget about driving without power steering. Was all set to replace the power steering lines in mine due to a small leak, however they are seemingly impossible to access at the steering rack (even if you remove the exhaust system). So I got anew pressure line cut the end off it and routed it directly to the return inlet on the power steering reservoir, but the steering was impossibly heavy, so I've resigned myself to living with the leak. Stupid move, since it would've been better to simply try a short test drive with the lines disconnected and no fluid in the pump. Live and learn....
Car is now 20 years old, 170K, runs well, burns no oil and has required minimal maintenance.