Replaceing power steering pump on 75 Deville

[Aprules2]

I finally got fed up with the leaky power steering pump on my 75 Deville. I ordered a new one, but I have 2 questions. Ive never done one with the bolt on pulley, how bad is it to break it loose? Will an impact gun be enough to bust it free or do I need to buy a good strap wrench to hold the pulley? Also what color was the reservoir originally? Id like to repaint it before I put it back in. Also they were asking me if I had an 80 amp alternator or 82 Amp how can I tell which one I have? I thought it was weird considering the belt doesn't even touch the alternator.

[TJ Hopland]

I have not had issues getting the bolts or pulleys off, most of the time they seem to be loose.   I would think an impact would work fine.  Don't damage the pulley they are hard to find.  I think the 75 pulley was a one year and Cadillac only thing.   74 was a bolt on but double groove.  75 was still bolt on but single groove.  I think 76 was a press on and single.   

I had a bolt on single at one point but the nut kept coming loose and it eventually wore the shaft and pulley hub so bad it would not stay tight for more than a couple hours.   I searched for a replacement but did not come up with anything reasonably priced so I when and looked at my parts pile and found a pump with a bolt on dual pulley so I threw that on just to get by.   That was like 15 years ago.   Last summer I got my AC working and now the PS slips a bit so I may have to finally do something about it.   Most likely I will end up with a 76+ press on setup.  A Chev for sure had a different offset.  Seems like I read that maybe a Olds would work but never tried to verify that.

Not sure what the 80 vs 82 is.   Like you were thinking the alternator does not get involved with the PS.  The only variables I know of in the PS is what I mentioned above bolt vs press and single vs dual groove.   There was a different belt layout smog vs non smog but the alternator itself didn't change and it did not change the groove the AC and PS ran off of so you would not think that would change anything either.   I think all the alternators in that era except the 110? amp one you got in a hearse or ambulance or maybe limos were basically the same externally.   The 110 was huge in comparison and if I remember correctly had its own groove on the crank and an iddler to clear the water pump.    That was the setup on a smog engine, guessing it may have been different on a non smog.

[Scot Minesinger]

The nut will come off with an impact wrench or you can clamp the pulley with two pieces of wood covering about half of each side of the pulley in vice or press to get the nut off.  Do not use a puller to remove pulley, the steel is not strong enough and will deform at the puller arm grab points.  You have to press it out.  When reinstalling the nut is enough to press the pulley back on.

You should also replace the power steering hoses.  The high pressure line is right next to the exhaust manifold and a leak would cause a serious fire. 

[Aprules2]

I hope I don't run into a problem I had to order a 74 pump because when I ordered one for 75 it came as press on.  The hoses are going to have to wait until it gets warm out, the car is my daily driver and the auto parts store said 10 Days to get it. Meanwhile I'm going through 2 quarts a day of atf  and when it gets low its so hard to steer the steering wheel actually flexes and I'm afraid it might start to crack.

TJ I have to look around I'm an olds guy and I might have a power steering pump for comparison.

[TJ Hopland]

Bummer on the 10 days.   It must be a parts store thing?  And the delay is the main distribution center gets orders 2x per week from that supplier so you loose a few days there then you got another day or two for your regional DC to get it then another day for your store.....  And they wonder why we start getting stuff online.  You can have it next day if you are willing to pay.   

If the shaft is not so loose that its wobbling I have had decent luck with the Lucas brand magic transmission additive to slow down leaks like that.   The stuff is very thick so don't expect it to pour if its a little cool.   Get it above room temp before you take it outside or you will be just watching a slow ooze out of the bottle.    In a PS system it should not take much. 

I think for the most part the power steering pumps were the same for GM in that era, it was just bolt or press on.  It was pulleys and reservoirs that varied a little.