Lost a belt - GP may be dead

**dgjks6** · 07-20-2017

Ok. Can't figure out how to post pics from my phone but here give the story. 2006 GP GT (3.8l SC) closing in on 200,000 miles. So daughter was driving and quit running. No steering and a no charge light. Open the hood and the belt has slipped. Towed home and in garage and up on jack stands (can you hold it up by the sun frame). Anyway dissection is as follows. I will try to post pics if I can find it

1-main belt off
2-all pulleys spin free
3-no power steering fluid in reservoir
4-metal clip on CV boot off
5-mix of coolant, grease, and power steering fluid on everything

So any thoughts appreciated.

The power steering pump and water pump are lifetime at autozone. I think I may clean it up and replace those and see what happens. It's free. And I've done it enough it is only a couple hours work. I just can figure the grease.

**Scottydoggs** · 07-20-2017

the cv boot likely has a split in it, then it slings grease all over. coolant leak check the coolant elbows, alt bracket to lim and timing cover.

if the p/s res is dry it leaked out. once you get it up and running fill and look for its leak. lines leak, or sometimes th epump, or the rack could be leaking, leaks from the dust boots @ the inner tie rods.

the return line on the p/s pump, they tend to tear under the clamp too. if thats the case, cut it off re attach it.

**dgjks6** · 07-20-2017

I'm depressed.

The power steering pump and water pump I can swap for free. But the rest is going to cost money and I really don't want to put a lot of money into it. I am scared the rack is bad. Is is almost impossible to turn the wheels. Even without power steering I assumed it would be easier. The car is on it's 3rd rack. I put in a reman one and it failed after 2 years so I put in another reman one.

And what caused the belt to slip? I assumed I would find a frozen pulley or something.

And how hard is it to replace the cv boot?

While I am in there I was going to replace the hubs anyway (grinding a little and I still have until sept to replace those for free)

**buickman104** · 07-20-2017

You can get a low mileage OEM power steering rack for as little as $60 off auto recyclers on ebay. I had bad luck with remanufactured racks too.

**dgjks6** · 07-21-2017

F**k it. I will not be beat. It is all coming apart tomorrow. I will find the problem. And I will fix it all for less than $100 (not counting any tools I need)

**Scottydoggs** · 07-21-2017

id start out with 2 or 3 cans of engine de greaser, clean it all up, belt back on, fill the p/s pump and the coolant, fire it up and look for your leaks. might be easier if you got the car on jack stands and the front pass wheel off at min when you fire it up, this way you can see things much better and get under it if need be.

the cv boot, its not worth changing it, we change the whole axle.

**dgjks6** · 07-21-2017

But taking stuff apart with no clue what I am doing is way more fun. I inspected the cv boot and it looks good. Just the clip is off

**Scottydoggs** · 07-21-2017

you might be able to find a new clamp like was on there, or in a pinch a hose clamp will work.

**dgjks6** · 07-22-2017

SDogg, I know you are usually right but I am probably going with another option. I spent 45 min under the car and the rack is leaking on the drivers side and the pump is leaking. The CV boot is intact but I can not for the life of me find the coolant leak. I am going to pull the hub, power steering rack, half shaft, and power steering pump. Then pressurize the cooling system and find that damn coolant leak. And if I can not find and diagnose it all I am done

As a side note the car also has an electrical issue where none of the electronics work inside the car if the temp is <32 degrees.

**dgjks6** · 07-22-2017

So started disassembly. Got car up. Got tires off. got power steering pump off (and broke the electrical wire that holds on to it)

So I am still looking for a cause. Ring slipped off half shaft cv boot and the threw grease everywhere? I don't see any defects in the boot.

Pressure tested the cooling system for a leak. Upper radiator hose is bad.

Power steering fluid leaking out of pump and rack.

Inside of brake rotors rusted. Assume slides bad. Car stopped OK. Will get rotors turned and new free pads.

So I am going to take a few weeks and keep taking everything apart and see what happens. The power steering rack was installed in 5/16. I missed the warranty by 2 months. Oh well.

**Scottydoggs** · 07-22-2017

your on the right path there, that wire you broke is the rear knock sensor harness, you need to fix it.

the caliper might be frozen on the sliders, or the pistons not going back in on its own. them rubber hoses do fail when 18 years old. they only let fluid to the caliper, then dont let it come back to the master.

i wish i had said something about that damn wire. i usually do let ppl know its clipped on there. slipped my mind this time.

rack swaps not that bad rally, ive got it down to less then 2 hrs now, done it 3 times now lol you tube has some good vids, most are on a lift, but jack stands work just fine.

**dgjks6** · 07-22-2017

I knew about the wire. I just forgot. The first time I broke a wire or the housing I freaked. Now I have a whole set of tools to fix this type of error. Got the front brakes off and going to get new free pads.

I'm going to replace the axle. It seems easier. I have the bearing the the passenger side off.

Pressures tested the system and lost pressure. Was all excited until I saw the leak at the upper radhose/thermostat.

Luckily I have an new old lower hose that I have never used. So off to autozone for free parts and Oreilly to turn the rotors

**dgjks6** · 07-22-2017

Therapy time - wife says ditch the car. I have another newer car with a payment and no dents or rust or mechanical issues. She does not understand I like the GP better because I fix it and I keep it running.

So spent so far $3 for a 16mm wrench (lost my other one)
$5 for a 21mm deep well socket to remove the front strut
$23 for a new belt - buddy at autozone said if I was going through all this I should replace the belt also
new brake pads = free
new power steering pump = free
new upper radiator hose = got $.10 back vs the cost of the lower I returned

Front rotors and brakes off - need to decide what to do with the rotors
Front passenger bearing off
Broken wire removed and in the process of repair

Tomorrow rack off - I think Im going to order another reman one from the detroit place on ebay for $150 - so just blew the budget

Was going to try to stay less than $100, but I think it's going to be closer to $250 - but that is not bad for new everything

**CHI2000GTP** · 07-22-2017

Don't ditch it. I use to get that lecture often but I made it known I'm keeping the car. Period. Shyt... females should appreciate the strength and grit and badassness it takes to wrench your own shyt all the time. My girl didn't, but has totally come around. And if the price to fix is cheaper than a new car payment, plus the insure for it, then you're in the lead. My two cents.

Anyway. Detroit axle doesn't have the best opinion around here. Also no warranty if you don't send in your core. The grease that's everywhere is power steering fluid dripping onto the belt and pulley and flinging upward. Had the same problem.

**dgjks6** · 07-23-2017

"Strength and grit of my badassness" - great line!

A lot of the grease is from the CV boot, also. Ok. So my forensic analysis, including new information, that the pulley was not fully pushed on. So the fluid from the power steering pump made the belt slip which took off the clamp on the CV boot. Still not sure how coolant got down there. Water pump is dry. Elbows are dry. I'm going to replace the upper hose today and then pressure test again.

What would suck is I do all this and the belt slips off again. But it is therapy.

Also while the car is up I'm going to remove all the rust.

**spazzz** · 07-23-2017

Remove all the rust?

Wire brush the loose stuff. I slow mine down every year with a can of industrial black Rustoleum on the undercarriage.

**dgjks6** · 07-23-2017

Yeah. I have some rust remover that I bought at Autozone a while ago that is siting on a shelf that I am going to try.

So moral question. I had to take the wheel bearings off. One is bad and is going back under warranty. The other is still good but I removed it to help get the axle off ( I learned long ago to take as much stuff apart as possible when doing a job rather than struggling). Do I swap it out for a new one while it's off since it is still under warranty?

**Scottydoggs** · 07-23-2017

you could, they dont know jack at the store.

then again, why take the hub off to change a axle? thats a step thats not needed at all for that job.

**dgjks6** · 07-23-2017

Watched 2 videos. One guy removed the hub and not the strut. The other guy removed the strut but not the hub. I had the rotor off so I figured I'd remove both. I know I always give more information than you need, but when I replaced the hub last time the bolts for the hub would not torque but felt like hey were stretching so I ordered new bolts but never put them on. Part of this process is putting in parts that I have had laying around and never got to putting on. Like the PCV valve, etc

Serious question. I still have the electrical gremlin. Gauges and lights and faults when below freezing. When I took out the battery, the positive connector was as tight as would go but still loose. Could this cause the car to run but the electrics to be messed up.