I have a 1989 E350 under a Champion Telstar RV. It has been leaking power steering fluid for some time so I started to change the suspect PS pump. All the manuals say to remove the pump still attached to the bracket, but on my E350 the bracket is forged right onto the front of the engine. It bears little resemblance to the bracket pictured by the (very helpful) Ford dealer. In fact, there is no way of removing the pump without taking the engine out that I can see. 7.5 8 cyl gas engine with A/C and EFI. This E350 was mfg in early January 1989 and it appears the design was changed shortly thereafter. Any suggestions short of dynamite would be appreciated...

 

The pump assy has to be bolted to something. Try removing the bolts that hold the pump to it's mounting. You may have to remove some stuff to accomplish this, but instead of looking to remove it bracket and all just disconnect what you have to in order to get it out. It will be much easier to see all the mounting bolts once you get a clear view of how it is mounted.

 

Thanx for the reply, but dynamite still looks like the only option. The attached pics might help. The Ford shop manual for the 1989 7.5 engine shows the steering pump bracket as a separate piece attached to the engine via two bolts, and open at the bottom so the pump would just pull out. Reality is per the pic, with no way to remove the bracket, zero access from the back and almost no access from the bottom. I pulled the belt pulley with the pump in place to get to the 3 attaching bolts (a 3 day ordeal), but removal is still blocked from the rear via an inaccessable bracket which appears welded to the oil dipstick tube. The return line to the pump (which I cut) was extremely old and brittle. Anyone every seen a situation like this? Anyone at Ford who might know how they planned to change the pump?

 

The cast aluminium bracket does come off. You'll need to unbolt the A/C compressor and set it aside and out of the way. Like hanky said, the bolts are obscured.

 

Thanks guys. You were right - the bracket does come off just enough to slide the old pump out once the pulley is removed and the AC pump is unbolted, but what an ordeal! If I ever do this myself again (fat chance) I will be better prepared and have a set of stubby wrenches.

Still waiting on the right hi-pressure hose but at least the new pump is in place. Am I likely to have major problems if the adjustment bracket in the pumps rear is not attached? It was damaged beyond repair in the early stages of removal and it seems to just support the oil dipstick.