My brand new Power Steering Pump (cheap cr@p off ebay which turned up with chinese writing on the filler instead of English) is leaking badly. It's so bad I have to top up every day.
So. I'll rip it off and try to chase the 1 Year warranty that was promised.

I can get a used one (with pulley) for 150 pounds or a new Crown for 320 (without pulley). I don't have the puller tool.

Are PS pumps usually OK or am I buying the equivalent of a second hand wheel bearing? What would you do?

 

Double check the leak is not from the hoses, or the connections. Have you identified where the leak is coming from?

Also, did you flush the system before installing the new one? Debris can make the new pump fail prematurely.

As for which pump to get, I can't comment because I don't know the make and condition of the used pump. If it is OEM and in good shape, I would give it a shot. But if you can't tell the shape it is in, I would pass and keep looking. 320 pounds is a lot for a new steering pump. I would keep looking for better after market brands online. Look for ACDELCO, Lares or A-1 Cardone. A new pump has the benefit of having new bearings, which you want, because they should last longer than the used unit, which could be near end of life.

 

Also, as far as the pully puller goes, do you have an auto parts store that can loan you one? The stores here in America do a tool loan program, just pay a deposit, use the tool, bring it back when done, retrieve the deposit. Makes things easy, and worth asking around maybe. Cheers

 

As far as the poll goes, you forgot the most important option - never buy auto parts from eBay.

 

Why not? I have bought several auto parts form eBay and never had a problem.

 

Lots of people tailgate all their lives, and never rear-end someone.

That doesn't make it a good idea.

 

What makes buying parts from eBay a bad idea?

 

majority of the time they are chinese crap..oem replacement my *** hahah

 

I got my Spartan lockers for my Jeep and the Detroit locker for my truck from eBay and they are the real thing. I have ordered several bearings from ebay and they are always Timken or Koyo bearings, and I have also ordered several Motorcraft parts and sensors for my tuck and they have always been genuine OEM parts, if you ever get something that's different than what you ordered they have a money back guarantee and they honor it. Sure they sell cheap Chinese stuff but they are often from the same suppliers that the auto parts stores get their cheaper in-house brand parts from. They also have quick shipping and good customer service, unlike Amazon.

 

some people like you are lucky and swear by ebay....but most people i talk to have plenty of horror stories and wont deal with ebay at all. Myself as. I wouldnt use ebay but only for smaller, non critical stuff/parts

 

The Force may be with you, but the odds are not.

But hey, some people win the lottery, and some people win at Vegas.

The rest of the players lose.

 

What makes eBay worse than any other online retailer? If you are not satisfied with your order you can return it and get your money back just like anywhere else.

 

based off mine and many others experience, ebay is generally one of the worst online retailers because again, you just never know what you are getting. At least amazon and others, sellers are sort of "vetted" and there are better review systems then ebay.