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Topic: Power Steering Belt Alignment (Read 897 times) previous topic - next topic

Power Steering Belt Alignment

Hi all, the pulley on my PS pump is way out of alignment, the pulley looks like it should be 10mm or more further away from the pump. Its not dished so i cant flip it. As far as i know its to one that came with the car, the alt & water pump line up fine. There is talk of a spacer and I found a part number (068145193A) but i cant see how that would fit. any ideas?

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #1 –
is it possible i have put the wrong pulleys on the WP and PS pumps?

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #2 –
Getting old and can't remember the details now, but may give you somewhere to start looking...

Might be a now lost post on the old forum or buried somewhere on this one, but I was trying to track down a PAS pump for my own a while back - long story, short I think I'm right in saying the MK2 and MK3 pumps are nigh on identical save for the flange the pully attaches to on the MK3 one being aligned differently... might be what you're experiencing.

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #3 –
Phil some of the MK3 PAS pumps have the pulley mount further out to cater for the upgrade to a ribbed alternator belt.
I've changed my MK2 8v to MK3 ribbed alternator set-up and had to swap the PAS pump for one from a MK3 so that it lined-up with the crank pulley.
1991 Tornado Red BB 8v GTI Moredoor
2008 Skoda Octy Scout aka dirty diesel

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #4 –
thanks both but the thing is as far as I know the car and therefore the pump, pulley and brackets is original so is it possible i have bolted it back together incorrectly?

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #5 –

Just searched out the water pump pulley I removed to add the ribbed belt pulley.
Prod code 027 121 031 A
Did a Google search and it pops up as for both water pump and PAS pump. I sold the old PAS pump so can't check the code on that.

If you swapped the pulleys over would that make a difference? Assume not if the pulleys are identical. Is it an 8v or 16v since I felt sure I'd read somewhere about a possible difference. Not sure why tho.
1991 Tornado Red BB 8v GTI Moredoor
2008 Skoda Octy Scout aka dirty diesel

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #6 –
You must have been typing at the same time as I was, just better at it!

I can confirm the water pump pulley on mine (1991 8v PB) is also the part number Andy quoted, however my PAS pulley is 027145255.

Didn't take a piccy of them together, but the PAS pulley is about 5mm less in diameter and about 2mm less wide also.

Be interesting to know if they can be interchanged, both being 3-hole fitment?

Having said that neither pulleys center is offset (to my dodgy eyes)... so even they do swap over I don't think that would cause the difference you're seeing with their positions in relation to each other?

The pics below are of my original pump to the car and a replacement Meyle (that's the original pulley fitted to it)

Those measurements were taken using a steel ruler, by eye so allow some room for error.

The Meyle and original are identical in these measurements.

Can you check your own pumps measurements match?

















Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #7 –
Thanks all, ill try and post some pics, if the pulley can be fitted to both WP & PS in certain circumstances then i bet that's what I have done.

https://i.postimg.cc/9FwNRPxV/PS-pull.png

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #8 –
The bottom pulley on my PS is not dished, the pulley on my WP is, so my question is if I swap these will i also need the spacer mentioned before so that the pulley does not fowl the PS pump?

https://i.postimg.cc/9FwNRPxV/PS-pull.png

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #9 –
I have found an original pic of the engine, it shows the dished pulley on the water pump on mine therefore the plain pulley that came with the car (was not fitted when I picked up the engine as one can see) must be for the PS.

https://i.postimg.cc/LszdWJnd/Engine.jpg

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #10 –
I can have fitted the bottom pulley wrongly as the WP and ALT belt is fine, the PS pulley was loose with the car so i assume must be correct.

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #11 –
sorry that should have read 'Can't have fitted'

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #12 –
Is your engine a 16v? I think I recognise the inlet manifold hiding under its protective cover :)
I've done a quick surf on Google images and there are some pics of water pumps with the pulley offset like yours. Mine's an 8v. So you could do with someone with a 16v providing a pic.
When I was searching for my ribbed pulley set I rang Steven's VW dismantlers, the chappie was very knowledgeable. Could it be an issue with the PAS pump offset like previously highlighted?
1991 Tornado Red BB 8v GTI Moredoor
2008 Skoda Octy Scout aka dirty diesel

Re: Power Steering Belt Alignment

Reply #13 –
It looks like my car came with the wrong pulley...  the early 16v has the same pulley as the 8v, it changed on chassis # break F1G-MW240 001/MB075 001. the early KR pulley is 027 145 255, later one is 051 145 255 which is dished, i have ordered one and ill report if it solves the problem. Thanks for the advice all.