97' Q45: replaced power steering pump, hoses, and NOW... now complete vapor lock. NOW, No power steering

[Diamondntherough]

97' Q45: replaced power steering pump & hoses, now complete vapor lock. No give, no power steering. Turned wheel back and forth to remove air to no a veil but PS is worst than when I started. Any suggestions to fix this would be great. My q45 has sat since September cuz I can't find reliable mechanic who doesn't want to suck me dry with parts and labor, or the shade tree mechanic who says he knows what my Infiniti needs, but really he is clueless....
Feedback is greatly appreciated.

[macgiver]

OK , I got a '93 J30 , and I have flushed the PS system probly 6 times , our cars MAY be similar . Now if you have " vapor lock " , like you say , it sounds like what I discovered in INFINITI pumps - they take FOREVER to circulate , purge the air ( right ? ) and mine would wine profusely ,scary loud , take a couple of days to clear .I would see bubbles in the resevoir that seemed to never clear - and the NOISE...!! ( noise really was'nt detrimental to the pump/rack it seemed ). Now I'm guessing my flushes to be very very similar to a disassembly you did , whereas we both had empty passages and virtually empty rack & pump that needed refilling.
IF this helps , ya gotta often open PS res. CAP and assess the foaming bubbles , refill , drive circles,drive figure 8's , turn wheel " lock-lock R to L " CONSTANTLY !! Let it "settle" .Stop car 3 hours later I do try again , always checking resevoir for enough fluid - not topped where it blows thru cap !! Drive circles , check,drive 8's , lock-lock on steering wheel .Some flushes needed this "dance" for 2-3 or more DAYS , even !!

NONE of my other vehicles EVER took that much time ,effort, & attention to clear the foam/bubbles !

Hope that helps , Good luck

[Ludeaem]

I agree that it did take a long time for the air to be worked out when I replaced my PS pump. Make sure the front is in the air as well

[3Q Jay]

As for air, a critical add for other Q45s with the active suspension (does not apply to the FGY33, but read on), is to put a vacuum on the resevoir tank to suck out air prior to fire-up after pump replacement. the air bubble can cause the pump to never develop "head" because there is no inlet flow. It's at least possible that you have a similar air pocket on inlet side.
2) there is a spool valve in the outlet of the power steering (high pressure side). This spool valve flow directly controls the output pressure. If the dimensional position of the valve in it's bore is incorrect, proper output pressure will not be achieved, even as you purge any air from the system via lock to lock turns with wheels barely touching the ground, etc.
New pump, how can that possibly be wrong you say? Ha. How careful are rebuilders? Did they include the correct THICKNESS orings/copper washers on the output port?

[Diamondntherough]

Ok. Well I was hoping I could give you guys some good news and have some good news for myself but I'm right back to square one. Ole Q still without power steering, as if, we did nothing.... Can a pressure pump(one that used to bleed brakes work)¿?
Guess we will try again..
Any thoughts, afterthought,and/or suggestions could be helpful. Thanks again for the replies on this subject!!
Feeling deflated : /

[Diamondntherough]

Okay, update.. after the new pump, new hoses new reservoir, and flush(air removal) still no power steering. So could it be the rack and pinion (not seeing any leaks)??
Been several places
(junk/salvage yards)without much luck. I'm going to have to buy a new one unless you guys have one sitting in your garage just waiting to be sold...
? Are there other compatible years, makes, models for a q45 (y33). Excluding(97-2001) Q45 (y33).
Thank you for your suggestions in advance!

[Q451990]

Is there a signal switch on that rack? I'd be a little surprised if the rack is 100% dead.

[3Q Jay]

I think you are wasting time on the rack at this point.
why?
Your first post (paraphrasing)---you had a working system, you replaced pump and hoses and bam! no more power steering.
Focus on symptoms before-->what did you change-->what are the new results.
when time allows on a project, just change 1 thing at a time and re-evaluate.
troubleshooting 101.
don't get deflated, don't blindly guess. find the problem.
lots of help and experience in this forum.