Well, installed pump #3 this evening, different brand and also not a reman, and the steering still isn't right. I sat out there listening to music turning the wheel back and forth for at least 30-40 mins. I turned from the steering wheel, turned from the wheels themselves, engine off, engine running, tried it with the left side higher than the right, tried it with the right side higher then the left. Still jerky and tight steering. Also tiny micro bubbles you can see cycling around in the fluid in the pump. I don't know what else to do. Nobody has said so far that it could be the box that is the problem but there is nothing left to try. And I really don't want to do it either. No fluid leaks anywhere. This pump at least looked better than the remans.
This is just the most irritating thing. You guys have seen some of the stuff Ive done on here, plenty of people more experienced than me but I am not a novice mechanic by any means. I have had steering systems apart many times doing engine swaps, replacing leaky hoses etc. and never had the least bit of trouble bleeding the system. Something is just not right here. I joke about selling the truck but now its making me want to. I haven't driven it really since April or May when I began the front end rebuild. I should've just left the old leaky pump and box on there. That thing leaked like crazy and the pump would get so low that it was almost out of fluid and it still steered just fine. Why is this so difficult? Thanks for coming to my rant.
One last thought though, I'm using power steering fluid. In the past I have run PS fluid and ATF in different rigs, no preference I would just top them off with whatever it looked like was in there. Never had a problem with either. Is there a chance these problems are stemming from the use of regular PS fluid?