I'll try to sum up this issue from the beginning and the actions I have taken. I bought a 93 accord as a fuel saver and I immediately noticed that the power steering seems very stiff at highway speeds but mostly normal around town. I was getting a hydraulic skreetching sound coming from the rack.

I replaced the rack with a remanufactured one from oreillys. The treads into the pump on the first rack I purchased had been stripped by someone or in the reman process. Got new rack, installed it, topped of reservoir, turned wheel back and forth, started the car to continue bleeding and noticed i was sucking air. Tightened the lines into the rack and leak was gone... So was all circulation of fluid through the system. Tried to bleed it for at least an hour and never got a bubble of air out.

I then cracked the pressure line from the pump loose to see if there was any fluid moving trough the system. Fluid did push out but not with much pressure. The air that entered the system did appear in the reservoir bottle. I replaced the pump and still have no power steering after another hour of trying to bleed it.

I have heard that these gen 4 accords have variable assist power steering, controlled by a sensor on the trans but there no wires to the pump or rack so I dont know how that could work. Maybe the reservoir bottle has a blockage?? Maybe oreillys sold me a second junk rack?? I am using honda spec PS fluid.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated as I am at a total loss on this one.

Car is a manual trans

 

yes they do have speed assist .. which means the steering is designed to stiffen up steering at higher speeds ... completely normal

 

I do now know that the stiffening at highway speed is normal, but the skreetching from the rack wasn't. Any idea how that system works with no wires to the pump or rack? I'm really thinking that is causing my problem because there is no noise coming from the system at all. If there was a blockage keeping me from having power steering I would expect alot of noise from the pump

 

CLOGGED LINES

 

Have you experienced this due to clogged lines? Any suggestions how to unclog them other than start tearing all the lines off and replacing them?

 

If you have no power steering I would first look at the power steering pump. It's about $15 for a rebuilt kit and they are fairly easy to install. Keep in mind the pulley bolt is reverse threaded...lefty tighty, righty loosey.

I would guesstimate the speed sensor connector controls the opening and closing of the solenoid for speed assist.

 

I have already tried new pump, made absolutely no difference. Thanks for the comments though. I will post what the cause and repair end up being when I figure this out someday.

 

It was the rack. The one i purchased was defective

 

wow, two crap racks from O'reily's! did they give you a hard time when trying to return them?