now that i am comfortable with the car running ok, i was going to reinstall the power steering this evening in preparation to sell the car.

i was shocked at how much air can get into the power steering rack. if anyone else does this, make sure you are careful to bleed the system carefully before jumping back out on the highway. according to the manual, the proper way to bleed a power steering system is to slowly turn the steering wheel from side to side (not all the way!) while monitoring the fluid level in the reservoir. eventually you will work all the tiny air bubblles out of the system and restore power steering.