Installing the new serpentine belt was quite easy.
After reinstalling the airbox, we were back in business. It’s unfortunate that it’s difficult to see the shiny billet aluminum IPSCO power steering and idler pulleys as well as the billet aluminum power steering pump mounting bracket.
We took our Viper out for an evening drive to test out the new pulleys, which worked flawlessly.
The IPSCO Billet Aluminum Power Steering and Idler Pulleys, along with the Billet Aluminum Power Steering Pump Mounting Bracket are now MUST-HAVES for any Gen-1 & Gen-2 Viper owner. It’s no longer a matter of “if” the OEM plastic pulley will fail, but “when”, and that “when” is likely a lot sooner than you would think.
From a safety standpoint, it’s really important to give these cars proper maintenance to ensure that the “when” never happens. If you lose power steering unexpectedly while taking a corner, the results have the potential to be very expensive or even deadly. Now that these cars are ~30 years old, these components MUST be replaced whether your car is a garage queen or has some miles on it. If you ever feel a ‘clicking’ in the steering wheel or hear some belt noise, be sure to take extra care and have a look at the pulley.
6 comments
Wow, it is unbelievable that such a critical part is made of plastic! This is a must-have for any Viper broken or not.
Not that big of a surprise given that this is a Chrysler product.
Thanks for the update, Billy. What other plans do you have for this beast? It is your personal street car?
Have you pinned the crank pulley yet?
Suddenly I’m glad none of my 30+ year old project cars have power steering!
Wow they were REALLY desperate to shed weight on these cars, huh?