I currently own a 1990 300D (among other things) and by default it has become my favorite driver. I'm this close to slapping a turret on the top of this tank and if the paint weren't in such good shape, I might. Here's the scoop. The other day I was coming off the GSP (highway) in Jersey to home, and on the offramp I heard a GODAWFUL screeching.... it continued for a few seconds more until I spotted a Lumina in my rearview. So, I thought, that's the culprit. Having such nice soundproofing I wasn't used to the 'detached' sounding noise. It later proved to have been my noise.. who woulda thunk it? So, as I pull away, it disappears.. making me again believe in my Lumina scapegoat. I pull in to pick up dinner and on the way out I hear a THUD. Sort of a slappy thud. Then the idiot lights come on and I immediately think belt. Fine... I live less than thirty seconds away, so I pull into my driveway.

Wow. Never saw ANYTHING like this one. The PS pump was SITTING ON THE AC COMPRESSOR!!!! The mounting tabs cast onto the front housing of the pump SNAPPED OFF COMPLETELY. The top tab broke at the mounting hole and the bottom sheared off at the base. Fun fun. So, I find a company in Nevada who deals with pumps ONLY. (mbpumps.com) The guy there is actually going to give me $80 of a $100 core charge back. Considering I described these broken mounts clearly, I like them already.

Funny bit being, the pump DID NOT SEIZE!!!! When I pulled it out, I was surprised to have to hold the pulley to back out the bolts. No funny noises, nothing scored inside. The thing might not be 100%, but it was DEFINITELY the metal that failed, and the pump did not contribute.

Anyone else replace a PS pump on one of these motors recently? Anything to avoid? Anything to watch out for when re-installing? I'm a total shadetree... but not totally brainless. Just thought I'd pick the collective brain.