Noisy steering

[RebelV8]

I get a screeching / howling noise when I turn the steering wheel. It's been there for a while now but I thought it might be something to do with knackered ball joints, replaced them all but it's still there.
It's not the power steering belt, there's plenty of power steering fluid in the reservoir. I've checked the steering box and can't find anywhere to grease or fill with fluid.
Any ideas?
Has anyone had this before?

[tweak'e]

broken harmonic balancer or front pulley.

[RebelV8]

The sound isn't there all the time, only when you turn the steering. It's the same whether the engine is running or not. So I'm guessing it's not the harmonic balancer or a pulley.
Has to be something to do with the moving parts of the steering or linkages, but can't find anything obviously wrong, damaged or worn out

[tweak'e]

no.
the steering only puts load on the pulleys when you move the steering wheel causing load on the steering pump.
with no load the pulley/balancer will grip and still turn, under load it will slip and make the noise.
i found out the hard way when the bolt came loose.

[RebelV8]

Oh, do you mean the pulley on the power steering pump?

[Sylux]

Might sound daft...but you sure it's not the steering wheel? The horn connectors often screech and need dielectric lube on them. Easy fix.

Just a thought

[RebelV8]

Thanks for the suggestion Sylux, learnt along time ago that the simplest or stupidest ideas are often the right ones.
But it's definitely something to do with the steering, I'll keep searching and checking / eliminating things until I find it

[tweak'e]

Oh, do you mean the pulley on the power steering pump?

no.
crankshaft pulley/balancer.
common enough problem. noisy steering is an early sign. it pays to check because sometimes, like mine, its the bolt thats come loose allowing the pulley to wobble around and can damage the crankshaft. then it gets expensive.

[RebelV8]

Ah, right, I'll check that later.

Thanks

[andyverran]

Have you greased the steering idler lately?

[bryanisaoldgit]

just a fink

hi have you got any fluid in it

[RebelV8]

Have you greased the steering idler lately?

Not lately no, did grease it back in December and haven't used it much since then. Now that I think about it, it was difficult to get grease through the nipple, I had remove it and unblock it before I could get grease through it. I'll check that it's ok

[RebelV8]

hi have you got any fluid in it

Yeah, it has fluid in, at the right level as well

[RebelV8]

Looks like it's the idler arm causing the noise. might take it off to see if I can free it off before thinking of replacing it

[andyverran]

Hopefully you can salvage it...if not I think I have one...