Ford Repair: 91 Taurus Steering Pump hose, power steering pump, salvage yard

Question
Steering hose burst the other day. Steering was running fine until the hose blew. Local shop is now saying bad pump, bad hose and bad rack & pinion = $1,400. Does the hose blowing definately indicate a bad pump?

I need to go on the cheap. Is replacing the hose myself a major undertaking? I'm not sure which hose blew but I know one is threaded and one is just clamped.I'm sure I could replace the clamped one without problems but I'm not sure about the threaded one. Would I need to "bleed" the pump and how would I do that?

Thanks

Answer
John,

No, just because the hose burst does not necessarily indicate that the steering pump is bad. Yes, you can replace the hose yourself and replacing it will not be a major undertaking. No, you do not need to bleed the power steering pump, just fill it back up with fluid. If you need any parts (ie: pump and rack&pinion) go to a reputable salvage yard and get them. It will save you some cha-ching. Hope that this helps and if you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me again. Good luck.

Ken