Power steering pump replacement question

So, a few months ago I notice that my legacy was starting to squeal every time I started my car. Pulling out of the drive way would cause annoying squealing sounds and the steering wheel was very hard to turn but after pulling out and driving a mile or so, the squealing would stop and everything would feel normal.

I was actually on my way to the mechanic to get it fix when I got about 500 yards down the road and I hear a snap... The power steering belt had snapped! Luckily the mechanic was close by and I was still able to make it to the mechanic. He fixed the belt but told me that there is a deeper problem with the power steering belt and that eventually, it would start doing the same thing. He didn't tell me exactly what was wrong with the pump other than that I would need to take it somewhere else and get the pump fixed. (assuming he meant a subaru dealer.) But the nearest subaru dealer is like 2 hours away. Anyway, about a month has passed since then and the same problems are starting up again. I noticed that the fluid levels seem a little low as well. (The mechanic leveled it off so there's gotta be some kind of leak.)

Does this problem sound familiar to anyone? I don't mind getting it replaced, I just would like to know exactly what is wrong with it to find out whether maybe I could just get the pump fixed instead of replacing it, since according to my research, could cost around $300.00.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Its a 2007 and has around 80,000 miles [/SIZE]

There has been a ton of threads on this.. search.. you have a leak at the top of pump, if pump has ever been run low, replace it. if it hasn't replace o ring at top of pump and flush system, flush again.. then your good

I second this ^^^ secure your leak problem, check the pulleys the belt rides on make sure nothin is tearin the new belts up.

I also noticed dampness of oil on my power steering pump and I also suspected the o-ring as possible cause of leak. The thing is, upon closer inspection, I don't really see oil seeping out of the hose inlet. Could there be any other thing related to the power steering pump that could cause the leak? Is it possible that the pump itself is leaking in the middle?

I noticed the bolts behind the pump, so, I'm guessing it's technically, the pump itself is a two piece item joined together by the bolt, right? Is it possible that the gasket inside is leaking the fluid?

The only way I know to track it down is to start the car and work the pump. If things are damp, clean them up before you test to try and find the source of your problems.

A second set of hands can turn the wheel for you while you poke around.

Is your steering rack leaking ?

I had mine replaced last May.

How much fluid is in the tank on theright fender ?

^I don't think it's the steering rack. Otherwise, the fluid would've drained reasonable faster. Sorry, OP. I don't mean to thread jack.

The fluid is currently at "Min Cold" and "Min Hot" in respective temperature. The color is black, so, I'm sure it's due for a flush.

The only thing that concerns me is that, after wiping the P/S pump the best I can without removing or loosening anything around it, I can see traces of fluid from the area that I pointed with the green arrow below:


(Pic thanks to Milosch from iwsti.com)

I looked at other forum and found a P/S DIY thread. The guy opened the pump apart and you can see there are more o-rings inside the pump:


(Pic thanks to maxxell from iwsti.com)

Interestingly, I do not see any fluid around the inlet where the "usual suspect" o-ring is located...my steering is still working fine and I don't notice any noise when I turn the wheel from lock to lock. So, it's not exactly a high priority thing, but, it concerns me every time I opened the hood/bonnet...