Power Steering Pump 68214885AA for Ram ProMaster 3.6L

Power steering pump 68214885AA, also listed as 68214885, for the Ram ProMaster 1500, 2500 and 3500 built from 2014 to 2021 with the 3.6 litre V6 Pentastar engine, replacing the earlier 201075 and 68184197AA.

The ProMaster is the North American version of the Fiat Ducato, so the front end and the steering gear are European in layout while the engine is the Chrysler Pentastar V6. That combination is why the hydraulic pump is specific to this van and does not cross over to the diesel Ducato sold in Europe. The pump is a belt driven vane unit bolted to the front of the engine, drawing fluid from a remote reservoir and delivering it to the rack through a pressure hose with an M16 x 1.5 outlet thread. The pulley is pressed onto the shaft and is not supplied with the pump, so the original pulley has to be transferred.

These vans work hard, and the pump reflects it. The usual complaint from a fleet is a groan that appears when the wheel is turned at parking speed, then becomes constant. If the fluid has been allowed to run low, the pump draws air, the fluid foams, and the air bubbles damage the vanes and the ring within a few hundred miles. A second pattern is a shaft seal leak that drips onto the belt and produces a squeal that sounds like a belt problem rather than a pump problem. A third is loss of assist only at idle in hot weather, with the steering going heavy during a long parking manoeuvre and recovering once the van is moving, which is the classic sign of a pump that can no longer hold pressure at low engine speed.

Fitting notes. The engine bay is tight and the pump sits low, so work with the front on stands and the belt removed. Crack the pulley bolts loose before taking the belt off, and use a back up wrench on the high pressure fitting so the pipe is not twisted. Access to the mounting bolts is through the holes in the pulley, which needs a short extension and a swivel socket. Renew the O-ring on the pressure line, keep the reservoir and the hoses clean, and check the condition of the fluid line clips, which become brittle with age. Refill with the specified fluid, bleed with the front raised and the engine idling, turning lock to lock until the pump is quiet and the level stops dropping.

Supplied as a new pump assembly without pulley or reservoir, pressure tested before packing. Twelve month warranty.