I have a 1999 SSE with the normally aspirated 3.8L. The original power steering pump developed a leak, which I replaced with an aftermarket rebuilt unit from a local parts store on Aug 6th. Now, at low engine speeds, such a turning the wheel while stationary or coasting, the steering intermittently loses all power assist. If I blip the throttle during an episode, the assist immediately returns, which makes for an interesting situation when I'm applying a few hundred foot-pounds of torque trying to muscle the car thru a turn. Does anyone have a suggestion(*) as to why this may be occurring?

I see no evidence of leakage at either of the hoses connected to the pump, and I bled the system by turning the steering wheel from one extreme to the other several times with the car on jackstands.

Could be a bad pump.

If a higher idle is required to make steering easier, then its a good sign of a bad pump. Or your belt is slipping.

Could air in the system also cause this problem?