Weird question: I just got done swapping the power steering pump on my `97 LeSabre. It sounds like it is sucking a little bit of air all the time. I've done lots of power steering pumps on older cars and a few RWD SUVs and pickups, but this is the first time I've done one on one of these. I've run the steering lock to lock a bunch of times and driven it a few miles. It seemed to get a little better but still has a whine like it'* low on fluid.

Is there something special that I need to do to purge air out of it or something?

Oh yeah: It is not low on fluid.

When I did my pump on the PA it was noisy new. I found the only way to get er right was with it jacked,both wheels off the ground,engine not running, lock to lock like 30 times until there were no more air bubbles in res.
I hope no air is getting in from seals or lines tho.

Oh & never use synthetic fluid to break in a new GM PS unit (unless it is spec'd for it)....With testing different fluids over the years, especially in freezing conditions, I found that the regular GM power steering fluid works best.
In the cold, they do seem to take some time, about 10 minutes to warm up, depending how cold it is outside.

GM power steering supercharger whine. Typical.

Interesting, I never would have thought of doing it with the engine off. Thanks!

Me too. I should have mentioned I replaced the pressure and return lines also. Hopefully I did it right.

Good to know. I'm using the Prestone stuff from Walmart.

That was what the old pump was doing. It had been doing it for a while. I decided to do it when the water pump went out quite gloriously and I was going to be digging around in there anyways.

Look for bubbles in the fluid in the reservoir....if none, you won't be the first person to get a bad pump.....

Darn, I wanted to be the first ever!

. . . and yeah bubbles in the reservoir. I filled it back up after it pumped through the system and I steered it back and forth for a bit.

Fortunately, I live on a dirt road and there was no traffic. I wonder what people thought of my wild tracks all over out there.

Update: Yep it just needed to cycle air out. I guess these low-flow pumps take a while to get it over with or something. I took it out on my street and drove lock to lock for a while (probably 3/4 of a mile altogether) and it cleared up. Filled fluid and it appears to be good. Have put a few hundred miles on it since then and it'* happy.

Sorry Soft Ride, I was going to lift it and do 30 times lock to lock, but then I got lazy.

Thanks for all of your help!