PS Pump Pulley squeal?

Folks,

When I bought my 07 Tacoma 2.7L in early 2019, it had a belt squeal every now and then. I replaced the belt and the sound went away for 6 months. The tensioner is new, installed in 2018. After three belt replacements, I thought that obviously the belt was not the problem and just a temporary band aid.

The previous owner said the mechanic said the PS pump pulley was the culprit. A PS pump replacement isn't that involved. I noticed the squeal came back last week. Before, the squeal would go away after the car was warmed up. Now, it would not. I checked the PS fluid level and it was low. I checked the PS pulley for sounds and play. No sounds when spinning it by hand, but there is a lot of play (in and out on the shaft), which I do not know if that is normal? Anyway, I put more fluid in, and the next day, all the sounds are gone.... for now.

In the summer, the alignment guy said that the bottom half of the steering rack looked a little "colored/once-was-wet" from a possible steering rack leak, but there was no fluid present anywhere. Steering is working fine. The PS high pressure line also looks "colored/one-was-wet" where the high pressure fitting is. He recommended a steering rack job. I would rather save the $1,500 and do it myself.

It's cold outside and I don't want to do a steering rack job in the driveway in winter if I do not have to. Would you agree with my course of action would be to basically do nothing right now, and if the squeal comes back, to replace the PS pump, and high pressure and return lines? All of this work would include a PS fluid flush.

 

Have you poked your head under there recently to see if your rack boots are wet?

 

Is it a squeal or a whine, a squeal is likely something with the belt drive (pulley alignment, belt slipping, etc), a power steering whine usually changes when you move the steering wheel and is usually caused by low fluid level, a clogged reservoir screen, or a bad pump.

 

It is a squeal and not a whine. My hypothesis is that the pulley is F’d up.

Also no apparent wetness underneath right now on the rack. See initial description, though, as someone did think it may have leaked at one point (bottom half, like the portion facing the road, of the rubber boots is darker)

 

My steering rack weeps a little fluid- from posts here, they all seem to do this after enough miles. Mine doesn't drip, but the boots are damp. I just add a few ounces of fluid once a year or so- no way I'm changing the steering rack for this.
Have you verified all of the idler pulleys and the water pump is not the culprit? You want to get a mechanic's stethoscope and go thru one by one. I doubt it's the PS pump but anything it possible. I had a bad water pump and a few years later had two bad idler or tensioner pulley that were making noise.