Power Steering Pump Actuator?

[Busted98K1500]

Hey guys, Pulling my hair out here. My 98 K1500 pick-up just left me stranded 55 miles away from home yesterday at 6:30 in the morning. The problem was a busted high pressure side power steering line. The line ran the pump dry and went unnoticed until I started seeing smoke. I was on the interstate and did not notice that I had no power steering. Well, I pull over and evaluate the problem. I decided to cap off the lines by kinking them, filling up the reservoir with the fluid I had and trying to drive to the nearest shop. Well, a possible hose replacement, turned into a pump replacement as I had heated the fluid up to cap melting temperatures Anyway, pull into the shop, leave it there, get ride home. I was quoted $440 for a pump and line replacement and told it would take 4 hours. Sucks, but it was only about a $40 difference in parts and towing compared to leaving it there.

 

Act II - I get a call at about 1pm from a guy that could barely explain his way out of a paper bag and find out that there is a power steering pump actuator and that it has melted and also needs to be replaced. $175 more and 4 days. I said no way, put the old one back on. I was getting a bad feeling about this situation and decided to go back down there and supervise the work. I could have done all this myself had I not been inconvienced by 55 miles, no tools and no transportation. So I decided to supervise. He gets that all back together and we notice that the non-leaking radiator is now leaking. So $275 later that is replaced. Put the entire thing back together and no power steering. It is 8pm now and I haven't eaten all day. I said I'll pay my tab and leave. It was driveable in the current state. So just as I am leaving the guy says to me it looks like your brake lines may need to be replaced next. I ignored the comment. Hoped in the truck pulled about 15 feet forward and was met with no brake pedal pressure. Seems that the a*****e fudged up the brake line to the passenger side tire in the process. So 13 hours later I still have no power steering, have replaced a radiator and have no brakes... O yea, the final tab was $749 All I could think was get out of here before you kill the guy. So I drove the 55 miles home with down shifting and an emergency brake (that was fun).

 

I'm sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. My question is, could the actuator that is inline on the power steering line cause the power steering pump to not supply any pressure to the steering box? The part number that I have found for it is p/n 26084409. Is there anyway to bypass this $100+ switch?

 

Thanks to whomever actually read this rant...