Final verdict on why our power steering failed, just as we heard a grinding noise. The compressor had ground itself up. On the Cummins 8.3 engine, the gears turn the compressor, which has a drive shaft and turns the hydraulic pump as well. Britt's Diesel in Bishop installed a new compressor and everything worked. They were super smart folks. As a precaution, they took off the rear plates on the engine and inspected all the gears for damage. they tell us we were very, very lucky, no further damage was done. Had we run the engine for a little bit longer, we could have been into heavy duty repairs. New hydraulic fluid was added, and and and engine oil and filter change were also done as a precaution.
