Well, took the steering fluid tank off to clean the outside, and beneath it [ bit pedantic like that], decided to do a visual inside, and the fitted filter had one section ' torn ' for want of a better word. Never looked inside before, [ always full of fluid] but did read RAVE where it said the filter was a non servicable fitting. It could have been like that since I bought the vehicle. Could sludge have passed thru the hole and found its way to the pump bearing ? Who knows. New pump in, trying to source replacement tank. Just need to torque bolts to proper setting, and fit new tank, then ready to fill with fluid and remove air from system, and cross fingers all is well. LG.

