I have a 06 Heat with IMCO single ram. Cable runs free and easy. Once all tied together its super tough and seems to be fighting itself. Removed ram (did not fix) unhooked cable and it spins EASY. thinking pump or check valve. Suggestions of how to diagnose without breaking my bank???

are you sure there is no air in the line? when i rebuilt mine i had air in the lines and it made the pump cavitate and not build pressure.

Are the new lines from the ram to the Brazil valve plumbed correctly? L (P) to front side of ram. R (S) to back side of ram nearest the drive. As stated, it could be air in the lines. You may have to crack the fittings at the ram to get all the air out. Call Ron at IMCO in Nevada. He is very helpful and will help you figure it out.

I removed ram from the drive while in water (dropped bolt to bottom of lake as well LOL) and it did not seem to correct the issue. I will see about bleeding the power steering system next time im out and see if that fixes it. maybe even try while on the hose to avoid any OOPs again.

Is this a new install or just a problem that developed? Did you get a set of instructions for initial bleeding the system?