I know some people remove their power steering. I'm thinking about doing this.
Is this hard to do? What are the advantages/disadvantages?
All I know is that low speed steering would be more difficult, but you have better road feel. I have no idea what's involved or if it's worth it.

 

theres a guy on here who has archived how to do it just search there I think his name is Black nafc or something like that. Right now I still have my pump in the car without a belt on it. Low speeds are harder to turn but after about 8mph its a good feel but mine is not done the right way, in his writeup the system is depowered by pulling the rack tie rods draining fluid packing it with grease etc.. its pretty complicated I just havent found the time. Does anyone know an easier way. I want to remove the pump. Can I just connect a hose between where the 2 hoses from the pump go to. I really dont mind the way it feels now without a belt but I want to pull the pump out. Ill eventually get to doing it the right way.

 

yeah, i found the one in the archive. That seems a lot more difficult than I expected. I would like to do it some day, though.

 

do you want to depower your power steering? or swap a manual rack?

If all you want is a manual rack, its super easy. remove EVERYTHING you can see connected to the power steering pump, when done, remove steering rack, install manual rack in its place, hook up steering crap done.

and... dont forget to remove the PS computer under the driver side dash... that can get real old real fast, trust me!

 

I just want to depower it but if I can find a manual rack cheap Id do that

 

I had mine deleted for a while, but I put the damn thing back in. In my humble opinion, you need to get a Manual rack if you want to go that route;

 

My 1st 7 had manual rack, and I loved it....2nd 7 had power steering, and I never like the "lighter" steering. So I swapped back to a manual rack.....I love it again.

 

I have a manual as well. Its hard if you are on a dead stop. I think its worth it I know I love mine. Just my 2 cents.

 

I used the archive to depower my rack and it was easy. I used a 89 power rack instead of my shitty 87 power rack. It just takes a little time and you will figure things out. I think it is def worth doing, I almost hate to drive with power steering in any car.

 

I have an 88 se can I just remove pump and bracket, then connect a hose between the fittings where the two hoses are that run to the pump?

 

yeah you can just loop the lines but i would find a manual rack much better IMO

 

Looping the lines is the way that it's most commonly done. It's not reccomeded just to run with the pump belt off, it'll be much harder to turn than if you take it out. Taking the rack apart and removing the internal seal (it's outlined in my post in the archives) will get you the best feel and lowest resistance possible. Looping the lines is almost as good, but you're still having to move the fluid around, and there's another surface to crate drag. It took me about 3-4 hours start to finish to do the whole depowering procedure. I really like the results. It's not that hard to turn unless the car's barely moving, or is stopped. On the highway you can still comfortably cruise with only one hand on the wheel.

The advantages are:
Lighter weight
Better steering feel
(slightly) Less power drain on the motor
No change of getting ahead of the boost (I've done that a number of times at the autocross, it's annoying and kills your time)
Cheaper than replacing the power rack with a manual one
Faster ratio than a manual rack

The disadvantages are:
Harder to turn when going really slowly
Could be expensive to undo (should you wish to) depending on how you do it

If you're not wanting to take the rack out and take it apart, or if you think you'll want to put it back some day, then loop the lines, that way it's easier to undo.

 

or you could just go the ''i dont give a crap attitude'' and just remove the ac and ps! I did this and i could feel a difference right away on my T2. Then i got the bsattery relocated to the rear and let me tell you, changing spark plugs was never so easy. I know alot of people are going to use their ac and ps but for those who do not care, remove it and you will see what i am refering to.

My next move is to remove the ABS so that way i will have just a bare motor in the bay and that makes everything alot more accesable.

 

yeah changing spark plugs is sooooooo easy now.
and the problem with the no ac well just drive with the windows down.
I don't have abs ^_^

Again I think this is a really easy fix but I am good with my hands.
If anyone wants pictures of a steering rack pm me

 

My car didn't come with AC or ABS, so that side of the engine bay is nice and opemn. When i look at it I can't help thinking how it would be a good place for a supercharger.

 

Does anyone have any pics of there engine bay with the p/s, air pump and a/c removed so i can get a better feel for wat the bay will look like before i do it???

THanx

 

i think i'm going to depower the p/s.
I was going to do it this weekend, but I've got to fix a leaky fuel hose first (hopefully a quick fix - after i get the vdi manifold off).

 

http://www.negative-camber.org/crispyrx7/fc/fcpart8.htm

The last picture on that page has a nice front on view of the engine bay with no air pump, PS or AC. It's also got an electric fan, so you get a nice view of it all.

 

Here are 2 pics, I haven't finished hookin up my vdi or my s5 5th and 6th ports. And I need to get rid of my s4 maf because I am installin my megasquirt(that should all be done this weekend) I have a 87 gxl
there are a few more things that I have done like added my old airpump back in their and I have added crap like rmagic groundin kit and relocated batt but thats for another thread after everything is done

 

being the not-so-mechanical minded person I am, i've decided that removing power steering is beyond my abilities (for now, anyway) I might try to tackle it this winter.

 

This weekend I yanked the power steering pump, bracket, and hoses from the car and capped the lines off. Can I get away with doing that? I'm planning on swapping in an actual manual rack; how hard is it as far as removing other suspension bits etc.?

 

its really ez dude, juss unbolt ur radiator and lift it up a lil bit so u can have clearance to take out the rack.

b4 you do that, take off ur 2 front wheels.

unbolt the stabalizer bolts.(size 17 and size 14)

tierod ends.(juss unbolt the bolt and the tierod itself is a gigantic bolt head. use a size 12 wrench for the tie rod and a size 14 for the bolt on the tierod.)

after that remove the braces of the rack.

unbolt the bolt in the middle of the steering column.

slides right off.

if this is complicating, msg me on AIM or ill draw a pic for u or something.

-jimmy

 

i just removed the air pump and now im itching to get the ac and ps off but how hard is it gona be on a 88 TII

 

The FD guys send their racks out to get converted to non power.
Anyone know whats involved w/ this that we dont do?

I was thinking of just having my power steering rack rebuilt and see if that will make it a little nicer than a 19 year old rack w/ some slop in it. Not sure what I'm talking about and if it would help or now.

I want to keep my PS because I live in twisty mountains, and if you ever spin or have some snap oversteer you're kinda fucked w/ steering. But you're kinda fucked anyways.
I'm a grip person so the whole power for drift thing isn't a concern of mine.

 

If you just cap the lines with fluid still in the rack the rack will proceed to try to pump the fluid out when you turn the wheel, popping off the caps and puking ATF all over the engine bay.

I didn't move my rad to get the rack out, but I did remove the swaybar and it was a bit of a tight fit IIRC.

Damian did a writeup on the FD power steering conversion, search and it'll come up.