Power Steering Delete (w/ 1 Picture)
11-14-2009, 04:43 PM
#1
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Shave a few pounds, free up a little horsepower, strengthen your arm and torso muscles! RD platform cars are small and light. They don't really need power steering if there is a full-sized man driving.
A year-ish ago, I pulled off the power steering pump drive belt because it was squealing. I never put it back on. Today, I pulled the pump off, finally.
The pump is the easy part. To remove the power steering (hydraulic) oil cooler, you have to take off the front bumper cover and the crash absorber behind the bumper cover. THAT took like 45 minutes for me to figure out, having never done it before. Removing the cooler took 15 seconds. Reassembly of the bumper was another 10 minutes, if that. If you have a fiberglass front lip, I don't see how you could remove it without cracking it somewhere.
Anyway, when you remove the power steering pump, you are left with lines going to the fluid reservoir, steering rack and oil cooler. The lines will drip hydraulic oil all over the place if you leave them, which is why most people just leave the pump in place. Well, the crappy spring clamps Hyundai used on the hoses finally started leaking, and I figured there isn't much use in having a leaky steering pump hose I'm not even using.
Remove the suction hose (big hose from reservoir to pump). After removing the oil cooler, there are two lines left. There is a small hard line bolted to the fender (return hose). I bent it up a little, and found a hose off my parts car to go from the hard line to the smaller port on the power steering fluid reservoir. There is also the big hose (pressure hose) that used to go to the banjo bolt on top of the PS pump. I cut off the metal fitting that used to bolt onto the pump, leaving about an inch of metal tube poking out of the hose. Then I cut a piece off the suction hose I had just pulled off the reservoir and clamped it on the cut end of pressure hose, and routed it to the larger fitting on the reservoir. I had to file down the metal tubing end on the pressure hose just a hair, because its larger diameter wouldn't go into the hose. Be sure to clean out the end of the cut fitting with a Q-tip, if you do it this way, to keep shavings out of your steering rack.
I filled the reservoir with a bit of power steering fluid I had left over, and here we go! Note: you want to leave some fluid in your power steering rack, or it will be running dry when it was not supposed to. It's not a regular manual rack that wants grease, it's a power rack minus the pump's power now. Looping the hoses to the reservoir gives it a breather for any bubbles in the system, and a source of fluid to keep the rack lubricated.
To prevent the oil in the lines leaking everywhere while I worked, I used cut-off pieces of rubber gloves held on the ends of the hoses with zip-ties until I was ready to plumb it all up like you see here:
The fashion-conscious will be able to take a grinding wheel to the mounting bosses on the side of the cylinder head now, or use the holes to mount a bracket to hold something turbo-related, or whatever. Maybe an up-high alternator relocation location?
Since the reservoir is still there and still connected with (modified) OEM hoses, it looks stock-ish.
A final note:
If you ONLY remove the belt from the power steering pump pulley to get rid of belt squeal or to see what it is like to drive with no power steering, the rack will try to push pressure back up through the pump. This will (lont-term, eventually) lead to leaking power steering oil dripping on your alternator, which will wash out the grease in the alternator bearings, and then your alternator is dead. Ask me how I know.
The steering will not feel the same as if there were no pressure in the hoses. To permanently eliminate the power steering function, you need to reroute the hoses so the pump is no longer in the hydraulic circuit. The pump can then be removed. Many, many members (self included) have removed the PS belt for a while with no ill effects, so if you just need a new belt or want the extra (maybe 5-6) horsepower for a race, go ahead and pull the belt temporarily.
The benefits of driving without power steering are explained HERE.
A year-ish ago, I pulled off the power steering pump drive belt because it was squealing. I never put it back on. Today, I pulled the pump off, finally.
The pump is the easy part. To remove the power steering (hydraulic) oil cooler, you have to take off the front bumper cover and the crash absorber behind the bumper cover. THAT took like 45 minutes for me to figure out, having never done it before. Removing the cooler took 15 seconds. Reassembly of the bumper was another 10 minutes, if that. If you have a fiberglass front lip, I don't see how you could remove it without cracking it somewhere.
Anyway, when you remove the power steering pump, you are left with lines going to the fluid reservoir, steering rack and oil cooler. The lines will drip hydraulic oil all over the place if you leave them, which is why most people just leave the pump in place. Well, the crappy spring clamps Hyundai used on the hoses finally started leaking, and I figured there isn't much use in having a leaky steering pump hose I'm not even using.
Remove the suction hose (big hose from reservoir to pump). After removing the oil cooler, there are two lines left. There is a small hard line bolted to the fender (return hose). I bent it up a little, and found a hose off my parts car to go from the hard line to the smaller port on the power steering fluid reservoir. There is also the big hose (pressure hose) that used to go to the banjo bolt on top of the PS pump. I cut off the metal fitting that used to bolt onto the pump, leaving about an inch of metal tube poking out of the hose. Then I cut a piece off the suction hose I had just pulled off the reservoir and clamped it on the cut end of pressure hose, and routed it to the larger fitting on the reservoir. I had to file down the metal tubing end on the pressure hose just a hair, because its larger diameter wouldn't go into the hose. Be sure to clean out the end of the cut fitting with a Q-tip, if you do it this way, to keep shavings out of your steering rack.
I filled the reservoir with a bit of power steering fluid I had left over, and here we go! Note: you want to leave some fluid in your power steering rack, or it will be running dry when it was not supposed to. It's not a regular manual rack that wants grease, it's a power rack minus the pump's power now. Looping the hoses to the reservoir gives it a breather for any bubbles in the system, and a source of fluid to keep the rack lubricated.
To prevent the oil in the lines leaking everywhere while I worked, I used cut-off pieces of rubber gloves held on the ends of the hoses with zip-ties until I was ready to plumb it all up like you see here:
The fashion-conscious will be able to take a grinding wheel to the mounting bosses on the side of the cylinder head now, or use the holes to mount a bracket to hold something turbo-related, or whatever. Maybe an up-high alternator relocation location?
Since the reservoir is still there and still connected with (modified) OEM hoses, it looks stock-ish.
A final note:
If you ONLY remove the belt from the power steering pump pulley to get rid of belt squeal or to see what it is like to drive with no power steering, the rack will try to push pressure back up through the pump. This will (lont-term, eventually) lead to leaking power steering oil dripping on your alternator, which will wash out the grease in the alternator bearings, and then your alternator is dead. Ask me how I know.
The steering will not feel the same as if there were no pressure in the hoses. To permanently eliminate the power steering function, you need to reroute the hoses so the pump is no longer in the hydraulic circuit. The pump can then be removed. Many, many members (self included) have removed the PS belt for a while with no ill effects, so if you just need a new belt or want the extra (maybe 5-6) horsepower for a race, go ahead and pull the belt temporarily. The benefits of driving without power steering are explained HERE.
04-20-2010, 03:24 AM
#2
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Update 1 inspection later:
Be advised: Texas requires cars NOT to have been modified so that steering effort is increased. For safety inspectors, this is an automatic FAIL on the state-mandated $28 inspection. Do not ask me how I know this. Check local laws before performing this modification.
At least I don't need a CARB sticker on my turbo manifold . . . yet. mad.gif
Be advised: Texas requires cars NOT to have been modified so that steering effort is increased. For safety inspectors, this is an automatic FAIL on the state-mandated $28 inspection. Do not ask me how I know this. Check local laws before performing this modification.
At least I don't need a CARB sticker on my turbo manifold . . . yet. mad.gif
04-21-2010, 01:48 PM
#3
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Also I would not advise this mod if you do any sort of road racing. The pump and cooler not only lubricate the rack but they help cool the fluid. Once the fluid gets hot enough it breaks down and does no lubrication. The twist and turns of a road course will heat up the fluid and with no way for the fluid to truly circulate you'll burn up your steering rack. A True manual rack doesn't have this problem because the hi-temp grease doesn't break down like PS fluid.
05-20-2010, 12:07 PM
#5
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Update: confirmed. The DPS Challenge Station says that, although the enabling statute is not clear, the regulations that guide inspectors is clear. You can't take out power steering and convert to manual in Texas if you want to *ever* pass Texas State safety inspections.
05-20-2010, 06:11 PM
#7
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Some inspectors care a *whole lot* less than others. It's got a fresh sticker from a licensed inspection station right now. How it got that sticker is for me to know and you to not find out.
That said, that sort of 'inspection' gets up to the cost of a couple of used hoses and a used pump pretty frikken fast. So I'm going to get a set of hoses and a pump for inspection day use. I already have a line on a pump from a member here. Anyone wishing to donate hoses to the cause may feel free. laugh.gif
That said, that sort of 'inspection' gets up to the cost of a couple of used hoses and a used pump pretty frikken fast. So I'm going to get a set of hoses and a pump for inspection day use. I already have a line on a pump from a member here. Anyone wishing to donate hoses to the cause may feel free. laugh.gif
02-01-2011, 12:20 PM
#8
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Update: I just called the DPS Challenge Station and the nice lady said that as long as power steering equipment is installed and functioning at the time of inspection, it is permissible to have a bypass (for off-street use) on your power steering. "Just like race pipes . . . as long as they're capped off" when the inspection happens.
This means I need to do a little plumbing. I may be able to re-use my pressure hose and install a bypass setup. Does anyone have a power steering pressure hose (pump to rack) they want to sell me in case mine won't do?
This means I need to do a little plumbing. I may be able to re-use my pressure hose and install a bypass setup. Does anyone have a power steering pressure hose (pump to rack) they want to sell me in case mine won't do?
02-16-2011, 07:24 AM
#9
Moderator
This is not a Texas thing. It's a city ordanance thing. San Antonio does NOT have the same restrictions as you. And we pay $14 here, not $28 like in your Austin area. DFW area pays around $60 because they have a full OBD and sniffer test now.
No one looks under the hood here in SA. Maybe you should take a 45 minute drive down here to get your inspection.
No one looks under the hood here in SA. Maybe you should take a 45 minute drive down here to get your inspection.
02-16-2011, 01:13 PM
#10
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Don't live there, don't know anyone who does. And this particular thing is a Texas thing. Emissions requirements vary wildly by region, and you can probably find an inspector *anywhere* without trying too hard who will *ahem* fail to notice practically any point of failure.