is it possible to convert a power steering rack to non power steering.
adam

It is possible to fit a manual rack if one is made for your type of car/donor. It may also be possible to fit another type of rack?

Probably not. A non power steering rack is a big round bar with a rack cut into it, in a sleeve. It has a big pinion moving it which is rated to take quite a high steering torque.

A power steering rack is a big round bar with 1 piston machined in the centre. it is fitted to a big piston and so forms 2 hydraulic rams. Fluid is pumped out of one and into the other to provide most of the steering. The pinion takes much less steering load.

Whilst it is probably possible to connect the two hydraulic rams together, to equalise air pressure with the fluid drained, the rack can do much less work than before. It would probably work but would it last?

an trick on old BMWs was to just remove the belt driving the power steering pump, and of course leave oil in the rack.

the racks on my saxo but its an electronic one with no belts. because iam trying to make it as light as possible. bu ti cant find a rack of a saxo thats not power steering. i think i might have to cut and shut another rack.
adam

quote:

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Originally posted by blakep82
an trick on old BMWs was to just remove the belt driving the power steering pump, and of course leave oil in the rack.

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yes raz its very very heavy when i disconnect the pump.
adam

A lot of Peugeot 106 parts are compatable with the Saxos

I was going to say that Rusty!

I have a 106 with the cast iron 1.6 litre engine in it, 185 tyres and a manual rack!

Might be worth a look in the scrappers / ebay.

Cheers

Mike

quote:

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Originally posted by RazMan

quote:

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Originally posted by blakep82
an trick on old BMWs was to just remove the belt driving the power steering pump, and of course leave oil in the rack.

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Doesn't that make the steering overly heavy? I've driven a 525 with a knackered steering pump and it was murder around town.

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I just took the pump and asociated bits off my old 205... kind of a quick rack without the costs.

Not the easiest to park but other than that it was ok!

what about a citroen Ax rack?
just a thought..are they similar?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Citroen-AX-Manual-Steering-Rack_W0QQitemZ300179036078QQihZ020QQcategoryZ21654QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638 .m118

Hydraulic Power steering racks operate the valve mechansism by some form of lost motion device. These days is is usually a quill shaf on the steering input pinnion. This is why power steering systems have excess free play at the steering wheel with the engine stopped, the free play disapears when the hydrualic pump is running.

Disconnecting the pipe work on a power steering system to convert to manual steering is a UK MOT failure.

The internals of a power steering rack are not engineered for continuous manual use.

[Edited on 5/1/08 by britishtrident]

I had 2 saxos and they were both manual steering. Get a saxo manual rack.

I tried this when stripping the Nissan. Ludicrously heavy maneouvering, and I thought "well, once I'm at speed, things will lighten up, right?"

No. Needless to say the belt went straight back on!

PAS system also lost it's fluid on the way to a conference where the car was being displayed recently

Nearly ended up in the armco coming down a tight slip road, I simply couldn't get the wheel round quick enough. The load on my arms was incredibly, so I can't imagine the steering column etc would last long, especially if the car is used, ummm, "assertively"

Not having looked inside a power rack, would it be practical to have something machined to replace the "quill" to give a proper mechanical connection between the input shaft and the pinion?

Having had an engine failure, the sudden loss of power steer and brake booster approaching a tight corner was most alarming Fortunately, the resulting adrenalin boost came in handing

argghh!!

Britishtrident's comments are right, and no its a pig of a job.

In the dim and distant past when sierra quickracks were very hard to come by, I tried to use a sierra pas rack as manual as they are 2.8 turn as std.

no good, quill shaft has lost motion as britishtrident says and its no good.

Is saxo power rack not power column?

Anyway, can you not use the std electric pump? Whatever, they certainly made them with manual racks as well.

surely you can't fit the saxo rack on your rwd saxo anyway?

Have a look here.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/steering2.htm

Couple problems that typically make a conversion not worth while.... First, the seal (piston in the picture) needs to be removed so that you dont fight hydraulics. This is no big deal really, but on some racks it is not viable. The second has already been mentioned. Inside the valve there is a small torsion bar which connects the steering shaft to the steering pinion. This is mostly just for emergency back up use, and to provide some steering feel etc. It is not designed for constant use and if you ever have a look at how small they are I doubt you would want to use it in a manual rack
There are a few racks that you can buy manual conversions for (RX7), but Id sooner get a custom rack with the ratio I wanted at that point.
Cheers.