Newbie, leaking PS has manual steering question!
08-12-2009, 06:31 PM
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Newbie, leaking PS has manual steering question!
Hi all,
I'm a new owner of an '88 951, Gold, no sunroof, Lindsey Racing Boost Enhancer, Weltmeiester ARB's front and rear, lowered (about an inch) sitting on 17 cups sprung via Koni KW Variant 3 Suspension. In all, it's a nice package, and it'd be perfect for me, except for the ever growing puddle of powersteering fluid that is now staining the paving outside our house. Now after much frantic hunting around for parts, mostly since it's RHD car, and I'm stuck in Holland of all places, I've decided to gut the power rack and go manual, well I would but for one nagging fear, that the manual racks from the earlier cars, won't fit the alloy motor mount that the later cars have...
So does anyone know (or better yet has already done this switch) if there are problems mounting the earlier manual rack onto the later cars (I know I'll need the longer tie rods) or will it just line up and bolt on up there ???
Cheers!
Peter
I'm a new owner of an '88 951, Gold, no sunroof, Lindsey Racing Boost Enhancer, Weltmeiester ARB's front and rear, lowered (about an inch) sitting on 17 cups sprung via Koni KW Variant 3 Suspension. In all, it's a nice package, and it'd be perfect for me, except for the ever growing puddle of powersteering fluid that is now staining the paving outside our house. Now after much frantic hunting around for parts, mostly since it's RHD car, and I'm stuck in Holland of all places, I've decided to gut the power rack and go manual, well I would but for one nagging fear, that the manual racks from the earlier cars, won't fit the alloy motor mount that the later cars have...
So does anyone know (or better yet has already done this switch) if there are problems mounting the earlier manual rack onto the later cars (I know I'll need the longer tie rods) or will it just line up and bolt on up there ???
Cheers!
Peter
08-12-2009, 07:24 PM
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It will be fine- but really, if I were doing it over, I'd pack some grease in the rack you have and plug it. There was not enough difference in the manual rack to make the whole conversion worth it when you take into account how hard it is to find a good intermediate shaft and the cost of the tie rods.
08-12-2009, 10:24 PM
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I picked up all the parts to do the conversion seperately, my '86 needed different mounts, rack, steering end link (because the racks are different heights), and tie rods.
As an autocrosser, I HAD to do the conversion for sticky front tires, but as a street driver, I drove it for years with no PS pump with no problem. The manual rack changes the ratio so you will have to turn the wheel more to turn the car, however, with a PS rack and no PS it really isn't hard to drive unless you put wider/stickier tires on the front. You can try it out by removing the PS belt
-Mac
As an autocrosser, I HAD to do the conversion for sticky front tires, but as a street driver, I drove it for years with no PS pump with no problem. The manual rack changes the ratio so you will have to turn the wheel more to turn the car, however, with a PS rack and no PS it really isn't hard to drive unless you put wider/stickier tires on the front. You can try it out by removing the PS belt
-Mac
08-13-2009, 12:53 AM
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1) simply remove the PS belt and run as is. You will feel some resistance at slow speeds.
2) replace with manual steering rack, plus intermediate shaft and proper length tie rods. You will, however, change the gearing ratio on your steering.
3) "gut" the PS rack and remove pump, lines, reservoir. When you gut it, open up the rack and remove all unnecessary components, grease everything up, and plug up with regular bolts. You maintain the same gearing ratio, which might be desirable if you track the car. Less resistance than 1) at slow speeds, and I've heard more than 2).
08-13-2009, 04:31 AM
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Cheers for the info guys,
I do intend to track the car soon, so probably will run stickier rubber at the front, and I've read comments about boiling steering fluid after a hard day on the track, so I think I'll take the opportunity to change it to manual while I have it, i.e. before the wife wises up!
I won't need to change my intermediate shaft, as since the car is RHD, as the PET part number doesn't change between power and manual racks, unlike the LHD cars...
Will post some pictures one I get it all bolted up...
Pete
I do intend to track the car soon, so probably will run stickier rubber at the front, and I've read comments about boiling steering fluid after a hard day on the track, so I think I'll take the opportunity to change it to manual while I have it, i.e. before the wife wises up!
I won't need to change my intermediate shaft, as since the car is RHD, as the PET part number doesn't change between power and manual racks, unlike the LHD cars...
Will post some pictures one I get it all bolted up...
Pete
08-13-2009, 06:29 AM
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Hi Mac, did you fabricate the new mounts yourself ? I've not seen anyone selling custom mounts when they have the conversion kits or parts for them...
The mount under my 88 car is Aluminium, but does the 86 car a different mount?
Did your mounting point bolt holes not line up or something?
Have you got any pictures of your set-up anywhere ?
Cheers,
Peter
The mount under my 88 car is Aluminium, but does the 86 car a different mount?
Did your mounting point bolt holes not line up or something?
Have you got any pictures of your set-up anywhere ?
Cheers,
Peter
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08-13-2009, 06:42 PM
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Ok, I've just removed the power steering belt, and by crikey the steering is heavy, so it's definately a manual rack time.
Anyway, according to my rack supplier, the manual rack fits the later cross members fine, but you must have the mounting brackets for the manual rack, as the powered rack is somewhat fatter and thus the rubber mount insert and the mount itself differs, but otherwise all the holes line up, and you just need the tie rods ends, and if you have a LHD car you'll also need the intermediate shaft. I'll be picking up the rods on the weekend, and the rack should arrive in the post early next week. I'll try and post up some pictures of the bits as they arrive...
I also found it a worthwhile exercise to remove the airbox and maf in order to get access to the belt, as you can check the condition of some of the water system hoses that are under this that are otherwise hard to see. And in my case, I have a broken mount on my airbox and a somewhat dodgy looking water pipe behind it!
Anyway, according to my rack supplier, the manual rack fits the later cross members fine, but you must have the mounting brackets for the manual rack, as the powered rack is somewhat fatter and thus the rubber mount insert and the mount itself differs, but otherwise all the holes line up, and you just need the tie rods ends, and if you have a LHD car you'll also need the intermediate shaft. I'll be picking up the rods on the weekend, and the rack should arrive in the post early next week. I'll try and post up some pictures of the bits as they arrive...
I also found it a worthwhile exercise to remove the airbox and maf in order to get access to the belt, as you can check the condition of some of the water system hoses that are under this that are otherwise hard to see. And in my case, I have a broken mount on my airbox and a somewhat dodgy looking water pipe behind it!