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Silver Fox

Power steering to manual

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Would it work if you stripped all the power components off the rack, bunged all the holes, fitted a grease nipple in one of them and packed it with a good grease. Any reasons why it wouldn't?

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Pretty much yes, although I would just give the rack itself a smear of grease and leave it at that. The only other thing worth doing, is pulling the pinion out, and welding up the shuttle valve part (not sure if it called that!) which controls the power steering, this will get rid of a tiny amount of play in the shaft. Take it apart, and you will see what I am referring to, it is easy to do, and pretty safe, as if the weld breaks it just reverts to the way it used to be, if any of that makes sense.

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Thanks, reasons for and against?

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Guest Andrew

Well - I have found it gets bloody tiring steering with race tyres (especially with a small wheel) ..

It also looks really gumby attempting to park in the pit lane and you aren't strong enough to turn the wheel hah.

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Thanks, reasons for and against?

LEAVE IT IN !!!! If you are building a E30 class racer there's a limit of 2 degrees negative, so you'll need to dial in a shitload of caster to help the geometry,so the steering will get heavier[the power steering helps], most power steering systems are a higher ratio as well!

Don't let that bullshit about 'power loss' influence you, A power steering pump is on bypass from just above idle [the P/steer is used most at idle,eg: parrallel parking]

if the steering gets too reactive [touchy] put a oil restricter in the pressure line. Remember pressure is pressure and volume is volume,Meaning : the 'power' is via pressure, the 'speed' is via volume [restricters slow down the volume to help stabilise it at High RPM]slowing down the pump [about 25%] with stop the fluid aerating

Note: My Corvette was 0.2 sec faster on Taupo's short track WITH P/steer, I could brake later & apex it where I wanted to [without P/steer I had too Brake earlier so I could Aim the car better]

It's Like Fighting The Animal,Thats trying To Kill Me

Hope this is of help. . . . . Kerry

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Hey, thanks for the input. It is my race car, I have the option of going either way at the moment, I've got both setups. It's a 318 so should be a bit lighter up front anyway. The 316's and some 318's came out with manual steering, so I guess I assumed they'd be OK like this, and I'd save a bit of weight as well. I could understand the 320's being a bit heavier up front being a problem. Kerry, I understands some of what you're saying, but if it's on bypass above idle, how will it help me with the changed geometry and heavier steering, or does it adapt to load? I thought that power steering had little influence on your steering above about 20 k's, I do remember most of my early cars didn't have it at all. Andrew, I don't intend to be paralell parking on the racetrack, but you never know do you?

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The P/steer has a set pressure and restricted volume

Because of the bypass valve you get the same pressure at idle or 7000rpm ,Because of the restrictors you get the same volume at idle or 7000rpm[more fluid is getting dumped into the tank at high RPM]

When you parrallel park, you go from lock-to-lock[thats where you need the most volume]not while you are driving[That's why I said put in more restricters].I know 318's are lighter than 320's. It's the Caster that you need the P/steer for [the more caster,the dynamic negative camber] Hey F1 cars have P/steer & they weigh 480kg with driver.

I know of several Racers that use 'Bling Bling' braided lines [as racers do]but haven't used restricters in the lines.At High speed the steering is so reactive that the car will dart all over the track because of all the volume being pumped thru the steering box/rack [the bypass valve doesn't need to do it's job either] These Racers blame the steering or the pump but will never entertain the idea of throwing away all the fancy "Aeroquip" fittings and hoses

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It's Like Fighting The Animal,Thats trying To Kill Me

I agree, a Corvette is an animal trying to kill you!

Seriously though, I drove my friends six cylinder E30 in the six hour race, 4 degrees of camber and about 10 degrees of castor with no power steering, and it wasn't an issue. And those who know me will verify that I am no pumped up gym bunny either! I say ditch it!

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Cheers Conrod, I've got the proper manual kit now as well, probably go ahead and fit it I think. One less leak to worry about as well.

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