always fearing my power steering

[frosti108]

my power steering is nasty and old. the rack is all clogged up inside. the lines are all soaked. the pump gets in the way everytime the motor comes out or goes in. power steering fluid is nasty. i have dead spots here and there while turning the wheel. also the car would be a tiny bit faster without it...

but then again, it makes driving a lot easier.


so i was thinking about ditching it, but im on the fence.

id like to hear opinions from people who have ditched it.

id like to know how it affects your driving and or drifting.

if you've never experienced it 1st hand, dont bother trying to give me advice, because yours is probably no better than mine.

and yes i already know it makes low low speed manuevering pretty hard. im just curious about still being able to drift and race on a road course.


and if i were to ditch it, what would the best way to do this be? my friend said he drilled holes in the piston thats in the rack, to allow fluid to pass through. sounds about right, but i was thinking maybe it would be just as good to just connect the lines to eachother

[xsparc]

well first off, low speed anything is gonna be harder, you wont really be missing anything at speeds over 30ish.
The down side is our rack were designed to be powered. so without fluid there is be a slight draging feeling than is you had a streight R&P.
If you do decide to get rid of it, a slightly lager steering wheel will help out with the low speed stuff.

personaly, i put mine back on because i DD my s13

[fbiphil]

Drifting/ driving through twisty roads sucks without it. My rack leaked BAD when I got the car, so the PO just left it empty. Just driving around isn't so bad, but as soon as you have to whip the wheel from one direction to the other, you'll miss the power steering!
And no, I don't think I'm just a wuss- all of my Datsuns were manual steering, and it was no big deal with a steering ratio designed for manual... the S-chassis steering just feels WAY heavy without power!
Good luck whichever way you go.

[frosti108]

thanks for the input.

i suppose i should keep it then. i think im gonna need a new rack to cure the dead spots. otherwise i guess if i just clean up the rest of the system it should be fine.

ive never taken a rack out though, and never bought one either. i guess it would be easiest to do while my motors out?

or is there something i could pour in to clean it out and make it work better.... so i wouldnt have to replace it?

[projectRDM]

You can swap it easily from underneath with the engine in, just unbolt the mounts and lift it out of the crossmember. Very easy.

As far as cleaning it, what kind of fluid has it seen? If you say power steering fluid, go ahead and replace it all, you've trashed the rack, pump, and clogged the lines.

[burnsauto]

yeah i'd keep the p/s. if you need any parts, let me know...i've got a bunch of p/s parts taking up space.

[frosti108]

You can swap it easily from underneath with the engine in, just unbolt the mounts and lift it out of the crossmember. Very easy.

As far as cleaning it, what kind of fluid has it seen? If you say power steering fluid, go ahead and replace it all, you've trashed the rack, pump, and clogged the lines.


im not sure what kind of fluid its seen, i havent really messed with it since i got it, just added some generic power steering crap from a gas station probly LOL

but why do you say power steering fluid would mess up my power steering system?

lemme guess, i should be using auto trans fluid?

[clark]

You can swap it easily from underneath with the engine in, just unbolt the mounts and lift it out of the crossmember. Very easy.

As far as cleaning it, what kind of fluid has it seen? If you say power steering fluid, go ahead and replace it all, you've trashed the rack, pump, and clogged the lines.

wait wait wait, russ are you saying it's bad to put power steering fluid in our cars?

i JUST finally got my power steering installed and everything.

what do you recommend?

as far as the original poster's question. stick with the power steering. i was driving for a little without it and it's stupid. not designed to work without the pump, so keep the pump. ever since i put my ps pump back in and a new high pressure line i'm in love.

[mRclARK1]

Auto trans fluid for power steering systems. It's actually right out of Nissans owner manual.

[TheTimanator]

wait wait wait, russ are you saying it's bad to put power steering fluid in our cars?

i JUST finally got my power steering installed and everything.

what do you recommend?

as far as the original poster's question. stick with the power steering. i was driving for a little without it and it's stupid. not designed to work without the pump, so keep the pump. ever since i put my ps pump back in and a new high pressure line i'm in love.

you are susposed to use Mercon-Dexron ATF per the owners manual.

[Nuisance Crew]

Because our PS uses Dextron ATF fluid.

[frosti108]

damn i called that one haha

it makes sense though. im gonna try to flush my power steering system with ATF fluid a few times, maybe it will come back to life.


thats funny though. im sure most older nissan owners do not know to use ATF fluid and just put in regular generic power steering fluid

[projectRDM]

wait wait wait, russ are you saying it's bad to put power steering fluid in our cars?

i JUST finally got my power steering installed and everything.

what do you recommend?

as far as the original poster's question. stick with the power steering. i was driving for a little without it and it's stupid. not designed to work without the pump, so keep the pump. ever since i put my ps pump back in and a new high pressure line i'm in love.

What they all said, ATF. Do a search, I explained all the reasons why. PS fluid is like fuck in a handbag.

[LongGrain]

my pump had a leak when i first finished my swap

i HATED driving without it, parking lots and leaving from stop lights was a bitch.

glad all i had to do was tighten the big bolt and it was fixed.

[Matej]

Mine has been spraying fluid all over the bay for the past two years, I plan on getting one of these someday.
http://www.mamsparts.com/images/small2.JPG

[Forge_55b]

you might as well replace the lines with ss braided ones as well when you change everything out.....and ps fluid works GREAT to cause your ps to go to shit hehe

[91SuperS13]

I haven't read others posts, just the OP and these are my thoughts...

while its obvious low speed turning is more dificult. High speed cornering also requires more strength from the driver to maintain the desired line.

on initial turn-in at speed, the wheel moves more freely in comparison to low speed turning, however, once the load is transfered, strong-arming the wheel to maintian the degree of turn comes into play.

Keep in mind, that I experienced this when my PS lines developed a nasty cut and bled-out. I drove with no PS for about 5 months, and my high speed cornering was mostly done on highway exit ramps. But I can only imagine that on track with stickier tires this would remain true, maybe even to a higher degree

[clark]

Mine has been spraying fluid all over the bay for the past two years, I plan on getting one of these someday.
http://www.mamsparts.com/images/small2.JPG


this is exactly what i'm running. it's made by aeroquip. very high quality fittings, no leaks at all..of course i'm using thread sealer. i got it on ebay for really cheap.

[soreballz]

My experience with no p/s on my S13...

-Daily driving = not too bad. Its annoying in tight parking lots, but whatever, you get used to it.
-Tight, low speed canyon runs = sucks pretty bad. The steering wheel would rip free from my hands from time to time, which is not good when you're headed toward a wall or a cliff.
-Higher speed canyon runs = feels FANTASTIC.
-Drifting on pavement= SUCKS HARD like a Dyson Animal vacuum. Especially in the rain. Steering corrections are very difficult, and the wheel likes to jump around.
-Drifting on dirt = not too bad since the dirt makes any car feel like it has power steering. lol

[canuckster240]

just some thoughts I need help too..

I got a brand new hicas rack I am going to put when I put the car back together, I've got an s14 PS pump... I never really touched the fluid before but then I noticed some 'air' or something so I did the open the cap turn steering wheel left/right thing and filled up with steering fluid... im frickin confused now in this thread. Everyone says dont use power steering fluid wth?...

What exactly should one use then (best quality wise)... please enlighten me cause I just spent 550$ on a brand new hicas rack... i dont want to fuck it up. Any other suggestions alongside this?


And last but not least Im going to be running some 255s all around, power steering coolers how do they exactly work and where can i get them?

[JRas]

Drifting/ driving through twisty roads sucks without it. My rack leaked BAD when I got the car, so the PO just left it empty. Just driving around isn't so bad, but as soon as you have to whip the wheel from one direction to the other, you'll miss the power steering!
And no, I don't think I'm just a wuss- all of my Datsuns were manual steering, and it was no big deal with a steering ratio designed for manual... the S-chassis steering just feels WAY heavy without power!
Good luck whichever way you go.

driving with an empty reservoir will destroy your ps pump, if you want to drive without ps remove the belt from the pump.

just some thoughts I need help too..

I got a brand new hicas rack I am going to put when I put the car back together, I've got an s14 PS pump... I never really touched the fluid before but then I noticed some 'air' or something so I did the open the cap turn steering wheel left/right thing and filled up with steering fluid... im frickin confused now in this thread. Everyone says dont use power steering fluid wth?...

What exactly should one use then (best quality wise)... please enlighten me cause I just spent 550$ on a brand new hicas rack... i dont want to fuck it up. Any other suggestions alongside this?


And last but not least Im going to be running some 255s all around, power steering coolers how do they exactly work and where can i get them?

IF you want to do it right, get the ps pump rebuilt or get a new one, use ATF fluid specifically Mercon-Dexron 3.. I'd personally replace all those rubber lines with ss lines too, including the high pressure hose

suggestions? send it to me, because I'm jealous.. my ps feels like absolute shit, I'm not sure if it's just me or all 240 owners but it feels nothing like newer cars power-steering. the best way to describe it is a mix between power-steering and no power-steering? if that makes sense

edit: who also loves when you move the steering wheel the revs drop :D

[murda-c]

My power steering has a leak and i top it off every few weeks, but my i love the steering feel in my car.

Then again the other cars i drive are a taurus and a camry, so the 240 feels like driving an elise after driving those cars.

[Mangudai]

If your hearing a wailing sound(hard to explain..) coming from the pump/reservoir area when you steer does that mean you have a bad pump?

[xsparc]

not its not bad... yet. it just means it wearing out. as long as you keep fluid in it and do not use PS fluid, you should be fine.

[projectRDM]

If your hearing a wailing sound(hard to explain..) coming from the pump/reservoir area when you steer does that mean you have a bad pump?

Yes. The bearings in the pump are on the way out. Keep it filled so there's at least something to cool/lubricate it, but start looking for a new one. They run anywhere from $99-129 rebuilt.

[projectRDM]

just some thoughts I need help too..

I got a brand new hicas rack I am going to put when I put the car back together, I've got an s14 PS pump... I never really touched the fluid before but then I noticed some 'air' or something so I did the open the cap turn steering wheel left/right thing and filled up with steering fluid... im frickin confused now in this thread. Everyone says dont use power steering fluid wth?...

What exactly should one use then (best quality wise)... please enlighten me cause I just spent 550$ on a brand new hicas rack... i dont want to fuck it up. Any other suggestions alongside this?


And last but not least Im going to be running some 255s all around, power steering coolers how do they exactly work and where can i get them?

I use Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. It's expensive as shit but it's the best stuff out there. B&M makes a good fluid but it's designed with less detergents in it, I'd want to use the most additives possible to keep varnish buildup to a minimum. If you can't afford to replace all the lines, remove them and blast a shit ton of carb cleaner through all of them, keep it flushed heavily for a few minutes than blow them out with air, then allow a full 48 hours to dry. You want every drop of residue out. Same with the lines and rack.

The OE setup has a cooler, the long aluminum line that runs under the engine that's mounted to the crossmember, but a good cooler can easily be used to replace that, just run new hoses from the old outlets through a cooler.

As for the reasoning behind using ATF, run a search. I typed a long discussion on it a few years ago.

[mjhockey155]

I plan on buying a HICAS rack since my seals are bad on my non-HICAS. I messed up and put ps fluid in my current system. So what do you guys suggest to use to flush out the system. Maybe just run ATF throught it a couple of times?

[TheTimanator]

I plan on buying a HICAS rack since my seals are bad on my non-HICAS. I messed up and put ps fluid in my current system. So what do you guys suggest to use to flush out the system. Maybe just run ATF throught it a couple of times?

read the post above yours :duh:

[mjhockey155]

shit i feel like an idiot, but doesnt the fluid run through the pump? how would you clean that to make sure it is completely clean.

[Bushido]

I've been looking to overhaul my steering soon. From what i've gathered the way to go would be:

-Rebuilt Super Hicas rack (for quicker steering ratio)

-Rebuilt power steering pump and new belt

-All hoses replaced including high pressure line (can anyone recommend a kit?)

-Thermostatically controlled power steering cooler



is there anything else i'm leaving out?

[projectRDM]

I've been looking to overhaul my steering soon. From what i've gathered the way to go would be:

-Rebuilt Super Hicas rack (for quicker steering ratio)

-Rebuilt power steering pump and new belt

-All hoses replaced including high pressure line (can anyone recommend a kit?)

-Thermostatically controlled power steering cooler



is there anything else i'm leaving out?

Cooler should not be thermo controller. The OE line isn't, no need for the cooler to be. It's not like you can over cool the fluid, as soon as it's pumped and compressed it heats up, it's not like oil.

[Bushido]

word up thanks for the advice, what do you suggest i do about the lines? go custom an fittings w braided hose or buy a kit from somewhere?

[xsparc]

word up thanks for the advice, what do you suggest i do about the lines? go custom an fittings w braided hose or buy a kit from somewhere?

Its really about the same. I went and did mine custom, only saved like $20.

[projectRDM]

word up thanks for the advice, what do you suggest i do about the lines? go custom an fittings w braided hose or buy a kit from somewhere?

The only serious one is the high pressure hose, you can buy a new one OE or aftermarket or take your old hose to a hydraulic shop and have it rebuilt. The other hoses are just regular hose, low pressure, it's up to you what you want as far as looks, fitment, etc. These guys uses the AN stuff take it a bit far IMO, it may look nice but I'm more OE look and just prefer black hoses with clamps.

[The ROMAN]

Aeroquip is the way to go for the high pressure line. You can find a local retailer on their homepage and they will make you one for $30-40 that holds 4000psi.

[steve shadows]

What they all said, ATF. Do a search, I explained all the reasons why. PS fluid is like fuck in a handbag.

Especially when it overheats...mmmmmm

[frosti108]

hmm i didnt know about the hicas rack for quicker steering. very cool, but GAY since the hicas car at the junkyard was recently squashed :sadwavey:

and im sure ill never see one there again...

[frosti108]

could anyone help me out, i want to flush out all of the power steering fluid and replace it with ATF. i can honestly say ive never flushed a power steering system in my life. where is the best spot to drain from? thanks

[xsparc]

could anyone help me out, i want to flush out all of the power steering fluid and replace it with ATF. i can honestly say ive never flushed a power steering system in my life. where is the best spot to drain from? thanks

the return line from the rack, just unhookit and place it in a bucket. then havesomeone start the car and turn the wheeles back and forth while you pour ATF in.

[frosti108]

hmm. does the line go from the rack to the ressy or from the rack to the pump? and where do i unhook it from? i dont wanna get that nasty shit all over the place lol

ill have to look at it tomorrow. thanks +

[xsparc]

its the one that goes from the rack to the cooling loop then to the reservoir. disconnect it at the reservoir. good luck not spilling any :hs:

[frosti108]

if i disconnect at the ressy, wont the ATF fluid just pour right out into the engine bay if i pour it in the ressy? maybe this matters, i have a 1989, sohc ka

[xsparc]

the return line is higher on the ressy than the supply and just plug the port.

basicly what you want to do is dump everything from the return, so when you run it, it sucks all the old fluid out of the ressy and spits it out the retrun line. this is done while pouring new fluid in the ressy. you need someone to be turning the wheeles to get everything out of the rack. dont let the pump run dry.

[bejota180sx]

so if i take out all the PS fluid and put in ATF fluid everything is back to ok? or is it just a lost cause and it wont help anything (in others word ... am i to late to change out to ATF?)

[projectRDM]

so if i take out all the PS fluid and put in ATF fluid everything is back to ok? or is it just a lost cause and it wont help anything (in others word ... am i to late to change out to ATF?)

Depends on how long you've ran PS, what type, and how much damage it's done. Just like any fluid there's shitty PS fluid and good stuff, the better quality fluid won't degrade seals or bearings as fast. If you've driven for three years though with PS fluid, any kind will have already done the deed. Start replacing parts.

[bejota180sx]

been running almost 2 years now... the pump doesnt make any noise and it feels as good as when i just started using the car no difference...
ive been using prestone PSF... never had any problems no leaks no noises still feels nice and smooth... should i just leave it like it is or change to ATF?

[240cracker]

u ever tried to counter steer a fast good angle drift with no power steering... its a bitch man and i had a supppper light car and i go to the gym 6days a week. fix it and keep it. trussst me

[waterboy]

i paid $70 for a pump and $30 for new lines and im sure you can find a rack on here for cheap
if you have a sr just swap the pulleys from a ka pump
if you have a ka then its just bolt in duhh

your car was made with power steering for a reason so keep it, wtf

[hstylez]

I'll share some of my experience without PS.

My PS pump was shot when I got my SR in, so I said fuck it and took it all out. Let me start with saying I don't drift but I occasionally go to local tracks such as mid ohio for track days. On the track I really like the feel without PS. This is probably mainly due to at road racing speeds you don't have to put all your strength into turning the wheel, but I haven't been on a track with any really tight corners.

Daily driving, it really isn't bad at all unless you're in a small parking lot, at which point it can be pretty lame. All in all though it isn't really bad at all for most normal driving..