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Old 10-28-2008, 01:58 PM   #1 (permalink)
bennelson
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
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Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
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S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
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Power Steering delete for fuel economy gain - anyone done it?

I already have removed my belt-driven radiator fan in my '95 Chevy S10 4 cylinder. It doesn't have air-conditioning, and I am not ready to detach my alternator (yet.)

Has anyone done a power-steering removal on a car?

I would imagine the power steering pump drags on the belt as much a air conditioning does.

Power steering is totally NOT needed MOST of the time while driving.

Does anyone have experience with disconnecting the power steering, replacing it with an electric power steering pump, or something similar.

I don't think I want to attempt to switch out for a manual steering rack. I don't even know if there are any out there or not, but that sounds like a lot of work.

Is there a way to simply reduce drag from the pump? That way, I can keep the same belt (instead of needing a shorter one.)

I also think the power steering pump has to be there for the belt to keep running the water pump as well.

On my radiator fan, I left the pulley, I simply removed the fan blade from it. I don't think I can do the same thing on the power steering pump.

Any thoughts on this?

I have seen on this forum references to power steering removal, but not a vehicle somebody has done it on yet!

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