As the title hints, I think I will pursue installing one of these critters into my Dakota. I have a 2001-2005 Toyota MR2 power steering pump module (a combined electric motor, pump, reservoir, and controller), and I found these nice instructions over
here at DIYElectricCar.com.
I should be able to re-install the stock crank pulley (I swapped it with an underdrive pulley a few weeks ago and saw a whopping 1% improvement in FE), and once I do that, I should be able to get a shorter serpentine belt that would bypass the factory power steering pump altogether.
I am looking to get more than a 1% FE improvement. Specifically, I am looking at a target of around 3%, which would raise my average FE from around 20 MPG right now, to around 20.5 MPG. Not much, to be sure, but I already have most of the needed equipment floating around already in my garage - 60 amp rated relay, 4-gauge fuse holder, 4-gauge wires, electrical connectors of all sorts (crimp+solder and Weatherpak) 18-gauge wires, power steering return line, factory service manual, and (of course) the pump unit itself. I just need a pressure hose with a 16mm x 1.5 inverted flare fitting on one end and a 18mm x 1.5 o-ring fitting on the other end, a custom-made mounting bracket (and a mounting point), and a shorter (~82 inch) serpentine belt.
The big challenge I am seeing right now is where to install this thing. It's not very small, and of course the engine bay is a little crowded.
Not quite my engine bay, but similar enough so that you can see what I'm dealing with.