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Old 01-06-2015, 03:46 AM   #44 (permalink)
Astro
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Australia
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I managed to get the power steering pump plumbed in.
It works great, unfortunately it is also quite loud.
Can only just be heard in the quiet cabin but outside the car it is rather noisy.
Sounds the same as the one in this video.

It will do for now but i may try a different model of pump later to see if there is a quieter version. The one i used came out of a Holden Astra. Looks the same as the one in the video.
I will have to look at more wrecking yards to see if i can locate a MR2 to see if their pumps are any quieter.
It isn't noisy in the cabin and so it may be just noisy outside with the bonnet up, will check that.
I may also be able to reduce it's volume by adding a pulsed signal rather than permanent 12v. The electrical connections to the pump are via two large gauge cables for 12V and ground and then 3 smaller gauge wires. One for diagnostic which isn't used in this application. One supplying 12v to the smarts of the pump and another input which varies the pump speed. Not sure if it is duty cycle or pulse rate that is used to vary the pump speed. In most descriptions i have seen this pulsed input is just given permanent 12v as well and the pump runs at full speed.
After a few seconds at full speed the pump throttles back to maybe 80% of full speed.
I assume this is because it is at full pressure.
As soon as the steering wheel moves it goes back to 100% of full speed again.
Stop moving the steering and after a few seconds it drops back to 80% or so.

Hopefully i can add a PWM or pulsed voltage to this input to reduce the pump to a much lower RPM. Without the motor in the front the steering seems super light.
Once the motor and controller are installed it may not be so light.

After dinner i will go and confirm the wire colours and what each function is so that there is a reference for anybody else who wants to use this pump in their conversion.
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