1 month to aeromod

[Weather Spotter]

tell me where the lines are from and where on the rack they are. I might have an idea.

[Execut1ve]

I can see the low pressure return line coming out the back of the rack near where the steering shaft enters... then on the passenger side of the steering shaft near where it enters the rack there are 2 small lines going in/out right next to each other. I know from a pic of the rack there's another line that comes off on the passenger end of the rack which I cannot see while it's installed in the car. I can't follow the high pressure line from the pump all the way back because it disappears behind some bracketry and I can't get my fat head stuck down there to look

[Weather Spotter]

I think but am not 100% sure, that the third line is from the PS fluid fill/ overflow container.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Execut1ve

I can see the low pressure return line coming out the back of the rack near where the steering shaft enters... then on the passenger side of the steering shaft near where it enters the rack there are 2 small lines going in/out right next to each other. I know from a pic of the rack there's another line that comes off on the passenger end of the rack which I cannot see while it's installed in the car. I can't follow the high pressure line from the pump all the way back because it disappears behind some bracketry and I can't get my fat head stuck down there to look

Even though you have an '00 Civic and the manual I posted is for the 96-98, both your car and the 96-98s are "6th Generation." Perhaps not very much about the steering changed? The manual is over 1400 pages and so much better than the aftermarket Haynes and Chilton stuff. I posted a link to a free, excellent, PDF here: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post238559

Try and see... it might answer your questions.

[JethroBodine]

Where time is getting short, why not just pull the belt and drive it around as-is to see what happens before you go through a lot of work that may have to be reversed after the trip to keep The Mrs. happy? I pulled the belt off my Jetta and drive it, but I am a lot stonger than a lot of people and do admit it is a bit stiff under 5mph. Something I have been wondering, as you turn with the hydraulic lines plugged off, would it also work against the steering?

[Execut1ve]

I have already removed the PS belt, I generally don't have trouble although I have to 2-hand it in parking lots.

Weather spotter, the low pressure return line goes from the rack to the reservoir and from the reservoir to the pump

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Execut1ve

I have already removed the PS belt, I generally don't have trouble although I have to 2-hand it in parking lots.

Weather spotter, the low pressure return line goes from the rack to the reservoir and from the reservoir to the pump

For what it's worth, this is my experience and I have no pressure in the open and drained lines. If you have driven an old VW or the like, they were always tougher in parking lots or during parallel parking. I don't mind, personally. Your main benefit to removing the hardware now is to get about 20lbs of steel off the weight of the car, I think. I agree with JethroBodine: given your time constraints and the possibility that you'll want to reverse it later, maybe stay at this stage for a while to give you flexibility later and to give you more time for any other projects you hope to do before your trip?

[Execut1ve]

I have heard that bypassing the pump as discussed above can cut the steering effort at low speeds in half... if that is so then I won't want to go back

[Execut1ve]

I have abandoned the power to manual conversion, for the time being... the lines I need to tie together are in a virtually impossible place, I need a 12mm wrench (which I don't have), and there are two sets of lines to be tied together, not 1 I'll come back to this once I have some more information about how to get back to those lines and that 12mm wrench