Question for you guys that have removed power steering

[Christ]

I'm not sure about that... as far as finding a manual rack, you're most likely SOL.

Your Olds is 4000 lbs? I find that hard to believe, b/c my Minivan in full trim only weighs ~3500#...

My apologies if you weigh like 1/4 ton or so.

[IsaacCarlson]

feels like a sprung tank...

[orange4boy]

Christ,

If you wanted to mod it so that you don't have to have the PS pump running all the time, you can use a clutched pulley that only activates when powered, like the pulley on an A/C pump. This comes with it's own obvious problems, though.

What are those problems? My grasp of the obvious is not that great.

[Christ]

Switching, most notably. When/how to switch it on and off.

Other problems would include, but not be limited to:

When the power steering comes on, it's an instant thing, so you go from bull-head steering to "friendly little fairy" steering, and could over steer very easily.

Convincing those who don't know better to leave the damn switch alone.

Remembering to turn it off, so that you didn't just waste all that work for nothing.

Designing the more complex parts of the system, like if you wanted variable pump speed based on load, or switching the pump automatically when the steering reaches a certain point and the MPH is below X, etc.

To relate the setup to something else some of us are familiar with, the most basic way to do it would be like 1-wire Vtec swaps in Civics. While it's great for saying you've got "Vtec, y0!", it's pretty much worthless for real-world circumstances. It just needs a control system more accurate than "Oh crap! I better hit meh VeeTek switch so'z I ken beet diz foo!"

[Frank Lee]

It's all pure speculation right?

[RH77]

The switch could be a simple key switch by which the driver holds the key to deactivate. Plus, who hasn't EOC'd and re-started in a corner It gets lighter -- I guess, just adjust as necessary (of course do not attempt unless thoroughly practiced).

So, I'm not clear on the belt removal problem...

I have an ideal situation where there's no serpentine involved and the one belt for the PS is the outer-most pulley set. In the rare event that my Wife drives the car, I can pop the belt back on.

Is it possible to just remove the belt and run with it?

RH77

[Frank Lee]

Yes. I've done it.

This a/c clutch thing pops up from time to time as a "solution". I've never seen one anywhere besides an a/c compressor though.

Oh wait- maybe Mad Max' blower.

[Christ]

On cars which normally use a separate belt, it's easy as pie... on both of my (currently running) vehicles, not so much. I'd have to source out another belt to bypass the PS pump.

Yes, you can just remove the belt, it won't hurt anything. It would be like driving a hydraulic cylinder with no fluid pump, just doing the work of moving the cylinder in and out with your arms, working against the fluid. (In the 'Teg, Rick, it's easy... no real work involved, and I'd wager to say that if you told your wife there was a problem w/ the PS, and let her drive it that way, she'd quickly get used to it, unless she's Tinkerbell.)

The hardest part, obviously, is turning while stopped/moving VERY slowly.

[Christ]

To be fair, Frank, lots of people suggest lots of things that you and I have never seen done, or heard of, for that matter.

I don't think this necessarily means that it's not a good idea, I think it just means that it hasn't appealed to the right person yet.

I'm sure Computer technology was a "I've never seen it" in someone's mind, way back before they were actually being produced... and look, now.

Same with the Internet, before D.A.R.P.A. (A.R.P.A. for the more anal among us.)

[orange4boy]

I've been beltless on my 3500lb Previa for almost a year now. The only time it's a bit tough is at a standstill. If you are even creeping along it's just tougher than with power. At speed it's just a tiny bit harder than with power. Every vehicle is different though. I just tried to turn my mother-in-law's little Honda Fit stopped with the engine off and boy was that tough! (tire pressure was low though.)

I like the idea of an on- demand clutched pump but setting it up is beyond me and a total unknown. If, by chance, the shafts on the A/C and P/S pumps are the same that may be a simple swap but I'm not holding my breath.

I do know of EVs with electric A/C but most swap to a manual rack or choose a donor to avoid all this complexity. There may be someone who has done it. You could check the EV forums. It's probably not worth the FE to do all that work.

If I could set something like this up I would probably use it for parking only since in my van under speed it's easy to steer.