Manual Steering Conversion

[AeroModder]

Well, the power steering pump went up in smoke on me today. Locked up the pulley and everything. I had to cut off a brand-new serpentine belt just to make it home.

I got another PS pump, but then I found out that because of the pressure it produces, you can't just fill it with fluid and plug off the lines. I don't have the tools to replace it myself, and shops I talked to all say you can't just gut it out and run it.

I'll have to rent a car until I can figure out what to do, and get someone to do the work I want.

UPDATE: I'll be installing an alternator and mount from the 3rd generation Tempos, which has an alt that uses the serpentine belt. I'm considerig deleting the AC compressor, but it spins quite easilly, so I might leave it for this summer when I have to go to California in July. I found a shop that'll do the work I want done (delete the PS pump without telling me I need to go back to power steering).

My rental car until I get the Tempo fixed is a 2008 Chevy Aveo. Not bad, but the drive-by-wire is crap. Response is very laggy, and pedal feel is nonexistant. Give me a throttle cable any day. Not a car I'd buy. Hopefully I'll be back in the Tempo in a few days. I have the rental for a week, if needed.

[AeroModder]

Just to update this a bit, the conversion+AC delete is completed and it's running quite well. The new belt is squeaking a bit from rubbing on the sides of the pulley, but it's not a real problem, just an annoyance.

I've noticed there's a LOT more power on the low end now, especially at idle. I can put it in D and it'll get up to 15 without me touching the gas. This also really helps for some in-town P&G since I can coast with it nearly holding the speed without touching the throttle. If I bring it up to 30, it'll take a quarter mile for it to slow to 25.

My first tank after the conversion only showed 22 MPG, but that was with a LOT of short trips and hauling stuff around. There was also some heavy winds and rain for one 20 mile trip, and hauling a dresser in the trunk for another 20 miles (that made the trunk edge stick up a touch higher than the roof of the cabin, so there was definitely a lot of extra drag). We'll see how this tank goes. I also put the Fram paper filter back in, since that seemed to do really good last time, especially in the warm air on the freeway, getting me a 26 MPG tank.

I'll have some pictures of the conversion up later, probably tomorrow.

[MetroMPG]

Added to the Project Library.

(PS: the driving technique you describe isn't really "pulse & glide", which always involves gliding in neutral - either engine off or on. Pulse and bleed, maybe.)

[AeroModder]

Yeah, it's probably more along the lines of Pulse and Coast, but either way, my foot can be off the pedal more than it's on!

I found out that the bigger pulley I just installed brings the belt slightly closer to the alternator (and straightens out the offset), but now it's rubbing up against the alternator mount, which is why I keep hearing the belt squeal. I'll be grinding it down some this weekend and it'll FINALLY be finished!


Alternator, power steering pump, AC compressor, and mount removed:



Alternator mounted, no belt:





The reduction in belt length (to just a hair below 40")




With the belt on, not trimmed:






With the trimmed belt, before new pulley:









With the new pulley:








Clearance issues:



(Where I need to grind off some of the alternator mount)