# [EVDL] Disconnect power steering - what to watch out for



## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Some bad experience and head-scratching so I will share this to
save others the same experience:

I have been puzzled by the behavior of my power steering unit.
You may remember that I disconnected the belt driving the pump
from the motor tail shaft, because the pump was overheating
and robbing power from my drive motor.
The steering is much harder, but I can live with that.
However, I was noticing that the cap on the power steering
oil reservoir had dislodged itself and though that maybe
the previous owner had messed up after a refill and I
re-seated it.
Then yesterday I picked up an item and had to make a
3-point turn in a narrow space, so I did as I was taught
and drove slow, steered hard. No problem to make the turn
and I drove home.
At home I wanted to check on some things, such as the
transmission oil level and opened the hood.
Great was my surprise when I found the power steering
fluid reservoir cap again unseated (that must take quite
some force as it has a clamp on each side and the clamp
had been pulled over the locking thread and sitting loose
on one side, with fluid spilled out and drops of it on
the battery nearest the reservoir.
Now I also understand what had given me the fluid leak
that I thought was a leaking transmission, but which is
in fact the power steering pump forcing the fluid back into
the container with such force that it breaks loose the cap
and spits out the power steering fluid.

I will see if I can remove the entire power steering pump
and connect the two hoses directly to each other to avoid this,
probably will visit pick-n-pull to get another set of the two 
fluid lines so I can cut them and connect with a hose, because
the original lines have different size fittings that are not
easy to connect together. I like to keep the original set
in case I want to build everything back to the original
power steering setup.

So, you know what can happen if you just lose the belt
without modifying the power steering pump.
Oddly enough, I do not recall that my S10 had this problem
when I disconnected the cable that powered the motor that
drove the pump on that truck. Since that was a very heavy 
load on the 12V system and with a dead DC/DC and dying
aux battery, I had to "lighten the load" but never ran
into a spitting steering pump. Maybe it had an internal
relief valve?

Cor van de Water
Chief Scientist
Proxim Wireless Corporation http://www.proxim.com
Email: [email protected] Private: http://www.cvandewater.com
Skype: cor_van_de_water XoIP: +31877841130
Tel: +1 408 383 7626 Tel: +91 (040)23117400 x203 

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## EVDL List (Jul 27, 2007)

Hello Cor,

Power steering pumps have a High pressure side and a Low pressure side. The 
high pressure hose from the pump normally goes to the power steering rack 
and comes out at a lower pressure back to the power steering pump.

The power steering rack has a reduce diameter fittings that in the low 
pressure return fitting that is much smaller than the normal fitting size 
which can be as small as 0.05 inch diameter for the very high pressure power 
steering pumps that the psi can get up to 2500 psi to a 0.1 inch diameter 
for 800 to 1000 psi which my steering system has.

Got rid of all the belt driven power steering and vacuum pump for the power 
brakes. Use a electric power steering pump that I got from CAN EV or is 
that EV CAN. This unit runs both the power steering and a hydraulic power 
brake unit that is call a hydro-boost brake. There are may web sites that 
shows how to convert the vacuum boost to hydro boost using a power steering 
pump.

Roland


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cor van de Water" <[email protected]>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 3:08 PM
Subject: [EVDL] Disconnect power steering - what to watch out for


> Some bad experience and head-scratching so I will share this to
> save others the same experience:
>
> I have been puzzled by the behavior of my power steering unit.
> You may remember that I disconnected the belt driving the pump
> from the motor tail shaft, because the pump was overheating
> and robbing power from my drive motor.
> The steering is much harder, but I can live with that.
> However, I was noticing that the cap on the power steering
> oil reservoir had dislodged itself and though that maybe
> the previous owner had messed up after a refill and I
> re-seated it.
> Then yesterday I picked up an item and had to make a
> 3-point turn in a narrow space, so I did as I was taught
> and drove slow, steered hard. No problem to make the turn
> and I drove home.
> At home I wanted to check on some things, such as the
> transmission oil level and opened the hood.
> Great was my surprise when I found the power steering
> fluid reservoir cap again unseated (that must take quite
> some force as it has a clamp on each side and the clamp
> had been pulled over the locking thread and sitting loose
> on one side, with fluid spilled out and drops of it on
> the battery nearest the reservoir.
> Now I also understand what had given me the fluid leak
> that I thought was a leaking transmission, but which is
> in fact the power steering pump forcing the fluid back into
> the container with such force that it breaks loose the cap
> and spits out the power steering fluid.
>
> I will see if I can remove the entire power steering pump
> and connect the two hoses directly to each other to avoid this,
> probably will visit pick-n-pull to get another set of the two
> fluid lines so I can cut them and connect with a hose, because
> the original lines have different size fittings that are not
> easy to connect together. I like to keep the original set
> in case I want to build everything back to the original
> power steering setup.
>
> So, you know what can happen if you just lose the belt
> without modifying the power steering pump.
> Oddly enough, I do not recall that my S10 had this problem
> when I disconnected the cable that powered the motor that
> drove the pump on that truck. Since that was a very heavy
> load on the 12V system and with a dead DC/DC and dying
> aux battery, I had to "lighten the load" but never ran
> into a spitting steering pump. Maybe it had an internal
> relief valve?
>
> Cor van de Water
> Chief Scientist
> Proxim Wireless Corporation http://www.proxim.com
> Email: [email protected] Private: http://www.cvandewater.com
> Skype: cor_van_de_water XoIP: +31877841130
> Tel: +1 408 383 7626 Tel: +91 (040)23117400 x203
>
> _______________________________________________
> | Moratorium on drag racing discussion is in effect.
> | Please take those discussions elsewhere. Thanks.
> |
> | REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
> | Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
> | UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
> | OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
> | CONFIGURE: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev
> 

_______________________________________________
| Moratorium on drag racing discussion is in effect.
| Please take those discussions elsewhere. Thanks.
|
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
| UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
| OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
| CONFIGURE: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev


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