# Removing steering gear



## timthefinn (Mar 29, 2017)

3-13-19: This joint flummoxed me for a couple days. This is the connection between the steering column and the steering gear. I'd removed the pinch bolt, but it still resisted heavily. I ended up using a pickle fork with open end wrenches as shims to get it apart. Not looking forward to reassembling it later. I'll probably set up to use a gear puller to squeeze them together.










Steering gear is out. Just another part that needs to come out to get the engine out. For the conversion, I can't use the power steering pump from the car since it relies on the engine always running. People have used electric hydraulic pumps from an MR2 or similar to run the hydraulics, but the amperage needs are pretty high. I'm intending to install a electric steering booster which are used in electric and hybrid cars and just loop the pressure supply and return ports in a loop back to itself. Just turning the steering gear with no power with the wheels off the ground was super easy, so the hydraulics in the steering gear shouldn't be a hinderence. The reason you need the boost is that the steering ratio is pretty tight. 2.7 turns lock to lock. A Z3 steering rack is sought after by BMW racers due to its low number of turns and linear application in the middle (other BMW steering gears apparently have slower steering in the middle for straight line ease of driving.)


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