Bypassing power steering pump

[jseabolt]

Any of you guys ever thought about removing the power steering system but keep the power rack? I've got a manual rack I could use from my 79 parts car but why swap it out and the lower half of the steering column if you don't have to?

After some discussion on another board it was noted that the gear ratios were the same between power and non power 131 racks. Unlike older American cars with worm and roller steering systems. If you remove the pump it's almost impossible to turn the steering wheel.

I discovered this by turning the wheels on my 131 without the engine running that it took no more effort to turn the wheels on my 131 than it did on my 124 Spider with worm and roller. The Yugo has a TRW rack and can be turned without an effort at all.

My only concern is does the power steering fluid act as a lubricant or is it totally independent from the lubrication system?

In other words can you just remove the plumbing and cap off the fittings and be done with it?

One idea was to connect the two ports with tubing or something to allow the rack to hold PS fluid.

The power steering system still works great although the pump does leak a bit. I just don't see any need for this system on such a small car.

My 68 Ford is a heavy car and has a manual steering system and I can drive it just fine. My grandmother drove this car until she was 80 years old! Although a bit hard to parallel park. But the gear ratio is so that is requires three full revolutions to turn the steering wheel when making a 45 degree turn!

[Thotos]

Let me start by saying "I don't really know"? so this is going to be a lot of guesswork!?

I have a Lancia Gamma Coupe (I think never sold in the USA) which as you may know had a reputation for snapping timing belts when the steering wheel was put on full lock while the engine was cold. This was because the power steering pump on a Gamma is normally driven from the back of one of the camshafts and therefore by one of the timing belts. When I was looking to buy a Gamma, I asked many experts the question: "can't I just disconnect the power steering?"  I thought one way to make sure I'll never damage my Gamma engine is to have one without power steering. They all said "NO! You won't be able to drive the car without the power steering. The car was designed with a power steering rack and you can't just remove the pump". That may be because the gearing of the Gamma is such that it doesn't allow powerless steering. Certainly when the car was towed once with the engine off I had great trouble steering it and my biceps are still greatly enlarged from that exercise!

Since you say you've tried the car with the engine off and the steering is not too heavy, I'd guess that it would be OK to just remove the power steering pump on your car. I would also guess that the fluid is used as a lubricant so make sure you leave as much as possible in the rack before capping off the connections. I don't think you'll need to jumper the connections with a tube.

Having said all that, why not be sure and fit the manual rack since you have one? It's just four bolts, the steering column coupling and track rod ends and you?re done. About an hour's work?

[jseabolt]

Having said all that, why not be sure and fit the manual rack since you have one? It's just four bolts, the steering column coupling and track rod ends and you?re done. About an hour's work?

Laziness! I've heard you have to swap out the lower half of the steering column but that's probably not a big deal either. I've got all the parts. It's just a matter of pulling them off my parts car.

I've definetly got to do something before I register the car. The automatic transmission lines use the same fluid and they are dry rotted and next to the exhaust system. So I want to change all of this just to be on the safe side.

My father and I were in his 76 Chevy pickup and one of the hoses going to the transmission cooler busted and caused a nasty engine fire. And it uses the same Dextron fluid as the P/S pump and transmission in the Brava. It's an Opel GM 180 or something. So I know how flamable that stuff is.

[jasonh131]

 :)hi there
moving the wheels is alot easyer than the steering wheel with no pump
going just you try coasting with no engine,
 i ripped all mine out of the 131 super mirafiori and replacr it with a sport rack and the bottom bit of the column (its longer with out power rack)better feeling and now its not to light.

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[kev131]

Hi Jason - "Trying for another one"

How do you fancy this one? It's in Northern Italy has done under 90000kms, claimed to be original paint, the interior is mint and all for ?4k. If someone does not buy it soon I think I'll go get it when the weather dries up a bit.

And it's your colour I think...??

[Thotos]

The paint on the wheels and front grill is certainly not original so I doubt the rest of the paint is 

But it looks absolutely lovely in the pictures and it's tempting me to paint my wheels a dark grey colour.... 

[kev131]

Nooooo....! dont paint your wheels Theo  - The supermirafiori colour scheme is much more attractive than the all grey effect - I really like the way your car looks which is in no small way contributed to by the wheels.

I know they are not original but your car is almost an institution in it's current state. Why dont you try to source another set to reburbish so that you can try it out first and then go back if you dont like it.

Dark wheels never did light my fire - It makes an aspect of the car that should be light and free wheeling seem slow and stodgy.

[Thotos]

Thanks for the encouraging comments Kev! 

The thing is that my wheels need a bit of refurbishing and doing that in a single colour is going to be easier .

I have a set of grey wheels on my silver 'parts' car



But they'll need a coat of paint too...

What I'd really like is a nice set of alloys but I can't find anything I like or that I think will suit the car... 

[simon131]

Theo, the wheels on your 'parts' car are about the only thing that I didn't put on my Racing !! There aren't too many parts left on your 'parts' car

[Thotos]

I seem to remember that the "Fiat" centre badges from the wheels on my 'parts' car ended up on your racing. Or was it your garage? I think they went in your pocket or the back of your car... But come to think of it, I have another set of wheels in my 'parts garage' 

[jasonh131]

Theo's wheels would look better on simon 131's or the cl..he's had every thing else?..
Thanks kev but i've only ever tried a left hooker once , one of Marks spiders
and kept trying to rip the window winder off..

[jseabolt]

:)hi there
moving the wheels is alot easyer than the steering wheel with no pump
going just you try coasting with no engine,
 i ripped all mine out of the 131 super mirafiori and replacr it with a sport rack and the bottom bit of the column (its longer with out power rack)better feeling and now its not to light.

I meant turning the steering wheel not the road wheels. With the engine not running and the wheels on the ground.

[mclements131]

not sure will ask my brother in law was at fiat main s  dealer  many moons ago cheers

[mclements131]

hiya mate
sorry   for  late  replies my brother said u need  to  decideone or other pas.. only with pump as ratios'''s are diff but manyual rack better  cos more feelin cheers all best mate martin    gotta can..     keep same subframe. cheers martin