Easy way to replicate no power steering

[crobaa]

Hi guys, I'm wanting to remove the power steering from my b18c7 but before I do so I want to check exactly how much hard it's going to be to turn the wheel so I'd like to know a way of easily/temporarily disconnect power steering to replicate if it was not even there. Can I just disconnect the belt or will this do some damage?

[DC2-PWR]

Hi guys, I'm wanting to remove the power steering from my b18c7 but before I do so I want to check exactly how much hard it's going to be to turn the wheel so I'd like to know a way of easily/temporarily disconnect power steering to replicate if it was not even there. Can I just disconnect the belt or will this do some damage?

Take the belt off,

I reckon it feels great without power steering while driving, theres that increase in feel

[DC2-PWR]

Found this on another site


LEVEL ONE
1) Remove Power Steering Belt

LEVEL TWO
1) Remove Power Steering Belt
2) Remove fill bottle
3) Remove all bay lines back to hard lines at the rack
4) Loop those lines into each other

LEVEL THREE
1) Remove Power Steering Belt
2) Remove fill bottle
3) Remove all bay lines back to hard lines at the rack
4) Loop those lines into each other

Disable power steering (http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1228904)

[ekcoupe]

Some good info here - click here (http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?138288-Before-I-remove-my-power-steering..)

[crobaa]

Does removing the belt make it exactly the same as no power steering? I dont totally understand step 4, loop lines into each other, the lines from the rack? Join the ends together?

[crobaa]

I just went out to check the car now, there's one line from the pump to the bottle, and one from the pump to the rack, can I just disconnect everything and put a cover on the hose entry point on the rack? To remove it entirely I mean, above post relates to temp

[trism]

Power steering racks are different to non power steer racks.

A non power steer rack has different gearing in it so it doesn't feel like you're trying to turn a truck. Simply taking the belt off wont replicate a proper non power steer rack.

If you're serious on doing it, try to track down a non power steer rack and fit it in. It'll result in better wheel feedback, and eaisier to turn at lower speeds.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[crobaa]

Does anybody know if there's such a thing for an eg? Car has a b18 too not sure if there are any clearance issues

[e240]

What Trism said - taing the belt off doesn't actually replicate no power steering, it replicate a failed power steering.

Let me explain.
In a non power steering rack, you're not having to try and force hydraulic fluid around the system. In a Power Steering rack with the belt off, you're actually trying to force hydraulic fluid around the system. Taking the belt off or fuse for the matter makes the steering alot harder to steer than having no power steering.

The proper way is to either get a non power steering rack, or modify your current steering rack

[crobaa]

Ok so without a pump pumping fluid around the rack it wont work properly? Anybody know of a non ps rack for eg civic

[babiiiiiiiiiii]

i personally had driven a highly modify typer without ps, thats not too hard to control at all but is a pain when come down to park the car tho, U need muscle!!!!!!!!!!

[jeremydawg]

i love no ps. my old car had no ps and it felt like i was in more control. I actually think ps is more fun to drive

You definitely cant do gangsta palm turning with no ps though

[crobaa]

Jeremy your car is a eg right? Factory no power steering?

[jeremydawg]

yeah its an eg4. Came with ps. my old car had no ps :)

[string]

Jack the front wheels up off the ground and turn the steering wheel. You are now feeling how difficult it is to force hydraulic fluid through the valves -- it's not very hard!!!!.

I've tried every combination in my teg. The only time there was "alot" (http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html) of a difference was when removing the belt. Removing fluid made no noticable change. Removing the valves from inside the rack made no noticable change.

A manual rack doesn't need to be more turns lock to lock, and from a fun and sporty perspective, I can't imagine a reason why you'd ever want such a thing. Once you remove the valves and fluid, only the piston seal stands in your way of having a truly manual rack.

[crobaa]

Are you saying disconnecting everything and removing certain internals from the rack is basically the same as a manual rack? I was under the impression a manual rack had a better turn ratio and is more direct? (possibly lighter too)

[crobaa]

yeah its an eg4. Came with ps. my old car had no ps :)

What's your old car? I'm still trying to determine if there's a no ps rack for eg's

[jeremydawg]

my old car was an old skool rolla ke70.
im not sure either lol.

[string]

Are you saying disconnecting everything and removing certain internals from the rack is basically the same as a manual rack? I was under the impression a manual rack had a better turn ratio and is more direct? (possibly lighter too)

The ratio of the rack is independent of whether or not there is power assistance. Whilst OEM manual racks are generally more turns lock to lock for a lighter steering feel, I don't think any enthusiast would agree that a longer steering ratio is "better".

[crobaa]

What do you define as longer? Less direct?

[string]

Longer meaning more turns lock to lock. You have to turn the steering wheel more for the same hub/rim/tyre angle. Good if you want lighter steering, bad if you want a fun drive.

I don't know what "direct" means to you.

[crobaa]

Isn't a manual rack shorter then? Heavier but more fun and precise?

[string]

A manual rack simply has no power assistance. It is not necessarily shorter or more fun, but will certainly be heavier.

[trism]

However, a lot of manual racks do have shorter gearing to try and reduce the Torque needed to turn the wheel. this results in more turns lock to lock.

not only this, many will have different length rack ends/tie rod ends for different turning circles.

[Hasbeen]

In the 60s I did quite a bit of suspension tuning for people racing clubman type sports cars, & small rear engined open wheelers, Formula Junior & Formula 2s.

Many of these had a locally built rack with just one turn lock to lock. This may be OK for city driving & the tight hill climbs of that day, but was lousy for high speed control, which requires very small road wheel inputs to be effective. In every instance where these owners took my advice, & fitted a slower rack, their times came down.

I used the corner into the main straight at Oran Park as a perfect example of rack speed.

If it required fully crossed arms, your rack is too slow.

If it required less than your left hand moving from 9 o'clock to about 1.30 it was too fast.

My S2000 steering is a bit too fast to be nice in a long race at Bathurst for example.
It would be fine down the esses, but would require too much concentration across the top to be suitable for more than a short race. It is too hard, requiring too much concentration, putting fine corrections on, in a 120MPH drift, if it requires less than 2 or 3 degrees of steering wheel movement.