Anyone dis-connect power steering???

[korax123]

Just wondering if any of you started with power steering and dis-connected the pump what kind of gains you saw? When we get my wife a new Honda Fit I think I will disconnect the belt and see what gains are to be had.

******Disconnect on the 93 Civic not the Fit******
Sorry.

[kickflipjr]

Yeah I removed the belt two weeks ago. My AC isn't belted either (but the owner before me did that because there was a problem with the pulley).

gassaver link

[skewbe]

It looks like the fit has electric assist steering...

http://automobiles.honda.com/images/..._factsheet.pdf

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Your wife probably would have a Fit if you took the power steering out of her brand new car...

Yeah, she'd probably get so pumped, she'd even belt you. And you'd be racked with pain. You'd be totally hosed.

[Snax]

We'd never try to steer you the wrong way on this. Such action could take a turn for the worse, so watch out for your pinion.

[skewbe]

*sigh*, THERE IS NO POWER STEERING PUMP OR BELT ON THE FIT!!!

[korax123]

Originally Posted by skewbe

*sigh*, THERE IS NO POWER STEERING PUMP OR BELT ON THE FIT!!!

OOPS i typed that wrong. I meant I am going to disconnect the PS belt in the 93 Civic cause I will be driving that to and from work 4 days a week and take my saturn 1 day a week.

I re-read what i posted and it sounded like disconnecting it on the Fit lol.

[Silveredwings]

That's ok, we had fun with it.

[cfg83]

Hello -

If I were to disconnect the power steering, here is what I think I would have to do :

1 - Change my current DOHC power steering belt configuration from this :



to this SOHC configuration :



Since the engines are the same, the pulley are all in the same place, . I would have to get my hands on the belt the goes with the configuration shown above, probably from a Saturn dealer. The AC stays for the sake of other passengers.

2 - Disattach the power steering pump from the rack. I *think* I can do this because I think that the rack and pinion is the same for both cars. Leaving the pump mechanism in place would leave a ton of resistance in the steering and make it undriveable.

3 - Cross my fingers and hope my ECU/PCM doesn't get mad at me.

These Saturns were sold without power steering, and my car weighs 2400 lbs, so I think that I am fine safety-wise. I prefer the road feel of manual rack and pinion anyway.

This is a far-down-the-line project, though.

CarloSW2

[kickflipjr]

I recommend you search the forums at www.saturnfans.com I heard that you need a different idler pulley or something if you change belts.