tranforming to non pas

[Naz]

Hi

I am thinking about ditching my PAS and going to manual steering.
Any ideas if its possible by jst replacing the steering coulmn or not?!!

Any ideas as what car would have the same steering as a clibra but non PAS?!!

The reason i am doing it, is cos its gonna release a bit of extra power to me and since the car is gonna be racing, i won't need to do any tight turning and ...


Cheers

[j4mes]

didnt some MK3 cavs come without PAS

[Naz]

even the 2lt ones? I thought it was only up to 1800 that had no PAS mainly?!!

[j4mes]

Think all the 2ltr ones did. but won't a 1.8 one be the same style??

[MickM]

Wow... running without PAS on a Calibra...? I tried driving one once without PAS fluid for only a few hundred yards and it was very, very heavy. I wouldn't have thought it would be too difficult to convert it to an entirely manual system with a less heavy steering gearing. No idea what you'd use though..

[Naz]

Mick, it will be heavy but once you have started to move then its ok. You get more feedback from the road as well if you use a manual steering. As i said since i am gonna be racing, really its better for me to have manual as i need as much space under the hood as possible.

Will have a lok at the scrappies this week to see if i can compare a turbo one and a non pas one and see if they are diff,

My main worry is that:
1) it won't fit properly into the steering shaft
2) the track rod arms won't fit in properly

Cheers

[Dan Willis]

I ran without power steering for a while - it wasn't much fun fighting the fluid!

The bulkhead flexed a bit too much for my liking too - so be careful there.

[Naz]

How do you mean Will, bulkhead flexed too much?!! by runnig no PAS?!!
In the std setup with PAS, when you run it without, you still have to push the fluid inside the steering and the whole system to left and right when you turn it. But if you use a column thats not a PAS column, then you don't have that problem. Most of the problem then comes from how big your wheels are and ...

I think i may try a std column in there before putting the engine back in and see how it feels. If its too hard then i stick with the PAS, otherwise probably go for the non PAS.

[ealex]

hmm... the vectra 1.6 didnt have power steering, atleast one i knew didnt. funny thing is, that on 185 tires, it was rather heavy to park.
im interested in this mod, especially cus my steering rack is a bit worn.
will you also use it on the street? everyday use?
what about racing? you want agility or just quarter mile ?
cus i bet the power steering version will be far more performant on bends, even with the power used by the pas pump.
let me know how it goes. but im really sure the vectra rack should fit right away. i have this book thats similar to haynes, only german, on calibra-vectra, and they say its the same. if i have the time ill check it later to be 100% sure

[Dan Willis]

All I meant, is that with a stock rack and no PAS the bulkhead will physically flex - and eventually will probably break.

I imagine a quick rack would be fine?

[sofaman]

the two MK3 1.8l cav's I had both had power steering. I think the early one's had a manual rack.
As for bulkhead flexing. Get someone to turn the wheel with the engine off. While you watch the bulkhead. My cav's both flexed when moving them.

Good Luck

[ealex]

so how do you reinforce the bulkhead? Any way of welding some bars or anything?

[Rusty_CallyT]

seems a lot of work for little gain IMO

[Monkey]

If you had the manual rack it wouldn't be as heavy as a a PAS rack that doesn't work as you wont be trying to steer against the fluid that was in the rack.

[Dan Willis]

^ That was my point further up - fighting the fluid is a bad idea. [img]/smile.gif[/img]