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MD, what are you saying there, you had the entire proper ps setup with only the belt disconnected ??? I don't think that's what you mean, Arnold wouldn't try that! Was the system properly topped up with fluid?? Probably not.
Has anyone taken a ps box apart? What must be removed to make it manual? I just want a little preview as I'll find out all about this when a buddy brings me his spare ps box. Like I said before, I assume all it needs is a grease packing and that's it, unless there are internal valves or seals to be removed. Can't wait to take the 75Turbo to the track after gearbox/LSD repair and this steering mod. The engine is half dead but it does ~0.9bar (chipped) for some excitement.
Jim K.

i have ex PS rack that worked fine when converted to manual ...
but you need to leave by pass tube on the rack ! mine is filled with heavy pressure sliding moly grease(CV grease actualy) and works fine

Has anyone taken a ps box apart? What must be removed to make it manual? I just want a little preview as I'll find out all about this when a buddy brings me his spare ps box.

Jim,

I've done this conversion with the steering box of the ring TS.
Can't find any pictures of it , will try to take some pics of it in my car tomorrow.

It is pretty straight forward.
Pull all connections off. Let the fluid out. Put a nice amount of grease (0.1l) in and make sure you grease the teeth of the rack rail (good word???) very well. I also use CV joint grease. When you move the rack rail you feel where the cylinder pushes air out (different outlet for left and right movement). Make a balance tube between those two chambers and thats it!

Works very well. Only hard to park the car after the conversion. Another reason to give the front some more camber

Jim,

Apologies for the delay.
Geez it's been a long while since that project was finished and the best I can recollect of it was that I rigged up a supply and return circuit from the reservoir to the rack and ran the conventional fluid in it. The pump and pressure lines were connected some time later.

I would think this is the preferred option as you wont need to decontaminate the system from any grease if you want to revert ot power assist.

The pics show (not well) the final install on the Sportiva

Maybe Greg should chime in...he's got a short reference to it halfway down this page:

http://www.hiperformancestore.com/SuperVerde.htm

Jim,

How do you like the turbo compared to the V6 cars for track duty? How's the lag?

Thanks for the input guys!
Grant, I have put both cars on the track at the same time, both with semi-slick tires and the same gearbox. I could easily outrun the Turbo with the V6 (even with the 150kg/330lbs higher weight). However, the Turbo has a crappy, tired std motor (with only a 0.9bar chip) and a snail badly in need of rebuild-hence the pronounced lag. At the time, it also had the std torsion bars! It now has 27.3mm torsion bars and with a few repairs (gearbox+LSD) will be at the track again in a few days, against the V6. Chassis-wise its comparable to the V6, with the command ship having a slight edge with the RSR setup, while the 1.8 has 29mm front sway, hard rear springs, all poly and Bilsteins. I think that the Turbo will definitely outrun the V6 now, helped by the most recently installed Sparcos and removal of ~12kg of undercarpet junk; the weight difference is increasing (now ~180kg/395lbs). I am very curious of this comparison; if the 1.8 shows an edge, the V6 will lose the RSR set...then, its a one-way road for the Turbo, losing more and more of the street features...which brings me to the question: someone give me a source (in Europe) for inexpensive plastic body parts (hood, EVO nose, fenders, trunk lid and doors). I tried a guy in the UK whose parts were pictured here about 6 months ago but got no reply. Engine and exhaust stuff I'll do myself, those being the easy parts. I'm looking at ~8.5CR, stock pistons, aftermarket ecu etc..
We'll shortly see.
Jim K.

Dad and I just did this with the rack for my 75. To separate the 2 rack parts(tube and housing) initially you need to make a C-spanner with two prongs to undo the nut that holds the 2 parts together. Either this or bash it around with a punch and hammer When you separate the main tube out of the alumunium pinion housing, there is another small tube inside. This is the internal seal that separates the two sides of the rack. There is a star shaped washer that we put back to keep the length correct. If you take this sealing tube out, I don't see the need to run any balance lines except the ones that commuinicate air between the rack boots. This is because internally the rack is not separated into halves anymore.

What we also did was weld up the fork. This can be seen in the picture. The non-parallel sided fork blades allow about 5degrees rotation is the slot opposed by the torsion bar which can also be seen. This rotation opens and closes the ports that send fluid to the appropriate side of the rack.

Haven't put it in the car yet so can't comment on how it feels. Welding up the fork blades should eliminate all of the hesitation MD is talking about.

Scott

I was to lazy to pull the sealing tube.

The pic's I promised, a bit difficult to see how it is done


hmmm got make the leaking crank seal at the front side

Inspired by this thread I converted my 3.0 milano over to manual steering this weekend. The results...steers a bit like a truck at low speed but thats with the 205 15 track tires. Hopefully street tires will be easier. I liked the idea of eliminating the spool valve play but instead of welding the fork I just reassembled it with red locktite. Should be locked permanently.

-Tom P.

Fitted power steer to my GTV6 on the weekend again...

...swapped out 350mm wheel for a 380mm wheel (return to the std diam). its almost like power steer

Difference is amazing. Unfortunately my 380mm wheel is a crappy old Momo with cracked and crazed leather, whereas my 350mm is a beautiful Momo in tip top condition...hmm, style or performance?

Have swapped back and forth a few times over past months and think the car is better to DRIVE with the bigger wheel (whaddoyaknow, Alfa had it right - they just fitted the damn thing too far away!)

The only aftermarket wheel in that size I can find is a Sparco suede wheel (do I really want to drive round in gloves?). Recovering is an option, it is expensive and the results are variable.

If anybody has a lead on a 380mm wheel that will bolt up to a Momo/Sparco hub, please post it up here.

cheers
J

Jason,Ive fitted my very old Momo from an old 308 gtb I had to my car..Made in 1979..
I rejuvenated it with a product called "neatsfoot oil".Its used in equestrian circles to protect the saddles and other leather goods..
Ive done the interior of my BMW as well and the results after a few applications is tremendous.
Obviously it does not close the cracks in the leather up,but it hydrates the leather and its all soft and -do I say this?-squishy again..

Barry wrote:Jason,Ive fitted my very old Momo from an old 308 gtb I had to my car..Made in 1979..
I rejuvenated it with a product called "neatsfoot oil".Its used in equestrian circles to protect the saddles and other leather goods..
Ive done the interior of my BMW as well and the results after a few applications is tremendous.
Obviously it does not close the cracks in the leather up,but it hydrates the leather and its all soft and -do I say this?-squishy again..

Yep, roger that. Its called saddle soap out here and does a great job of returning squishiness to old leather. Mines a bit beyond that unfortunately (but my normal car gets a going over every now and again to make sure its wheel doesn't similarly deteriorate).

Have got onto a trimmer who'll do my old wheel for me (most just laugh...) but it will be as expensive as a new one (AUD$300+), so am still on the lookout for an old-skool wheel.

Another option is to refit the original wheel (also in good condition) but with some sort of spacer so the driving pozzy is less simian ...

Jason,

Sorry about the pedantics but Barry is right. Neatsfoot Oil is known the world over for what it is. Saddle soap is made from the same stuff basically but the difference is that one is a paste/cream while the other is an oil. Application of the oil is much easier on large surfaces and is absorbed faster.
Neither product will absorb if the leather has been sealed to give it an artificial shine.
Not a biggie, just trying to help.