Electric steering pump in a V8

The Horizontal layout is a good idea for P6. My Astra unit is vertical and it makes it rather tall if you need to keep the tank on top. Shame there are no Saxos over here in the antipodies...
I'm thinking of including a small pressure tank (probably from a brake system) to ensure there is a bit of steering should the power go off...
That saxo pump actually come with a remote filler in some models. It could sit down on the valence or something and you could extend the tube to suit..

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The Horizontal layout is a good idea for P6. My Astra unit is vertical and it makes it rather tall if you need to keep the tank on top. Shame there are no Saxos over here in the antipodies...
I'm thinking of including a small pressure tank (probably from a brake system) to ensure there is a bit of steering should the power go off...

What electrical system are you running with that? Alternator capacity, wire gauge, fuses, relays etc.
 
FWIW....MX5 (NA6 at least) with PAS have ~1.5M of 10mm alloy tubing in one of the hoses, run across the front, in front of the radiator, to act as an oil cooler. Am Icorrect in assuming the plot being disussed here involves replacing pressure pump with an electric pump , retaining the std steering box?
 
FWIW....MX5 (NA6 at least) with PAS have ~1.5M of 10mm alloy tubing in one of the hoses, run across the front, in front of the radiator, to act as an oil cooler. Am Icorrect in assuming the plot being disussed here involves replacing pressure pump with an electric pump , retaining the std steering box?

Yup. Basically I'm looking at doing what most people do to get PAS in the 4cyl but in a V8 which of course already has the factory system that can be fitted.

The original setup seems like a great pile of iron to me, I have a pump of uncertain condition, which comes with a quite dramatically large bracket, a large reservoir and a double engine pulley. The Saxo pump weighs 4.5kg inc the small reservoir and I already have an 80 amp alternator. It just seems a better solution to the non-purist.

The original PAS box is the only way to get a higher geared steering box to my knowledge, so I'm going to use that. I'd probably use the Corsa electric column if there were another way. It weighs a bloody ton. There surely must be a more efficient solution than these great cast iron things. No wonder if you ordered PAS, you got longer front suspension springs.

I was going to fit a small cooler in the return line.
 
The original PAS system was all there was at the time -its over 50 years now, so its only dreadfull in hindsight, as are most things from the 60s. Why not go the whole hog and put in a powered rack where the track rod is now? Any added weight in front of the front axle line will require spring changes - eg AC fitted cars used different springs. Isnt the return line the short one from the box to the reservoir? That would be low pressure so it wouldnt need special crimping?
 
The original PAS system was all there was at the time -its over 50 years now, so its only dreadfull in hindsight, as are most things from the 60s. Why not go the whole hog and put in a powered rack where the track rod is now? Any added weight in front of the front axle line will require spring changes - eg AC fitted cars used different springs. Isnt the return line the short one from the box to the reservoir? That would be low pressure so it wouldnt need special crimping?
Yes, the low pressure lines can use generic oil coolers or indeed just a section of metal pipe. You can see from the cut-off return line on the pump, it's only a jubilee clip on plastic. It's clear that technology moved on and of course the original alternator is a weedy 35amp which simply isn't up to the job. The one I have according to the chart I got with it kicks out 40amps at idle speed and up to 82amps at about 2500rpm. Certainly I have no issue with dimming headlights.

I don't have the engineering skill to repurpose a rack and pinion system. this would be the ultimate upgrade.
 
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LR upgraded the original alternator on Discos in the middle east from 80A to 120A.....which meant they had to bypass the 80A main fuse. And they replaced the grilled with a less restrictive wire mesh type. 120A makes sense, when the temp gets to 120F, and you want to keep the AC going.
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What model is your alternator now ? Mine is an18ACR now, but it will die one day.
 
A lucas A127 comes with it's own certificate.... Peaks at 82A. the rpm is obviously at the alternator which is geared up from the crank.

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I don't have the engineering skill to repurpose a rack and pinion system. this would be the ultimate upgrade.

Funny you mention that as I’d been lazily thinking about such a thing. Either a powered rack or a quaife manual quick rack, more likely powered, something like an MX5 rack perhaps, 2.8 turns from memory..

Would require a LHD and RHD idler as the simplest solution I think, with a suitable length rack in between if it can be made to fit. I have more real estate in that bulkhead area as not using factory heater box..I may be overlooking something obvious though :hmm:
 
Funny you mention that as I’d been lazily thinking about such a thing. Either a powered rack or a quaife manual quick rack, more likely powered, something like an MX5 rack perhaps, 2.8 turns from memory..

Would require a LHD and RHD idler as the simplest solution I think, with a suitable length rack in between if it can be made to fit. I have more real estate in that bulkhead area as not using factory heater box..I may be overlooking something obvious though :hmm:

That would be the dream there isn't much room around the rod that goes across the car.
 
In terms of Alternator I'm thinking of the highest Amperage I can get in a short (11AC length) and preferably a diesel design that produces decent power at low revs. Though that one in the picture looks like a good candidate. For main wiring plan is to match the max load of the two big spade clips. In terms of other wiring I am waiting till I figure out what the other spade clips do.

Peter, Note that the electric system has the oil tank split into two components; the main tank around the pump and the (single port) filler tank whilst the original system uses a single two port tank cut into the pump return line, requiring it be larger.

Aslo oil flow noise goes straight into the chassis and on into the cabin with ANY touching of the HP line. I tried several layouts on my car when I rebuilt the standard pump and only the original factory route kept the noise down. I suggest mounting solid pipes in soft rubber mounts, preferably in Tension, plus mounting the pump in a bracket with rubber mounts which is mounted to the body on a seperate set of rubber mounts.

The actual PS unit was the Beez Neez when it came out by a looong way.. It was designed by Arthur Bishop and its story is in a book about him. I'll post the title when I remember it...
PS. The books name is "Driven by Ideas"
 
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In terms of Alternator I'm thinking of the highest Amperage I can get in a short (11AC length) and preferably a diesel design that produces decent power at low revs. Though that one in the picture looks like a good candidate. For main wiring plan is to match the max load of the two big spade clips. In terms of other wiring I am waiting till I figure out what the other spade clips do.

Peter, Note that the electric system has the oil tank split into two components; the main tank around the pump and the (single port) filler tank whilst the original system uses a single two port tank cut into the pump return line, requiring it be larger.

Aslo oil flow noise goes straight into the chassis and on into the cabin with ANY touching of the HP line. I tried several layouts on my car when I rebuilt the standard pump and only the original factory route kept the noise down. I suggest mounting solid pipes in soft rubber mounts, preferably in Tension, plus mounting the pump in a bracket with rubber mounts which is mounted to the body on a seperate set of rubber mounts.

The actual PS unit was the Beez Neez when it came out by a looong way.. It was designed by Arthur Bishop and its story is in a book about him. I'll post the title when I remember it...
PS. The books name is "Driven by Ideas"

Well, I found the P6 PAS pretty good in my old car. Light years ahead of the wobbly offering in the P5.
 
For anyone looking for an electric power steering pump, my 2015 C5 has a similar set up with the Saxo item shown above. So i suppose that more or less most PSA cars after roughly 2000 will have a suitable donor pump.
 
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