Power Steering Conundrum

[450Nick]

Hi all!

I'm having a few issues with my power steering pump and would like to hear some opinions on what to do.. I run a supercharger system on my car, so the pump is relocated lower in the car, rather close to the NS exhaust manifold. The oil reservoir is up where the throttle body would be on the standard plenum positon (it's reversed for the SC cars), and I have the oil pipework running down the front of the engine beside the water pump to the pump, and then from the rack round past the NS wheel arch, round the bottom of the radiator to the rack, then from the rack back around the front of the car the same route as the feed, back up the front of the engine to the reservoir. There are no kinks in the pipe that I can see and the reservoir is nice and high up so should give a good head to feed the pump.

It all works fine until the engine gets really hot in traffic or after giving it the beans. when the car is hot, the pump starts to groan when I turn the wheel, which usually would be a sign of a poor oil feed or there not being enough oil in the system. Except the reservoir is full and the feed seems good. Could it be that the oil is getting too hot perhaps? What would be the best way to tackle this problem?

I'm half tempted to pull it all out and replace the whole lot with a Scooby rack and electric pump but maybe not for a little while!

[Steve_D]

I think you already know the answer...you need a heat shield for the pump and sleeve the pipes with heat matt.
Use the Nimbus corrugated ali to form the structure but then cover it with ali foil backed GF matting otherwise the Nimbus will vibrate.
Use the ali foil covered mat to sleeve the pipes....wrap it around the pipes and secure with cable ties. If you think it will be too hot for the cable ties then you could use stainless ties or wire.

Steve

[BoostedChim]

I think I can help you with that one. Mine is the same setup except for my reservoir is in the middle behind the radiator, so even less of a drop and less capacity. Mine did the same groaning when warmed up and I found the steering got heavier. The first thing I tried was putting a temp sensor in the return line, in a 30mins motorway journey it was 95deg. After finding this I added a cooler from a Mk3 Mondeo like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-MONDEO-MK-3-2002-20...

It has 10mm tails but I cut these off as the main pipe is 13mm. I got my mate to weld a few blobs on the ends to help secure the hose. The temps now stay around 55deg. I still felt the steering was too heavy though so I've just fitted a scooby rack and its just what I wanted. The steering is now light and just as quick as before. The groaning has stopped too.

I'm still wondering if the pump is getting hot where its close to the manifold and sits over the exhaust, so I might make up a heat shield at some point. I had planned to use a electric pump but I'm quite happy with how it is now.

[450Nick]

Thanks both for the prompt and great advice - you confirmed my initial thoughts so I've bought one of the Mondeo Power steering coolers and will get some heat shielding to help keep those temps down - I'll feed back with how I get on

[Bluebottle]

Had similar issue with mine Nick, pump would wine and groan after spirited runs etc. after i goosed a 2nd pump i decided to do something about it...as its and absolute arse to remove with a rotrex in the way.
In my case i think partly due to reservoir being to low on the chassis rail in front of radiator, so i modified the bracket to raise the bottle as high is i could in that same location (Griff bonnet restricts that) but it did stop the pump cavitating air bubbles. But it was still over heating the fluid (very quickly turning grey). So i fitted a slimline PAS cooling radiator i bought from summit racing (couldn't find any in the uk small enough) and the problem has completely gone.

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/der-12200/o...

[450Nick]

Bluebottle said:

Had similar issue with mine Nick, pump would wine and groan after spirited runs etc. after i goosed a 2nd pump i decided to do something about it...as its and absolute arse to remove with a rotrex in the way.
In my case i think partly due to reservoir being to low on the chassis rail in front of radiator, so i modified the bracket to raise the bottle as high is i could in that same location (Griff bonnet restricts that) but it did stop the pump cavitating air bubbles. But it was still over heating the fluid (very quickly turning grey). So i fitted a slimline PAS cooling radiator i bought from summit racing (couldn't find any in the uk small enough) and the problem has completely gone.

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/der-12200/o...

Hamish thanks for the message, that looks like a really neat little solution... I'll get one of these sent over as I think it may be easier to fit neatly than the Mondeo one but we'll see. Glad to hear that it's easily solved!

[Bluebottle]

450Nick said:

Hamish thanks for the message, that looks like a really neat little solution... I'll get one of these sent over as I think it may be easier to fit neatly than the Mondeo one but we'll see. Glad to hear that it's easily solved!

I Looked at the mondeo rad and BMW PAS rad as well, the best i find was from a BMW R1100RT bike but it was just a little too thick to put where i wanted it..the Summit one was a lucky find as its easily located due to its thin profile, and short length was the usual stumbling block with all the donor parts i tried. forgot to add, as an added side effect it has make the steering feel lighter.

[Steve_D]

It's all very well finding and fitting a cooler but would it not be better to stop it getting hot in the first place?

Steve

[450Nick]

Steve_D said:

It's all very well finding and fitting a cooler but would it not be better to stop it getting hot in the first place?

Steve

I'm hoping to do both, but with the location of the pump and small volume of oil in the system, it's never going to be easy to keep it where I want it. I'll sheild the pump and possibly sleeve or move the pipework, but a cooler will ensure that things never run away.

[Bluebottle]

Steve_D said:

It's all very well finding and fitting a cooler but would it not be better to stop it getting hot in the first place?

Steve

not possible in my situation, 500 horse power in a very confined space with typical tvr heat soak issues due to lack of free airflow. But mostly its the location of the PAS pump which sits directly below the Rotrex which hits 100+ degrees when spooled up on track, and the exhaust manifold directly below it, reaching 400+ degrees. Due to the mounting bracket design very little clear airflow gets to the pump as it blocks it. which is why an external fluid cooler is required in our specific setups to help cooling.

E.T.A. as Steve says lag the pipework which have done as well...but im not a fan of wrapping the pump same as starter motor, in as much as its good at reflecting radiated heated but imho traps heat soak and prevents cooling under motion which i think is worse.

Edited by Bluebottle on Tuesday 23 May 18:13