What are the advantages to removing the Power steering IMO it just makes the car harder to control. Also what does removing the AC altogether do? I guess its similar to rats nest removal it doesnt give you much more power but it cleans up engine bay? I may have answered my own question.. but is there anything else to be gained?

 

Weight savings, less engine drag

I like the feeling of no poweer steering. More road feel... Power steering is kinda wussy in a light car like the 7.

I cut the belt off the P/S pump in my Civic sedan. Put it back for my mother.

I NEED it in the truck though. 30 inch tires burried in mud is NOT something I wanna turn by hand.

 

removing those things takes some weight off the front too.

 

god i hate it when someone posts the same thing in the time it takes me to write the post.

 

Power steering reduces the steering response at high speeds. Removing the AC removes nearly 30 pounds of crap.

 

A/C and P/S is pretty much stuff that is not needed in a RX-7 well at least not my 7, I pulled all that along with tons of other stuff from the engine bay and let me tell you, its the best thing ive ever done. Accessorys require power from your engine to be powered, the less stuff you are powering the more Power you will actually have (we are not talking about massive amounts here). So if you want your car to be a relaxed driving car with a/c that ok but its a RX-7 its ment to be hot and driven hard, nothing beats the steering responce without p/s either I love it!

 

i actually weighed mine.. it was 47.5 lbs for everything that had to do with the a/c

 

damn thats a big chunk of weight. i'm going to assume you removed the blower and stuff from under the dash. maybe i get under the dash tomarrow for dismantling. hehehe.


~Steve

 

Strange, I'm sure I only lost 34!

 

less belts to worry about, less weight and ofcourse mentioned better road feel. however if you ever plan on putting bigger wheels on, turning at low speeds is going to suck.

by now most a/c systems no longer work on these cars so its just wasted power. i cant see how the a/c system on the RX could be almost 50lbs but id say atleast 30, also without the condenser you have much more airflow to the engine/rad.

 

I took my A/C out including compressor, condensor, all that crap plus lines and it weighed less than 20 pounds. Worst choice ever.

The Power steering is nice to have. With the different ratio between the non PS and PS models, you are better off keeping it.

 

ya i knew the Rx a/c was pretty light

shoulda seen all the crap i removed from my supra. 53lbs, i **** you not.

also dropped like 10c on the temp gauge because the condensor covers the entire front of the car leaving absolutely no flow to the rad.

 

removing ps/ac frees up room for better things like.... oh i dunno.... intercooler piping for a turbo setup?

 

I can turn mine with stock wheels, stock trashed box, and flat tires without too much hassle.

It'll only get better with the FC rack in there. S4 Depowered P/S rack, 2.7 turns lock to lock... 15.2:1 Steering ratio.

Gold's Gym ain't got nuthin on me.

 

Hey Super, fellow Michigander here. I took the A/C out of my 7's and it was a heck of a lot more than 20lbs. The bracket alone is nearly 5lb for the A/C compressor. The compressor is about 18lbs. Then there are the two rubber lines, the condenser can and radiator thing up front and the piece under the dash which I also know was another 5lbs. So definitely above 30lbs for everything to come off.

 

a 1st gen rx7 absolutely does not need PS, unless you are handicapped in some way.

even going 1mph in a driveway it feels like there's no weight on the front wheels, and i have a 13.5" inch steering wheel. (faster ratio, more effort)

a/c is debatable...if you drive the car every day in a hot environment and aren't too hard core about weight savings..i say go ahead and keep it.

 

I got on a scale with all my stuff, but it was awhile ago. Could have been more than 20, or maybe I just didn't remove the evaporator or something.

 

Advantage to no power steering? Your arms will get stronger.
Advantage to no air conditioning? You will sweat off the pounds in the summer.

My car actually didn't come with power steering. From a reliability standpoint it can't be beat but the power steering on my other cars feels so much nicer.

 

The newer power steerings, like on my Regal, aren't too bad. They cut off the amount of "Power" assist according to the speed of the car and how hard you turn the wheel.

 

what 1st gens came with power steering? My 79 doesn't have it.

 

High end models, GSL and SE

 

I think even on the GSL's and -SE's, the power steering option is still fairly rare.

 

My GSL had both for about a week after I got it, then gone..... Less weight means better acceleration, less weight to change directions especially as it is way out front so the car handles better and the brakes work more efficiently on a lighter car.

More power as the engine drives these accessories, only about 3 horsepower each, but it adds up, and its cheap horsepower too.

 

and did you guys get all that crap under the dash? here is a pic i took this morning. and it doesnt even include most of the AC system. also my car is non running right now(picture will explain more)

also for refernce, these numbers represent pounds.

 

I like the DD. Better paint scheme than mine. Mine is just green lol. But YOURS, is purple and pink. Very classic combination.