Converting power steering to manual GSL-SE?
 

My GSL-SE leaks power steering fluid faster than I can get to where I'm going and I'm sick of it. My '81 had manual steering and I liked it fine. Can I use the steering column and box from the '81 in the '85 SE? I was looking on Mazdatrix and they listed different manual set-ups for early and later years.

If not, what do I have to do/find to convert this car to Mazda manual steering.

Thanks,
Vernon

Just stop adding fluid. When the last bit is drained out, remove the power steering pump, and you are there.

No really, will the '81 manual steering bolt into the SE? If not what a '85 manual.

Vernon

stay with the power steer rack and just take off the belt and drain it. Its responses and handles so much better than a manual rack. Most people with manual racks switch to a disconnected power rack. Manual racks have about 1-2" of play that will drive you crazy!

Do like said above. Its the easiest and cheapest way to do it. Actually switching the rack out is more of a PITA than anything and they are very expensive to get new. But to answer your question, I don't think the 81 unit will fit. The units go like this, 81-81.5, 81.5-83, 84-85 manual, 84-85 power. From mazdatrix, the units go for like $500.

Remove the reservoir, pump, and lines. Make sure fluid is still in the rack and turn the wheels lock-to-lock. Top up the fluid, and cap the lines. Don't run it dry.

very, very easy to do. i just did this to my 85 gsl and put in 82 manual steering.
cleans up the engine bay very nicely, thats the main reason i did it.

It's not a rack, it's a box!

I have the P/S box with no pump after the pump died a gruesome death. (Common on older Mazdas)

You need to loop the two lines together on the box, but that's it. Remove the two lines, cut them down to a few inches long with a hacksaw or tubing cutter, blow the crud out, spin the steering stop to stop a few times (tires off ground) and put the line-ends back on with a short length of hose connecting them. Very important, do not cap off, loop them together!

The steering is easier with the fluid mostly empty and no box, than just with the belt off. The internal hydraulic ram is still going to be moving fluid around, so you get most of it out then loop the lines together.

I've been this way for 30-odd thousand miles and dozens of off-road races.

Swapping to a manual box is kind of a pain, IIRC the steering column is different, and the manual box is a bitch and two puppies to remove/install since the input shaft goes most of the way into the steering column. And it's a lot slower.

Sorry to be late but my internet connection was on the fritz. Thanks for the replys gentlemen I'll do just that, sounds like it will be an easy fix.

Vernon

I have a GSLSE and took the belt off

im glad i searched and found this. im getting rid of the p/s on my newly aquired 85 gsl and needed this advice!! thanks peejay, i think thats the way i'll go!!

That was one of the first things on my car to stain the driveway but instead of taking it out I got a rebuild kit. It wasnt that hard to do and 50k miles later it still works great.

I just did the job this weekend and it works like a charm. Steers great. So far I've pulled everthing but the P/S crank pulley and it was quite a bit of stuff. Extra wieght that goes in the trash. I car washed the engine compartment where all of the crud has been accumulated and wow it looks great. My pump was sucking air in at the shaft it seemed, but the thing was that it didn't leak pressure, rather it filled with air and blew overflow out of the cap. The mess fell right on my plugs and wires for the front rotor and shorted them all the time. On the way to the wash and back it ran so quite and smooth it was like new again. I want to swap a 12A style low mount A/C compressor bracket and shorter crank pulley into it now to reduce rotating wieght and lower the center of gravity. Especially since it's on the driver's side.

Anyways thanks for the advice guys I owe you one.

And mazdaverx713b, you can thank my careful selection of post titles. I always name a post so that the next guy will find it with a search right away. I wish everyone did this, for example search for "HELP - I tried the search" and wade through 50% of the posts on the board.

Vernon

Behold! The powers of Necro-Posting! RISE FROM THE DEAD!

In any case... I wanted to ask, does it do any harm if you fill the steering box with PS fluid before you loop the lines?

So one's tried this before?

I am asking because it seems logical to me to put fluid in it to prevent rusting of the internal components. The steering effort should not change that much since you are looping the lines into each other and the fluid will just freely flow in those lines.

I see dead threads.

This wasn't ever answered. To lube, or not to lube? That's the question.

I have 45,000mi on an 85 power box with looped lines, and just enough fluid in it to gurgle a bit as it is turned (read as whatever little bit didn't drain out.)

Isaac

Depends. Do you like heavy/impossible steering?

Making it way too difficult, here. Blow the fluid out of the box by running it side to side with the lines cut, loop 'em together, and drive it. It will outlast the rest of the car.

I posted in 2006 that IO had ~30k on a looped power box. Well, I went another 20k or so on it, then swapped it into my next chassis, then put another 30k on it. Still was fine.

Or you could convert to the bus-like manual box and sell the steering column to someone who is planning on doing an FC front end conversion.

That's the kind of information I was looking for. Since that is my inevitable goal, I think I will hang onto the column.

Here's what I did.

Box cutter -> Power steering pump belt

Job done. 10k miles and counting. Although slowly these days...

I removed my PS pump and squirted the fluid out, then looped the lines together when I had a leaky pump. I hated it. It never felt "good" to me, and the effort was still to much. Maybe I'm a weenie, but I tried and tried to get it to feel better and was never successful. The only thing I can think of was that the valve body thingy that sits right on top of the box (sorry don't know what that is) was still installed, and the loop back went into that thing. I didn't remove it because I always had plans to restore the power steering.
I would like to hear other comments on this, because I've always wanted to know if I just didn't get it right, or if I expect too much from these things.

My current and last -SE had the looped-line PS box. I hate it. I've got about 1/4 turn of dead steering, had to ditch the 13" steering wheel for factory 15" for parking lot maneuvering, but what it really comes down to is the dead zone.

Now i've heard RX owners say that it doesnt exist or thats the way it always is or that if you loop the lines properly and fill it with grease and fluid it wont have any dead space. That sounds awesome! Not my experience so I have to call BS on all of that.

The ONLY reason for ditching the PS pump and lines is to clean up the engine bay. You gain nothing by removing half of the factory system that was engineered to operate a certain way.

The correct solution to improved steering and cleaner engine bay would be a rack and pinion conversion, but Re-Speed = fail and if you send them money you MIGHT get the kit within a year at this point. *sigh*

I'll be getting my stock PS pump & lines back in soon and will report what diff it makes in the dead zone.

This is exactly what my pump is doing. How can I figure out where it is sucking the air.

I agree with not removing it. I feel a lot of removal we do to our cars is excessive, unless it's a purpose built race car. I too an guilty of this, hence why my SA isn't the most fun on the street. My widebody SE just came without an engine or PS pump, so I am looking at easy solutions. If I decide to keep the car, which isn't likely, then I may through a pump back in it and test difference with and without pump.