goldteeth

i just wanted to know because i was thinking of getting one

Jingkun

iTrader: (4)

Not that I'm aware of. I can't say much for the gsl-se since those seem to have so much different from the rest of the line up. Personally I hate power steering and have ever since the belt on my 99 626 snapped and I lost my PS ability. Drove with it for a few months and just can't go back.

74RX4

iTrader: (10)

GSL and GSLSE were available with PS.

cshaw07

iTrader: (14)

what is the differences in the PS parts and Non? obvously the pump, the box, and the other small parts. But if you have a PS car and a Non PS car, could you just yank everything and swap the steering boxes? I aswell hate PS

74RX4

iTrader: (10)

Box is the only difference besides the extra parts. Many people just remove the extra parts and connect the input and output from the box together with one of the hoses. Then you can run it as a manual box. The PS box has a tighter turning radius.

bahlorm

Really with these cars you don't really notice that you don't have power steering too much. Don't let it effect your thoughts on weather or not to get it. The car may not have power steering but it is still very easy to turn. Which if you plan to have a little bit of fun and get this car sideways every once in a while, you will be glad you don't have power steering so you don't over correct yourself. It seems to make your steering much more accurate and making these cars even more enjoyable.

Mr_Miles

iTrader: (1)

mine had PS at one point in time. I've driven one with it still hooked up and it's nice, but the only real difference I noticed was less bump steer. the cars are light enough you only really feel it when you're not moving.

RX-7 Chris

iTrader: (19)

it was only the 84-85 GSL and GSL-SE that had PS optional.

peejay

Power steering was only an option on Series 3 GSL and GSL-SE.

My '84 GSL had all of the wiring for the variable assist portion of the power steering, but was a manual box. One of the first things i did to that car was yank out the manual box and put in the power box. The manual box is incredibly slow and generally sucks, and belongs in a bus and not a vehicle with sporting aspirations.

The power box came from my '85 GSL, which died a tragic corrosion-related death. Shortly after I got the car, the power steering pump died. I looped the lines at the box and removed the pump and its enormously heavy bracket, and the steering heaviness was about the same as the manual steer '80 that I had just gotten out of. I drove it that way for roughly 60,000 miles, then another 15-20k with that box in my '84.

The only things that are different are the steering columns (it's separate on the P/S models, good if you are doing an FC subframe swap), the steering column to firewall cover plate piece, and the box. They bolt up the same, and use all of the same steering parts including the Pitman arm.

What I am getting at is this: The power steering box is much faster than the manual box, and therefore better, but the only reason it has power assist is to deal with the additional weight of having a power steering pump and bracket.

Hyper4mance2k

iTrader: (40)

A lot of rally guys use electric power steering pumps to power the stock PS. I have no idea where they get them though. I believe out of some mid 90's Honduh. Great Idea if you ask me. I want to put one in my FC since the previous owner ripped out the PS stuff. Eventually I want to get an SE power box and electric pump for the FB, but have no idea where to start looking for the pumps.

peejay

MR2s and Subaru XT6. Common cars to find you know

I'm waiting for the in-column electric assist column controllers to be dirt cheap. Currently there's a lot of Cobalts and such out there, but an aftermarket controller costs an arm and a leg, and the factory controller requires the CAN-bus.

Hyper4mance2k

iTrader: (40)

$100 for a new MR2 one on rockauto. Not bad at all..

LizardFC

iTrader: (1)

I de-powered mine after reading this since it had a small leak. Not much difference except sitting still. Another 30 pounds or so that my car won't miss much, and no more whine.

peejay

I checked... it's $95 to rebuild your existing one. You send yours in, they rebuild it.

If they were $100 new, people would be all over them!

car-part shows less than one page's worth, $150-275 for used parts of unknown quality. I think the last time I looked up the XT6 part, I found one for only $400!

One problem with the electric pumps is that they'll draw ~70a under steering load and something near 20a just idling. The OEMs used fancy electronics to only turn the pump on as necessary. Supposedly people have had the motors re-wound and the current draw was drastically cut.

Millions of Cobalts on the road with electric columns. The last aftermarket controller I saw for sale was into the four figures, though.

Hyper4mance2k

iTrader: (40)

http://www.driveev.com/jeepev/convpgs/psteer.php