I have an 85 gsl. originally with power steering and AC... the Nippon Denso, which has proven to be damn near impossible to replace. So here's this idea that has been going through my head recently...

First off, I have 17's on my car, I think the fronts are 215's, iirc. So decent sized tires, would getting rid of the power steering have that much of an effect on steering? I have read that the power steering tends to lose its benefit with bigger wheels. And to me it doesn't appear to be doing too much... but I'm comparing a 25 year old power steering system with bigger wheels to modern power steering...

Second, say I do get rid of the power steering pump, could I replace it with the more readily available "sanden" AC compressor? I know the AC compressor on non NipponDenso cars are in that general area, I assume same mount possibly? I know I'd have to do some rigging with the lines, but thats looking inevitable either route I take.

100*+ temps in little black car = not very pleasant commute. any input/opinion is appreciated!

 

I added PS to the widebody because the 15X7 now 15X9 wheels were so damn hard to turn. Don't regret the PS one bit. Saved me from hitting the side of the house while doing a burnout in the driveway one day, lol

If you change the AC compresser to a Sanden, you need to change the lines to the unit too as they're different between the 2 brands. 2nd gens came with 2 different brands of compressers and line sets too.

 

as trochoid said, the Sanded and the Denso compressors and lines are completely different. that being said, the wiring for each is slightly different as the pressure sensor is different in each and located at different points in the line on each. buy a used compressor. hell, i have like three..

 

Thanks for the input trochoid. It feels like the PS is doing nothing right now but it is still easy to turn, so i'll think twice about it.

as far as the different lines/compressor go, I have 6 compressors (4 sanden, 1 leaky ND, and 1 sonyo(i think its sonyo) that I pulled off a random rx7) I also have a set of the sanden AC lines too. I was thinking I could keep the NipponDenso hard lines in though and get some custom lines fabbed up. I just thought this would work because along the firewall of the ND lines there would be an easy point to detach and bolt the custom one on there to it.

 

the lines are completely different as is the routing location. the compressor mounts are different between the two units as well. here are some pics of the Sanded system that i reinstalled in my 85 GS last summer:

a/c bracket and pulley cleaned and painted, ready to go:



pulley mounted:



a/c compressor mounted:



condensor and receiver/dryer mounted:



the system all together:

 

I understand the routing would be different. I'll take some pics tomorrow to show what I was thinking of trying to make work. But other than that I have everything to mount/connect the sanden compressor

 

Heres my idea of what I wanted to do. Just the one line would need to be custom made to that circle hard line connection along the firewall as the line to the condenser wouldn't need to be changed (as far as I know, I am just guessing)

So creating that one line to the compressor wouldn't be too difficult would it? anything I'm missing?

 

I'm lost on what connections to loop for the power steering box. Haven't been able to find a good diagram of the power steering box in the FSM or any pictures on here. I think I narrowed it down, but want to be sure.



Do I need to loop the blue circle to the red connector? Is that wrong?

 

ive got a bunch of ND ac compressors too...

 

would you be willing to part with one of them?!?