So the ghost sprung a leak in the power steering line. I went over to Mazda to order some new ones, but they don't make them anymore or have any left in stock. The Japanese don't really support old cars like Americans do so a 22 year old car is pretty much SOL after the last of the production run leaves the shelf.

I am hoping somebody stateside still stocks or has reproduced the hoses for owners over there. Does anybody have a good source? I would like to replace all the lines and give myself another 20 years of steering.

 

Stupid idea but guys are leaning towards a guy named Ray Crowe(Malloy Madza) as the go to guy to get parts.
If he can't acquire it,they do not exist..at ALL!

 

Holy piston rings! That dealership is right down the street from where I used to live! I have friends who still live there and could actually go pick up the parts. Small world.

 

I just realized how I'm screwed. Stateside parts won't work. Cars in Japan are right hand drive. The lines would be different.

That leads to the new question. This car is a 91'. Was there a manual steering rack available that year? I like driving cars with no power steering. I would not mind just converting the car to a manual rack.

 

you could just modify your rack to be a manual rack

 

i dont know if they are as common in Japan as they are here in the US, but a hydraulic hose shop should be able to either repair yours or make you new ones.

 

I did that on my 180SX, but I'd rather swap in a dedicated manual rack on the 7 if I can. I did some searching and that seems to have spawned some heated debates between the manual rack and converted power rack guys.

 

if you depower the rack the proper way by disassembling it and cutting the seal out it isnt bad to drive at all

 

I won't do all that. It's not about it being hard to steer, I doubt it would be very intrusive to me at all. When I did the other one I just left enough fluid in the rack to provide some lubrication and looped the line. It drives fine and even slow speed input is not a deal breaker. I didn't have an OE manual rack option on the car, though. The 7 is at a different level. I'm not doing strange things to it. I want it as original (looking) as possible. If I am going manual I will just replace the rack.

 

Couldnt you use braided lines? Like from A/N?

 

de-powered rack sucks ***** with larger better tires.
I went back and changed to a Electric Hydraulic power steering setup.

If its just the lines, get a custom braided ones make up, easy as. (I mad all mine up at home for my powersteerign setup)