Help: proper way to remove power steering
 

so im about to attempt to remove the power steering the propwer way ad im gonig by this thread https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-gen-archive-72/how-de-power-your-steering-rack-right-way-440198/

now the first step removing the adjuster cover.... for the 93's its like a HUGE allen key size... does anyone know what size it is? or is there a special tool/other way to unscrew it?:scratch:

this is the screw/bolt/nut im talking about
Attachment 721975

also the thread talks about spinning the retaining ring counter clockwise... im assuming spin the silver disk? what should i use to spin it?
Attachment 721976





and YES, i do wear pink crocs to work on my car.

pink Crocs? I'm not sure exactly what tool you'd use for the adjustment cover. I'd wager you could find it at harbor freight though. They have a bunch of weird tools.

rule one grab 6pack, rule two curse like a sailor. and last but not least rubber mallet should do the trick just right. LOL

but to be serious id call Ray or a mazda dealer ship to find out what tool, also if you search i believe someone posted the entire FD shop manual i have it but lost the link

For the giant allen key, you will need a giant adjustable wrench. There is a locking nut around the allen key. Once you remove it, the allen key bolt is only finger tight.

For the PS side you will need to remove the rubber boot. I already had the quill removed so i just pushed the shaft to the other side so it wasnt sticking out on the PS side. There are two grooves u can put a flat head screw driver in and turn it. It is not really tight or anything so it shouldnt require tons of effort. As you spin it, you will see a break in the lock ring through that hole in the top. Just pop in to the outside of the rack and keep spinning till it comes all the way out. Then the silver cap with come out the end and the shaft is free to slide out also.

I just did a manual conversion on my rack about 2 months ago. Just pm me if you have any more questions, it is still fresh in my mind. The following link will help also.


https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...=steering+rack

-Austin

thanks^^ just to verify anyone who plans to do this.. a BIG adjustable is correct. i bout the 12" one and its still too small....

To remove the huge hex cover, the head of a 1/2x13 bolt (snagged a grade 8 one from lowe's) fit perfectly. You just put the head of the bolt in the hex, put two nuts on the bolt, and then crank on the nut closer to the bolt head. It took some serious muscle, but it gave before the bolt did. This way you don't have to weld a fakey SST.

This is from: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/fd-power-steering-full-manual-conversion-write-up-631992/#post9323333

For the retaining wire, I ran the rack all the way to the other side and spun the rack stop with a piece of flat stock in the notches.

PLEASE HELP ASAP

i broke the lock clip... can i get that at autozone or a generic parts store of will i have to get it from mazda? alsooo can i get generic boot covers for the tie rods? or will i have to get that from mazda too?

BUMP, help please! i need to get the car finished by thursday!!!

The boot covers are basically a rebuild kit you can get from Ray IIRC. It's been several years since I did mine and I can't remember anything in particular that was an issue. That large nut was just that, just a nut. No locking anything, but I can't remember any more.

Also, that link has nothing for pics. The Miata rack is very similar and used that for my guide..

http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/depower.php?x=1

Which clip are you referring to? Are you referring to the ring clip that holds the end in? I think you can get that from Ray as well.

Here is the result of not installing power steering fully lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QU44xxk5dw

This "lock clip" that you're talking about, it is at the end of the housing, under the boot, around the rack itself, correct? If you broke that, then you're kinda boned. I don't think you'll be able to get that part.

I still don't know why people insist on de-powering a power steering rack. I worked for a Tier 1 Auto Supplier for 2 summers as an intern in power steering, and spoke with the guys that design all of Ford's R&P and recirculating ball nut (like the FB has) steering gears about de-powering a PS rack..

Basically, you're relying on the torsion bar, which is the part that runs from where your input shaft attaches to your housing, down to the pinion. All power rack and pinion torsion bars are case hardened, not through hardened, and are not suitable for steering your car. Their only purpose is to give you "steering feel", which is also determined by the pressure on the bushing that is held in by the nut you're trying to remove, along with the way the rack is mounted to the car (spikes to a rubber-isolated subframe, or bolts through rubber-isolated mounts). What actually moves the rack side to side is the power steering fluid, which passes through a valve, which is actuated by the torsion bar. It is unsafe to de-power a rack originally designed for power steering.

Yes, people have run "depowered" racks for years and have had no issues, but it's not worth the chance of a serious wreck, IMO. Since you modified the part yourself, you're liable for anything that happens to you, your passenger, or anyone you hit because of a steering failure.

There is a post I put up summer 2006 or 2007 about the dangers of de-powering your rack, but I'm tired, it's late, and I don't have the patience to look through my old posts and find it.

yes most of your are correct on the ring clip... im just gonna have to modify a wire thats thick enough.. i called ray and he would have to source them but i need it nowww.


rdahm.... thats terrrible... thats gonna be a bitchhh to clean up... good luck... atleast everythigns looking twices as shinney!

i cant believe how up beat you still sound lol... id be sooooooooooo heated...

So what's the torque limit to what this can handle? I'm going to take a stab and guess it's more than it sees when we're moving as effort is still very light. I would gather by this logic, it would break when we're in a parking lot, if it would break at all.

To the OP: Did you weld the pinion and valve body, as is seen in this picture: https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...6&d=1242575575 ?

If not, you will run into this problem:

It's not going to break from one turn of the wheel. The material will work harden over time, and give way randomly. The determining factors are how much torque is introduced into the part, and at what angle you deflect the torsion bar. The stickier/wider the tire you place on the car, the more the torsion bar will deflect.

My task my second summer working there was to determine whether the heat treatment could be removed from the t-bars. The most extreme case was to actuate the t-bar +/- 19*. These samples gave way (catastrophic failure, not a loss of torque [i.e. there is a torque spec that the bar must conform to. once this torque is not reached anymore, it has failed]), in as little as 5k cycles IIRC, with severe work hardening and bluing of the part form heat, prior to breaking. I tested every 2 degrees from 9* to 19*, and the 9* bar made it, on average, 500k cycles before failure.

If you did weld the pinion and valve body, you're slightly better off, but you are still placing a torque on a part that wasn't ever designed with that in mind. Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

Ok...so you're talking about t-bar the quill then? That must be welded, no ifs, ands, or butts. To your point, yes, I agree that w/o welding, you're stressing a part that should never see that kind of load. But by welding what is essentially two pieces together, you're significantly reducing/eliminating that load.

I was upbeat because that wasn't oil or gas or coolant. Something simple

I got my replacement locking wire (as I broke mine in two) and new boots from Ray. I don't think you can just buy generic ones. The OEM boots are actually different on the passenger and driver's sides.

Whitey85mtu's view was discussed in the writeup thread I linked in my earlier post. While it's definitely a valid theory engineering wise, the real world data doesn't support it. I've never even heard of an at-home manual conversion or a Maval converted rack failing and these things have been hitting the track and streets for years.

The manual system shouldn't be as robust as the original power steering system, but for those of us unwilling to drop a grand on the atomic rack (drool) this mod, done correctly, is a good way to go. I absolutely love my manual rack. The road feel is great and without my A/C, I can climb in my engine bay and snuggle the new street port.

thanks for the heads up but im still doing the conversion =/

and unfortunately im not welding that piece... however cant i just take that out at anytime? thats really easy to take out..

question... do you keep the bushing/seal in or remove it? it was the piece next to the part that we cut off...


this..
Attachment 721983
Attachment 721984

I would highly recommend NOT proceeding or doing the mod without it. It takes all of 5 min to weld the thing so I would strongly suggest doing it. Anyone can do it. It's basically a spot weld.

okay i think i have a friend who welds.. im looking at the pics and mine and i dont get what piece is being welded.. do i take off all the bearings and stuff?

anyone know about that bushing/oring?

Post #15 has a link to a picture. You have to take off the bearings/stuff but it's all basically together in one piece, not a big deal.

thanks.... anyone know if this bushing stays in or take it out?!?!

That gets chopped off.

^^ the rubber one too? i already cut the metal one off...