I have a 93 FD that I have been converting from street to track. In the process I have made some decisions that may have not been the best, but, oh well. One of those decisions was to remove the power steering and convert to a manual rack. I find the manual rack to really be an issue requiring a death grip on the wheel and just overall slow response. My question is "can the steering be converted back to power and what is involved?" Thanks in advance for any help. I have tried searching through posts for anyone who has been down this road. If you know of a previous discussion and can direct me I would be most appreciative.

 

There's several ways that racks have been converted, from line loop to aftermarket total replacement. Some forms of manual modification of the stock rack are totally irreversible - say removing/machining the pistons off the rack for example.....so you'd have to investigate what's been done, if done by someone else.

I seem to recall "depowering" was the term used in one of the threads here, to get an idea of what might have occurred to yours. By and large, the track people here who have flirted with a manual conversion of the stock system have converted back too...lots of rhd racks are still available fortunately.

 

If it just has a looped line...sure. If the quill is welded and the teflon seal holder cut off.....nope.

 

Guys, thanks for the info. I will do some discovery on the car to determine what has been done to see if I have any options. JD

 

John, I'm replacing my rack right now due to fluid leaks (94 FD with 70K). I sourced my parts thru Rockauto after signing up for a 'notify me when parts are available' option. It took 10 days, and I got a notification for a Maval rebuilt rack ($375 total with a $125 core charge). Getting to my fluid lines is a PITA, but worth it. Inspect your tie rod ends before you pull it out. I'm now waiting on replacement tie rod ends as my rubber seals were torn. I sourced Moog tie rods thru Rockauto also, after reviewing some threads.

 

Gary, thanks for the info. When we went for the conversion from street to track we basically stripped everything out of the body and about replaced everything new. What I don't know is what items we may have removed or eliminated either motor or frame or whatever that will not let me go back to automatic. I have a aftermarket non power rack in the car now, but again, I don't know everything I need. First I need to purchase some manuals to determine parts-then I can look seriously at the conversion. Again, thanks for the info, I will come back at you as I get closer to determining if I can convert back. JD

 

I did a manual conversion years ago. Yes, a looped line will give you hulk hands...and is not the proper way to do it.

Nothing was required in terms of additional parts. All I did was replace the boots. Once the internal seals were removed and the quill welded, buttoned it all back up and voila. Some fluid was still in there for lube, but without the seals, there was nothing to press against so it moved freely and smoothly.

Yes, low speed maneuvering was sometimes a PITA, once moving, it was very direct and responsive.

If you want to go back to power, you need the correct rack, lines, cooler/radiator and pump/bracket. Depending on what you’ve done, maybe that will be more of a PITA than not. Perhaps you can get by without the cooler. YMMV here and those that may have removed it will be in a better position than I to comment.

Any parts diagrams will tell you what you need.

 

A few years ago, I rebuilt my steering rack, and the car sat. I finally got it running this past November, but one of the problems was a seal leak. It was already at the shop, so I had them rebuild it again. Mazda rebuilt parts are hard to come by, and some parts are NLA. There is a wire retaining ring that goes into an end of the rack that is NLA, and that's what was broken on mine. I had to buy a RHD rack off of ebay for that clip - at a cost of $150. At least, maybe some of the other parts are interchangeable so I might be able to rob the rack if I run into problems in the future. Point is that LHD racks (for use as replacements, rebuild candidates, or parts) seem to be becoming more rare, and that's when the hoarding really gets bad.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. I just purchased a service manual and I am starting to chase down what I need to do. I will come back at you as I wade into the deeper water to see what I might need help with.

Thanks! JD