hey i have an 87 gxl,
anyways its my daily driver and my project car so i need some advice!!

im workin on the weight reduction, i was wondering on some opinions about the Power steering? I know the fc is light, and t shouldnt be too difficult to manage, im just wonering (snce i drive a paper route, lots of corners at low speed) is it practial to swtch to manual steering?


oh and BTW off topic but anyone know where i can get a conversion kit to make my windows manual? what about sunroof?

 

Look for my thread in the 2nd gen archive, and there's another thread about it in this section right now, have a look at that. It's not for everyone, so be prepared for more steering effort if you do it.

 

Turning isn't too bad at low speeds. Only time a manual can suck(for the weak ), is doing 3 point turns, or coming out of a parking spot, in my opinion.

One last thing, wider and stickier front tires will add resistance as well.

 

I used to have manual steering. I switched to power steering and I love it. not even for the lighter steering(although its nice sometimes), just how much quicker and responsive the steering is.
if you really want manual steering, just take out the pump and stuff. the manual rack sucks IMHO. it will be 'slightly' easier to turn, but not a whole lot of difference.

oh, you could also just take off the belt and try driving it like that to determine if you like manual steering or not.

 

It's not really a good idea to just take the belt off, it's not the same as manual steering. There'll be a significant increase in steering effort beyond a properly done conversion.

One big reason I did it is that I'd get ahead of the PS in autocrosses during fast transitions at slow speeds. The steering would get super heavy all of a sudden and it'd screw up my lines and my times.

 

is there a safe way to test it w/o taking the belt off? it sounds like a matter of opinion and my buddies civic hatch didnt have any power steerig, and it was fine

so i just want to know if i can see what it would drive like before i spend 5 hours disableing the system


oh ya Black91, i did read that post, good job, but its what prompted my Q, cause i really want to take it out but not if im gonna want to put it back in ya kno?

 

You could try taking the lines off (make sure to drain all the fluid out of the system), and then plug the holes and drive it. That'll give you what it'll feel like, and if you can get plugs for it then it'll be reversible.

 

As for the weight issue with the window mechanisms, you may want to double check to see if the power window setup is actually heavier. IIRC on the FB's, the power window doors were lighter than the manual ones.

 

thats ineresting (about the windows^^^^) i just saw that in another forum. basically, i want to reduce as much weight as possible, but it is my dd so i cant spare some things that i otherwise would on my project car (i.e. its f,n hot and dry here in the summer so im leavin in the ac system)

also, does an electric fan install, add or remove weight??
would it be better advised to replace the radiator or switch to electric fan first(probly cant afford the other for a while)

 

Its probably even on the weight of the fan. The fan clutch probably weighs as much as an electric fan motor.

 

hey Black91
in your thread you said there was another easier way that wasnt exactly the"right" way to disable the powwer steering (looping the feeds i think?)?
can i do that and remove the ps system until i can take my car out of comission and do the whole flyin miata thing.

oh and do i just hav to plug the 2 big hoses coming off of the ps pump?

 

You can plug the holes on the side of the rack right where the steering shaft enters, and loop the lines on the passenger side so that the one feeds the other. It works, but it's not "ideal". You should get slightly lower effort with the FM way.