Moving position of power steering lines?

[nikp]

Can anyone advise on this? I want to slightly move the postion of the S-bend power steering lines, as i will be installing a new radiator for a V-mounted intercooler setup. Can i just gently bend them into a slightly different position? Or what? Can anyone suggest anything else?

[fro]

You could bend them.. or you could do away with them altogether and run a rubber hose in their place. Many people have done this (including me) with no ill effects whatsoever

[nikp]

Excellent! So i can ditch them altogether - that\'s excellent news! Do i need any special specific rubber hose?

[fro]

Can\'t remember the hose inside diameter but any rubber hose suitable for carrying oil will do (it\'s the low pressure side of the system)

[nikp]

Nice one, cheers.

[banned advertiser]

dont they use the s figure as a way of cooling. Why do they not just go point to point?

[fro]

yeah but the cooling effect is negligible to the point where you can do away with it altogether.

[banned advertiser]

Cool
no pun intended :-0

[nikp]

Yeah, i would have thought if they wanted to do any substantial cooling, they\'d have fitted a radiator.

[shaunwil]

I wouldn\'t get rid of it all together, If you sit in traffic for prolonged periods of time the fluid can actually boil and damage the pump. Just feel how hot the pipe is after a run !!!

I got a mini rad off ebay for an mini oil cooler for austrialia, works brilliant, keeps the line from over heating. Didn\'t cost much with postage either.
Photo of it installed:



I think its about 11mm pipe on the cooling line. I\'ve used rubber fuel line and its worked fine. But you need to replace it.

Shaun

[nikp]

If you sit in traffic for prolonged periods of time

But surely if you\'re sat in traffic then there\'s no cooling for it anyway? Only once moving will it get cooled, and probably not that substantially seeing as though it\'s just pipework, and no radiator.

[fro]

a mini rad would definitely be better than the original pipes because the original pipes do bugger all in the way of cooling. Do you know of any cases where the power steering fluid has boiled damaging the pump? (bearing in mind, when sitting in traffic the original pipes do not cool the fluid at all)

[nikp]

bearing in mind, when sitting in traffic the original pipes do not cool the fluid at all

That\'s what i was trying to say! :p

[fro]

yeah I was replying to shaun (verrrry slooowly and you beat me to it)

[shaunwil]

Its more the case that the pump is working hardest in traffic when the wheels aren\'t turning very quick. If you then get into a clear run and there isn\'t any cooling available all it will do is build up heat an boil the fluid

I only investigated it when i was installing my intercooler. I was told by pip not to hide the pipe under the intercooler because i ran the risk of over heating the fluid and killing the pump.

The main reason why i went to the rad was that the main line was heating the air up infornt of the intake upping my intake temps. I have one of the filters sat behind my intercooler (and other down the side). The rad makes alot of difference and the feel from the steering is more crisp.

The biggest question is how much would it cost to change a powersteering pump ? Or even worse what happens if you boil the powersteering fluid.

I can dig out the company that sells the rad, it isn\'t expensive !

Shaun