Did you steer w/o the kit on to let the excess fluid out 1st? Too much fluid will increase steering resistance, Jeff.

 

I'll jack the car up this afternoon and check and see what my mechanic did and report back. Thanks for the quick response!

 

So... The top bolt only had the one washer on, and when I turned the wheel some more fluid came out. The 2nd washer (thankfully?) was sitting on the subframe. Going to bolt it back up and test it out.

So much for using my local mechanic for doing mods instead of DIYing...

 

After draining the fluid and adding the 2nd bolt, it's slightly easier to turn the wheel, but still far too difficult and I'm a fairly strong guy.

If you have any regular/recurring joint pain in your elbows/shoulders, or plan to take a date out for a drive in your car, or don't believe in adding 1-2 turns to a 3 point turn, then this mod is not for you. I ordered a new pump.

 

Installed my kit yesterday and it wasn't easy. Well, the actual install was easy it was getting all the old hardware out of the way that was tough. My steering was working but it seemed that every inch of my engine bay was always covered with ps fluid and budget wouldn't allow replacing so removing was the best option. My other car, a '64 Vette, is also manual steering so I have a pretty decent comparison. The MINI steering is heavy but not unmanagable but doesn't have a linear resistance feel like the Vette. It may be partly due to the FWD but it seems that even at speed some steering inputs are harder than others.
One thing I did notice that was a night and day difference is that I never realized how noisy the steering pump sounded inside the cabin of the car! Unfortunately I can now hear the crunching of the rear wheel bearings that was covered up by the ps pump whine before.
I, too, pulled the 5A fuse inside the car as well as the 100A under the hood and now my clock and ScanGauge are non functioning while the car is running. Is it just the wrong 5A fuse or is pulling the 5A fuse unnecessary if the 100A is pulled? I couldn't quite figure this out from previous posts.

 

Which 5 amp did you removed? The FL4 100 amp fuse is the only one you really need to remove. The FL39 5 amps fuse is used for a transistor inside the power steering pump, but is also used by the charging system and possibly something else, but I didn't bother going thru all the electrical diagrams.

 

FL39 (according to the chart on my fuse box cover) is the one I pulled. The battery light was on and some systems didn't work while the car was running but when the engine was turned off these systems worked properly on battery power. Put the fuse back in and everything works fine. I just didn't know if both the 5A and 100A fuses needed to be pulled or if the 100A alone was sufficient.

 

anyone have an idea on the resistance at low speeds. My integra is lighter then my cooper and I have to use two hands to turn when vehicle is at a stop. I know I really like the feel of the car with no P/S.

 

Im doing this to my r53 because I have my powersteering disconnected on my Miata. I figured the MINI has to be easier than fighting a full pump on the Miata.

 

I don't have a technical reading for you -- but when the pump had failed it was IMPOSSIBLE to parallel park. If that is in your daily needs... I lived in NYC when the power steering went out....don't do it. I ended up parking the car at for 2 weeks and catching rides to work.

As for how hard it is with the PS delete -- some have said its better than that -- but some people complain about how hard it is to turn with our "power steering."

Its pretty easily reversible and not so expensive -- someone has one for sale in the classifieds right now and I am sure that Condor has a few lying around.

 

It's easier than with a dead pump, but it's by no mean light. The proper solution would be a manual rack with a good gearing, but there's nothing bolt-on available.

 

Only issue with switching to manual rack is "usually" the turning radius is much less. I find the turning radius on the cooper right now is not the greatest when in a parking lot as it is.

 

I've been driving without the power steering for over a month now and I'm honestly considering putting it back in. Parking lot turns are ludicrously difficult and the new problem that has cropped up is copious amounts of bump steer. Hit a bump on one side while on the brakes almost jerks the wheel out of your hand. One advantage is that the Vette seems much easier to steer now by comparison.

 

Everyone that removed their PS, what have you done with all the plugs that no longer have anywhere to go?

 

Be aware that driving a 1st gen MINI without steering power assist may cause the eventual failure of the lower steering shaft universal joint due to excessive steering forces. I suffered with intermittent failure of my R53's pump controller (the issue is the controller, not the pump itself, unfortunately they come as a unit) for some time. After replacing the pump, I noticed a very slight bit of play in the steering (something that is normally non-existent in the MINI) and a quick inspection of the steering shaft resulted in the discovery of a crack in half of the lower universal through to the pin. The system is engineered to work as designed, the power assist is there for a reason.