I am swapping motors in my min and have the car torn down. Curious of people's experience with power steering delete? I am in remote Montana so not a lot of parking lots to deal with, etc. How heavy is the steering? None of my old 70s BMWs or Porsches had power steering and it wasn't bad at all. Just curious. Saving another 20-30lbs off the front can't hurt either. Thanks for the feedback.

 

The Porsches and BMWs were not FWD, and did not run 205-225 mm tires.

The modern Mini has ~800+ pounds on each front corner, and a small steering wheel.

Ya might not like the result...


Cheers,

Charlie

 

It’s gonna suck. Try pulling the electrical connection to the pump. It’s pretty undrivable. Ask anyone who had the pump fail.

 

Thanks for the input. Car is torn down so was just considering saving some weight and complexity. Not a deal breaker, but had seen where the delete was an option.

You tube videos aren't very informative. Fwd vs rwd is a distinct difference. Comparing my old 70s worm and roller gearbox to an r&p fwd is likely a stretch. But, fwiw the bmw was shod with 15" 205/50s. So there's at least some similarities.

I'll likely put everything back together as stock. But if anyone has real world experience with the delete plate that loops the rack I'd love to hear more.

 

When my pump failed, I pulled the fuse until I could get it repaired. I considered the 50 dollar kit available to do the delete. After a couple of months driving I decided it wasn't worth it. While driving wasn't terrible, turns could be difficult, and even parking in a driveway was a pain. Maybe if you were only on a large track it might be OK, and some people enjoy the change. But I decided that it was better to just replace the pump in the end.

 

I would be interested in the option that Colin Greene did with swapping out the power steering rack for a manual rack from a Lotus Elise. The only thing I remember about it was they had to fab brackets to make it work. It's been a while back though.

 

That is great input. Thank you so much . Curious if the slight reduction in effort from adding the bypass loop vs the running with the pump still in place would make a difference. Regardless, thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Never heard of that idea, but I like it best so far. I'll dig into it. Thanks.

 

Any links to the lotus steering rack thread?

 

https://www.motoringalliance.com/thr...n.21978/page-9

This thread was really informative and helpful.

 

Read this link. Condor is reputable.

https://www.condorspeedshop.com/prod...RBdw3mEARYVvlD

 

No idea on a link. I would have to search this as well.

 

FYI - the Condor link has nothing to do with the Lotus - but it gives you a solution for the Mini. My R53 lives with my daughter - 100 lbs soaking wet. No way mine can be without a healthy pump

 

My worthless input:
My 1967 VW bus was easier to push and steer than when my battery died in my Mini and had to push start it.

I don't think I'd enjoy driving my Mini without power/assisted steering.

 

I was thinking seriously about the delete, but my wife voiced her opinion last night so I'm keeping my ps. I am going to order a canton reservoir and I'll clean everything up. Hopefully it will stay healthy.

Fwiw there seems to be a big reduction in steering effort with a looped track vs dealing with a dead pump. If I can ever find info on the lotus swap I may be revisit the idea.

 

I am going to reach out to Colin at Greene Performance and try to get some info. If I come up with something useful, I will post it here.

 

I replaced our pump over the weekend and it wasn't a bad job at all. After a year of a dead pump I forgot how easy it was to turn. Even if the "delete" made it feel somewhere in the middle I'd probably still replace the pump. Greene's option of replacing it with a true manual steering rack probably turns easier than the delete would. Seems like more work than someone like me could do in their driveway though.

 

I replaced the pump in my r53 with just jack stands - did it in a carport.

 

Here is what I got from Colin:
" It kinda went nowhere because of the steering effort needed to make the car turn. That was the main issue. Big issue is the car has 1600 ish pounds on it's front tires so it makes it hard to deal with. I have found that heat sleeving the lines to and from the reservoir helps keep it from killing the pump though. "

 

Dex,
Grateful for you checking with Colin. I'll be driving with ps. Thanks everyone for the input.
Brad

 

You are welcome. I am a bit disappointed it didn't turn out so good though.

 

I was really intrigued by the idea of a lotus rack. From what I've read a higher ratio eases the effort involved. But, honestly the biggest concern I had was the couple of posts I read regarding the steering shaft coupling just above the rack.

Apparently, this is a really weak spot that can potentially fail when the power steering pump is removed. It would be scary to have steering failure due to added stress at the coupling.

I'm adding a Canton power steering fluid reservoir just for looks. While the lotus rack seems like a cool idea, I'll stay safe and stay stock.

Thanks again. Hope this thread helps everyone.