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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: dick1172762 on March 06, 2014, 10:33:24 AM

Title: POWER STEERING
Post by: dick1172762 on March 06, 2014, 10:33:24 AM
Any body out there tried using a late model power steering pump on a Pinto with the stock power steering rack?  Looks like I'll need power steering on my hill climb Pinto because of the amount of rubber on the ground.
Title: Re: POWER STEERING
Post by: Pintosopher on March 06, 2014, 11:07:55 AM
Dick,
 Unless you have strength issues ( due to many years of Experience in manual labor ;) ) I don't think you'll have issues with a Non- P/S rack effort. The average H/C in USA is less than 3-1/2 minutes. My 72 only made me tired if I had to make a back to back run due to timing errors.  I was running 20X13X9 Slicks on all corners. If I had spent more time on Chassis setup, The car might have been easier to drive. My fatigue was also due to a less than properly sized seat for pinning my diminutive hiney snugly in said seat. Gear changes can really get you when you 1 hand the wheel, so ergonomics are all important.
 Like real estate, and good carnal relations, .. Location Location , Location!

Pintosopher  8)
Title: Re: POWER STEERING
Post by: dick1172762 on March 06, 2014, 04:59:10 PM
Jim! I just wanted to know what to do just in case. I've already got the PS rack, so the rest will be easy if I already know what to do. The mini stock boys on both dirt and pavement love the power steering. But like you said, a hill climb only last a very short time. We get our new trailer Friday so I'm getting closer to the day. I'm going to try 2 deg neg camber and about 4 deg pos caster and stock tow in, to start. OK????
Title: Re: POWER STEERING
Post by: Pintosopher on March 06, 2014, 06:08:31 PM
Dick,
 I don't have my alignment specs but at the time I put the car together it was doing dual duty on the Street and Auto X . I have the 13X7 steel wheels and the front had enough backspace to really piss off the alignment Tech. The rear were deeper offset with the same 7 inch width. The right front was set to less neg Camber for the crown on the road and the caster caused it to go into neg camber quickly to save the outside tread. Keep in mind, that Hillclimbs are run on closed public roads, and unlike racetracks aren't ideal for any particular setup.
 Think about those Opels in the You Tube H/C videos, they squat enough in the rear to raise either front tire off the surface in the corners, Your Pinto could do it too!

Pintosopher, an unknown roll center in a world  of late apexes ::)
Title: Re: POWER STEERING
Post by: pintoguy76 on March 06, 2014, 09:27:55 PM
How late is a late model to you? I'm running a 91 mustang 2.3 (including the mustangs accessories) in my pinto. Didnt even need an adapter, the pinto power steering lines hooked right up to the mustang pump.I do believe that 92+ pumps used a different size or thread pitch on the pressure line outlet but you can get adapters for it. Or just use a pre-92 pump like me  ;D
Title: Re: POWER STEERING
Post by: amc49 on March 07, 2014, 03:21:28 AM
The only way I could see a problem is using a pump for a non-rack type steering unit on a rack and probably not even then. The pumps pretty much all can produce far more pressure/volume than ever needed, they simply bypass off the rest not used. If using a late power unit that ran on a rack originally then no trouble at all. Racks don't really change that much inside, they all use a simple o-ring in middle and seals on both ends. The piston sizes don't change by much.

Might not tire you that much but plenty of rough handling when driving off-road taught me that if you lose it for a second then power could let you recover in a split-second emergency whereas otherwise you might DNF. Say you get rattled enough to lose tight grip for a second........ ....