Date:         Tue, 31 Aug 2004 20:26:47 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Consensus wanted....OK to drive with power steering belt
              detached               for awhile???
In-Reply-To:  <20040830171305.87021.qmail@web13826.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Hello All:
>
>My second Power Steering question of the day...
>
>Awhile ago there was discussion on the list whether it
>is OK to drive the Vanagon with the Power Steering
>disabled (take belt off). I never did find out what
>the popular wisdom was..but I want to do this soon as
>possible. My leak is getting worse and I don't want to
>have to keep filling it constantly...and I also don't
>want to burn up my PS Pump.
>
>Does it damage anything to drive it with "manual"
>steering for awhile, without the Power Steering belt
>attached???
>
>Please respond asap as I'd like to d this today....
>
>Thanks!
>Kevin
>
>I've heard a few people say stuff like that... I have yet to hear anyone
>say "then I repaired the leak, filled 'er up, and the rack is just fine."
>
>Anyone resurrected P/S *after* a long period of no pump belt? Did any rack
>damage result?

I drove my Nissan Skyline with a broken belt for a while.. no
problems. I also drove my 89 diesel Corolla van for a few months
after installing a powered rack (and lines and reservoir) and before
fitting a pump... the power steering works just fine now, a couple of
years after fitting the pump and throwing in fluid...

No, I did NOT have to fix anything.

>Manual steering is FAR easier than power steering with the belt removed.
>It's not  just that the manual steering setup has a bigger steering wheel.
>The steering geometry is different also.  If you add a power steering rack
>and pump to a vanagon with a front end set up for manual, it will seem even
>easier to steer than a factory power steering setup as the manual system
>requires more turns of the steering wheel ... lock to lock.

Might be the case with the T3, but not my Corolla... steering like
trying to roll a BIG boulder without a crowbar, no difference
between unpowered rack & dry powered.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut