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Date:   Sun, 1 May 2011 12:53:35 -0700
Reply-To:   Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:   Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:   Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:   Re: Power Steering Question
Comments:   To: J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
Content-Type:   text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original

there are lots of PS vanagons running around with the belt removed from the PS pump .. doesn't seem to hurt the rack or anything that I have seen.

and now that I see your note about very stiff steering without the PS pump running.. they're 'not that bad' with the PS pump not running. I suggest you jack up the front end, and feel how easily it steers that way . you should feel almost no drag in the steering mechaism .. at least not 'high effort' in any way.

there was one van I worked on .. a horribly rusted syncro .. got it 'not running' to install new engine and trans.. as soon as I hooked up the PS it blew out a metal PS line .. and... the steering on that van was way, way too stiff, much more than you'd see without power assist .. the suspension was despeartely rusted . I didn't get to work on it . but I suspect that van had perhaps a rusted or ruined ball joint or two.

if the steering seems much too stiff.. undo one tie rod so only one side is connected ..and then the other side ..trying to track down some extra stiff compent. Though, in hundreds of vanagons I've only seen that once.

maybe it's just 'normal' stiffness when the PS isn't connected in your case.. but they are not like some old say Cadillac from the 70's that you could barely steer without PS .. vanagons with their PS pump disconnected are not that hard to drive at all.. so just wondering if you might have something else going on ( low tire pressure ? ) .. or you're just not used to how one feels with PS disabled.

and I think you said your van was somewhat rusty underneath. I like that model btw .. I had two of them ....a nice living room on wheels.

scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "J Stewart" <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2011 11:46 AM Subject: Power Steering Question

> <SIGH> It's been an all VW weekend for me, and not a good one. Yesterday > was spent trying to figure why when it rains my daughter's New Beetle > floods on the drivers side floor, ruining an airbag sensor to the tune of > $503.00. It has no sunroof (every one keeps telling me to clean the > sunroof drains!). Today was time for some PM on the Vanagon, mainly > flushing and refilling the power steering fluid and changing the filter. > The fluid reservoir was quite gunked up, so I decided to remove it for > cleaning, and well, as your might have guessed, the lower hose fitting > snapped off. Sooooooooo, a new reservoir has been ordered, but in the > meantime I have shoved bolts into the two hose ends and clamped them. I > don't really need to drive it this week, but the question is, can I drive > it with the fluid reservoir disconnected without harming anything? TIA, > Jeff > > > > Jeff Stewart


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