Power steering leak question??

[Bmxr152]

Ok so the cars has leaked power steering fuild for a while now and the owner ran the fluid all the way out and has stopped leaking. The question is, im going to just use the car for drag racing. Will it be ok if i never fill it back up and just use it as if it wasnt power steering, or will it lock up or something?

 

[silverbullett]

I did that on a previous vehicle (98 Integra gsr). It was ok for a few months of daily driving. Eventually the gears in the rack went bad and the steering became "spooky" at best. Hold the wheel left while on the gas, then to the right when I let off the gas. All that just to go straight. I'm not saying this will happen on a dsm but, I assume the p.s. fluid also lubricates the gears so there could be some unusual wear and tear on the rack with no fluid there.

 

[Bmxr152]

is there a way to delete it and go manual?

 

[KazooGS-T]

Sure is! That's what I'm doing on my 93 TSI. Just take all of the powersteering lines etc off and the hole on the steering rack, you can block off, or you can loop it to where the fluid will still circulate. But fluid in the rack is very essential, unless you don't care about having to replace it after a while.

 

[Bmxr152]

So take off the lines, and cap off the rack with some oil in there? Let me know if im wrong, but theres always gotta be some oil in there right? Anyone with some expirence with no power steering?

 

[Black_Bullet]

You cant leave the power steering motor without fluid it will eventually start scratching and making a nasty noise audiable from the cabin. And if you remove the motor and belt and just leave the line plugged to the steering coloum ive experienced pretty unconsistent and hard to turn steering manners... Ive had a nasty power steering leak before, once you break the top seal when you unturn that screw it will always leak no matter how much you try to tighten it ... You just going to have to man up and go to the junkyard and either get a manual rack from a 1.8 and do the swap for no power steering, or your going to have to get a new power steering pump like i did.