[RESOLVED] Reducing/deleting Power steering cooler? [Merged 7-8] cooling coil loop

[raceguy]

What's the best way to replace the power steering cooler? I've heard of people eliminating it altogether, but if I wanted to save it, then where would I get one? Is there a way I could make one?

Thanx in advance

 

[Jonathan4g63]

In most cases, you have to delete this anyway when you get a big FMIC. ETS says that they have had hundreds of people do this with no conflicting problems. Also trimming of the radiator is usually what must be done to accomplish a short route FMIC.

James

Correct, I have an ETS kit and I had to delete mine. I've had no problems at all like this.

 

[twoTSis]

Instead of buying this kit could you just take the curved end of the cooling piping and cut it off then connect the curved metal piping you cut off to the two rubber tubes where the piping connects originally? Basically the lines that run down would then just connect in the engine bay and the tubing wouldn't need to run all the way down in the center of the bumper.

Is this going to work or is it a good idea to get the cooling kit from summit racing as posted earlier in this thread? It doesn't really need cooled does it?

 

[turbosax2]

That depends on what you use your car for. A drag car will not need a cooler, but an auto-x or road race car may benefit from a cooler. Many people street drive their cars with no cooler and haven't had problems.

 

[twoTSis]

I drive mine on the street, local street races, and am planning on drag racing after I am done with my build this summer. I think I'd be fine with out it. My friends and I have got along fine without power steering completely plenty of times before.

 

[Avionixx]

I deleted mine when I installed my ETS FMIC as well. Everything appears to be fine for the most part, but now I've got a minor P/S leak; which I'm positive I've never had before. I can't say for certain removing the cooler was to blame, but you can't exactly say it was just a coincidence.

 

[twoTSis]

I think my idea of how to do it should work fine considering all I will be doing is shortening the stock cooler piping.

 

[ETS Tom]

I deleted mine when I installed my ETS FMIC as well. Everything appears to be fine for the most part, but now I've got a minor P/S leak; which I'm positive I've never had before. I can't say for certain removing the cooler was to blame, but you can't exactly say it was just a coincidence.

When you loop the rubber line from the PS reservoir outlet back to the inlet sometimes the old clamps have weakened over the years and won't squeeze the line hard enough to keep from there being a slight fluid seep from either of those two connections. Some fuel line hose clamps would definitely do the trick and a new and more flexible section of rubber line at the same time wouldn't hurt either

Tom

 

[twoTSis]

I did what I suggested earlier and it worked great, no problems of any sort with it. It actually feels to me like it turns better.

 

[dredman1]

turbosax2;151366559]Perma-Cool Compact Fluid Coolers: PRM-1001 - summitracing.com[/B]

We installed this on my brothers 95 GST when he got a fmic. It's a pretty nice kit and cheap too.

This small cooler looks good!!! I plan to auto-X in the near future, and given the 1G's propensity for power steering failure this looks like a viable option. Can anyone confirm a coller would help with this?
Also, does anyone have a pic of how this would install? Do I just cut the p/s cooling tube in front the radiator and plumb the cooler's inlet and outlet hoses to the cut p/s tubes?

 

[dredman1]

Can anyone confirm if a cooler would help with this?

^^^ Sorry about that...fixed

 

[wishgst]

heard from some friends that i could take off the coil in front the radiator that cools the power steering fluid. was told i could just connect the ends right where they come out of the power steering can and take off the coil and shouldnt have to worry about overheating. this is the coil im talking about (not my car)

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anyone do this before? any problems? advice?

 

[No_Skillz]

Keep it. If it's in the way of something (like an FMIC) you can route it behind that center support.

 

[wishgst]

Keep it. If it's in the way of something (like an FMIC) you can route it behind that center support.

reasoning? heard from many experienced DSMers that it's pointless

 

[No_Skillz]

It's a passive system. You could probably remove it and rune just fine, but when your power steering goes, what would be to blame?

 

[wishgst]

if it goes. i jus wanna hear from some people who've done it and if they've had problems with it

 

[Fiascoxl]

mines in the trash. no problems 2 years strong!

 

[wishgst]

how did you remove it? take off the bumper and connect the 2 lines that goes to the coil right by the steering fluid can?

 

[tsunari]

Either keep it or install an aftermarket oil / tranny cooler. The fluid for our power steering systems is just regular ATF fluid. When that stuff gets too hot, it begins to break down at an accelerated rate and loses its ability to lubricate properly (believe it also becomes acidic, but I could be wrong). When this happens, you're looking at deteriorating the seals in your PS pump, the seals in the steering rack, and the rubber lining in the high pressure lines.

You probably wont notice any performance degradation (I haven't, and I've been without one for 3+ years and do everything from SoloII to Time Attack events), but for reliability and longevity reasons . . . your pump and your steering rack will thank you for it.

I know because my rack, PS pump and high pressure feed line are all leaking.

 

[jamesfoster]

I just bought this Fram TC6100 $15 bucks on ebay:
eBay Motors: New FRAM TC6100 Universal Transmission Oil Cooler Kit (item 300300211430 end time Mar-13-09 20:49:25 PDT)

Going to put it on my car as soon as it gets here.

 

[Jenstyler]

I bought my 92 Talon N/T with a bad P/S cooler. The car was sitting for a few months in a lot and water got in between the steel lines and the rubber tubes that went around one of the 90 degree bends in front of the radiator. It rotted it out and power steering fluid was spraying out of the front of the car. So, quick fix was take the outbound line from the P/S reservoir and bypass the cooler. There is no way you are going to over heat your power steering pump unless you're on a oval track taking turns at 120mph for hours. Its been almost 9 months and no problems whatsoever. Few races and a few drag runs, no problems.
I forgot to add how I did it. Just Take the rubber line coming out of the bottom of the reservior off the cooler "in" line and put it on the steel line that is between your motor and shock can. I took the cooler out. All it is is a screw and a kind of C clamp. Pretty simple to pull out. A little awkward but not anything big.

 

[bmoha2]

My stock front loop was getting rusty so I eliminated it. Last week it started getting warm out and my steering was acting weird. Like it was kinda not steering for a bit. Little dead spots. I got it home and touched the hard line where I looped it to itself and it was hot enough to burn. I think it was getting hot enough to boil the fluid. Not so good. I ordered a Perma cool power steering cooler thru Summit. Was very easy to install and power steering is working just spiffy now and the hard line where it runs back into the reservoir seems much cooler.
Just a thought for you guys running SS tubular exhaust manifolds, ss O2 sensor housings or even ss atmospheric dump O2 sensor housings and a SS 3 inch downpipe like me... Stainless gives off a lot of heat. A ton of it. A year back I had to replace my power steering pump as the seals were leaking badly. I think the power steering pump absorbs too much heat from a ss tubular exhaust manifold and tubular ss o2 sensor housing. I have since DEI wrapped my exhaust manifold and things are seeming to work better as well. I am also going to wrap my downpipe. I think that if you are running a ss tubular exhaust manifold and or ss tubular o2 sensor housing etc that a power steering fluid cooler might be mandatory when the weather starts getting hotter. Not so much needed in the winter time but anything more than 70 degrees or so.