Bowtie Boy

Pretty slick looking with only 2 pulleys, seems like a decent amount of power could be freed with a setup like this. What is the belt size if you run like this?

joelster

Yeah I have the exact same setup. Not sure whose kit that is though. I know Madman sells a kit and so does jakesz28.com . The kits come with a belt. Not only do you free up a LOT of room, but you knock off 30lbs off of the nose. The power steering pump is gone, air pump is gone, that HUGE bracket that bolts to the passenger side of the motor is gone, etc, etc.

Bowtie Boy

So hows manual steering on the street?

joelster

I run skinnies so it's not too bad. You only really notice it when you are going real slow and turning sharply, like going into a parking spot or something. At higher speeds it isn't bad at all.

airfix

iTrader: (30)

I'm running the Speed Inc set up just like that. Manual steering is easy if you have skinnies, Havn't tried it with the 275's though. I'll go check my belt length right now I don't remeber off the top of my head.

airfix

iTrader: (30)

My belt is 35 1/4" in length.

cumminsram06

When you lost the power steering pump, did you buy a manual rack setup from somewhere or just use the factory unit and loose the lines?

jayz28

iTrader: (3)

I have the same kit too. I think it may be SJM Manufacturing.

http://www.sjmmanufacturing.com/cam_eng_lt1.html

Most people just loop the two lines together. I poured it full of fluid and looped the lines together. It does good for now. Until I can get a manual rack.

JBarron

Looping the lines is going to result in a lot more effort being required to turn the wheel. The "proper" way to de-power a PS rack, is to remove the internal seals. Then you aren't trying to force fluid and/or air around inside the rack.

jayz28

iTrader: (3)

How do you remove the internal seals?

JBarron

Well, I've never been inside of an F-Body rack, but from the others I have been inside of (BMW E36 and '93 FD RX-7), they seem to be fairly similar internally. On both of those, once you take it apart, the rack has a metal ring with the seal on it. You cut this completely off, with a cut-off wheel on a rotary tool, or an angle grinder. There were also some other seals, and I just removed the springs from those, so they don't exert as much pressure/resistance against the inside of the housing. You just need to keep grease in, and dirt and water out. It was pretty doable, moderate difficulty.



That's the main seal, on a FC RX-7 rack, but like I said, it should be pretty similar. You can make two cuts on that metal ring, 180 degrees apart from each other, then whack it with a punch & hammer. The other big part, is that you weld the quill. Since it no longer needs to articulate. This allows you to go from having about 5 degrees of slop, to no slop at all. Again, this is on a Mazda.

The long metal bar on the bottom, is the rack. The part in the upper right hand corner is the quill.

merim123

iTrader: (11)

this is a lot simpler setup and looks great. and if it takes of 30lbs of weight off the front, that's nice. The only reason I wouldn't do it is because of the power steering. but if the de-powering works like above, may not be a bad idea to try. what is a quill btw?

brucer

might look at a manual rack for a fox body mustang... they use to be like $120 pretty easy to fabricate mounts for them....

ive read the s-10 manual racks can be made to work also..

grn95t/a

iTrader: (10)

i just looped mine and have no real issues with it. i'm using a homemade bracket copied off a store bought unit with a 37" belt. am also running skinnies full time. turns real good for a powered rack looped together.

94Z28rag

iTrader: (10)

My setup is the same. Running a Madman bracket.

cumminsram06

Anyone willing to rip their rack apart and give the above method a try? I can see how it would be a lot less effort on the steering than looping the lines together. I know the "proper" way would be to just get a manual conversion rack but they aren't cheap.

Young Maro

iTrader: (5)

What kind of power do you pick up from loosing the power steering? I bought the SpeedInc kit.. (it was like 400$ lol) to retain power steering since mines mostly a street car. It looks damn good though.

Rob94hawk

iTrader: (1)

Very sweet setup. Wish I could ditch the PS pump but no way in hell on a daily driver with 275/40's on the front.

Which is the best kit that keeps the PS pump but ditches the AC? The speedinc kit?

airfix

iTrader: (30)

I believe speed inc has the only kit for f bodys, I may be wrong. Either way the speed inc set up is very nice.

19mike84

i run the madman kit and my belt is 31 1/4''