EA81 power steering

[auster]

I am in the middle of fitting power steering from a donor Leone or similar to my well preserved 1987 Brumby.

The pump, pulleys etc are in and the old rack out. Is it possible to fit the power steering rack without taking off the exhaust manifold?

The old manual rack was a tight fit but came out with not too much trouble.
And it seems that the rack itself bolts to the frame on one the driver's side and a "U" shaped bracket (same as the manual rack) affixes the passenger's side. Is that correct?

Is it possible to mix up the input and output hoses to the rack?

Auster

[El_Freddo]

G'day Auster,

I believe it is possible to put the rack in without removing the exhaust manifold and the jacking plate on the engine crossmember.

I'm not 100% sure about the exhaust manifold, but I know to fit the rack without removing the jacking plate you need to remove the "neck" of the steering input shaft. It's held in by two allen key bolts.

By far the easiest way to do it is to drill out the four spot welds on the jacking plate and drop the exhaust manifold - you only need to remove it from the engine and let it hang (with some support if on ramps) from the rear exhaust mounts. No need to remove the whole Y pipe front section. Use bolts to replace the spot welds

Also remember you'll have to add in the extended thermostat housing the clear the rear mounting bracket of the power steering pump. The stock upper radiator hose will still do the job required, so no need to replace this.

I can tell you now that you'll love powersteering - it really makes the brumby feel WAY lighter and you can throw it around "like a sports car"!
I'm now wanting a quick rack for my brumby - and better sway bars, and turbo, and... and...

It never stops!

Cheers

Bennie

[auster]

Thanks for that.

I have removed the old jacking plate and will re-attach it with bolts as the last job. And the radiator hose and extended themostat chamber cover came with the kit.

I am a bit worried about stripping the threads on the exhaust manifold bolts/studs when I try to remove them but I will just have to wait and see.

Actuallly the worst thing about the Brumby is the heavy steering when parking, so I hope that fault will be cured.

[El_Freddo]

If you strip an exhaust stud in the head get a helicoli kit. I had to do one on Sunnie the Brumby recently - Drilled through the steel spacer plate then into the head. Tapped both and ensured that the helcoil thread went all the way into the head and hopefully clear the spacer plate, only so that if we ever have to revove this spacer plate we're not ripping the helicoli out too.

Actuallly the worst thing about the Brumby is the heavy steering when parking, so I hope that fault will be cured.

It will. You'll love it!

Cheers

Bennie

[auster]

Job now finished and going well. Only isssue is weaker self centering action but this might imporve after whhel alignment. Most difficult, frustrating part was getting the new rack boots into place.

[Macca]

Auster;
Good fun isn't it. As I said in the title I've had to do mine 3 times.

Initially I bought a written off forester and took it all out of the foreter and put it in the brumby including the ee20 engine 5 speed manual gearbox and various other bits and pieces.

Worked beautiful or so I thought but the VASS engineer said it was too sensitive and he made me change it to a Leone one as they are in the same repair Manual.

Anyhow I did this and found that the adaption of rack hoses to pump was leaking very slowly but it was annoying but it was good enough to get the car certified and registered.

So 12 months later I found a 1992 L series wagon and with a good rack and it had been changed at some stage as the spot welds had been converted to bolts so getting it out was simple.
All I had to change on the hoses was the pressure pipe on the pump end, had to be cut and a different adaptor fitted, which ENZED did for me for $100.

While I was there I found the wagon was a Manual so I took the clutch cable and it also fitted no problems. That relieved the heavy clutch and a lady could now drive it as my misses has just proven much to my ??

Regards Macca

[El_Freddo]

Macca - EJ20 engine you mean?

Shame the engineer slammed the same rack from the forester. Some have a speed sensitivity valve that reduces the flow of fluid to the rack to increase feel at speed.

If you don't mind sharing, how much did the certification of the engine cost? Any brake mods required?

Cheers

Bennie