Power steering on a 4cyl car

Hello,

I am after some general advice and opinions from this forum again. I have a 74 2200TC which i have owned since 2003 and enjoyed improving and driving over the years and it is now fairly sorted although there is always work to do! I bought off E-bay about 15 years ago a complete PAS set-up from someone breaking a very rusty similar car. Of course the 4cyl cars never had PAS fitted so this one was adapted from a V8 but is in truth a bit of a bodge when i look at it, i changed the steering box over when i had the engine out and fitted the V8 type wiper system too to clear the taller steering box. I have been running it like this for over 10 years but the things i am not happy about are the PAS pump running off a larger home-made bracket off the front of the engine and powered from a double water pump pulley. Also, annoyingly the resevoir which has been carefully sculptured to fit on the passenger side still bangs on the air filter albeit only when cold.

I feel i am at a bit of a cross-roads, part of me thinks i might prefer the non PAS set-up again as i don't struggle with the steering, although not looking forward to changing the steering box back; Alternatively i did buy a Citroen Saxo PAS pump (pictured) but dont know how to go about fitting it and doing both the wiring and the plumbing properly. I am reluctant to take the car apart before i have a good plan as it is complete, driveable and would drive anywhere;
Does anyone in Essex recommend someone who could do the work? Or help with the work if i go the Saxo pump route? Hopefully the pictures help although they are not great!

Many thanks

Adrian Dyer
 

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Personally I think that if you have been running with the conversion as it is for 10 years with only the problems you have mentioned, I would finesse the bracket for the pump a bit if the look of it bothers you, and either move the reservoir or, perhaps find a smaller one to cure the interference with the air cleaner when cold. You could machine a groove in the front pulley to drive the pump if running it of the water pump is a problem for you, but that will bring its own issues.
 
To be honest it doesn't look too bad, at least in the photos. One thing that i would do differently is the drive of the pump, i don't think that water pump bearings like the additional strain. Instead you can combine series 1 and 2 crankshaft pulleys to create easily a double one to drive also the steering pump. At least this is what i did for my A/C installation.
 
To be honest it doesn't look too bad, at least in the photos.

I thought that.

One thing that i would do differently is the drive of the pump, i don't think that water pump bearings like the additional strain.

The way the PAS belt tension is pulling in the opposite direction to the alternator belt tension I don't think that will be an issue and it has been in use for 10 years. (Now the OP tells us it needs a new pump every year......:D)

Instead you can combine series 1 and 2 crankshaft pulleys to create easily a double one to drive also the steering pump. At least this is what i did for my A/C installation.

I didn't know that, I must remember that so I can have forgotten it sometime in the future.....
 
The way the PAS belt tension is pulling in the opposite direction to the alternator belt tension I don't think that will be an issue and it has been in use for 10 years. (Now the OP tells us it needs a new pump every year......:D)

:p You are probably right on this, i thought i had to mention the pump bearings because in my limited life time with my TC (albeit through a significant mileage...) i have gone through 2-3 water pumps, and no, i do not overtighten belts.

I didn't know that, I must remember that so I can have forgotten it sometime in the future.....

Yes, i was lucky with this, i only needed a small spacer or something, instead of fabricating a new pulley from scratch.
 

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Thankyou everyone, it is nice to see what other people think and yes, since it has been on there so long with no issues maybe i will just leave it alone but move slightly the reservoir, i think i am capable of that. I have had no waterpump issues since losing one (and then the radiator)
on the M4 at 11pm one night wayback in 2003, made for a lonely wait on the hard shoulder until the breakdown truck arrived, but i digress, that was before i fitted the PAS and have had no issues with the waterpump since although i do check it.
 
Hi, You could try the Range Rover classic reservoir, they are half the size so it can go in the same place and not foul the filter.

Colin
 
Custom made bracket made by previous owner.

Nice Air Filters Chalky too, where did you get them? I just got a '77 TC and it has the old style box. Trying to change the air filter today was a pain, coudln't get it to snap back together.
 
I'd massage a small, neat depression into the side of the reservoir for clearance and leave the rest be.

You'd really need a 75A alternator upgrade to run the electric pump. This would be much more efficient than the mechanical set-up of course as it wouldn't have the weight and constant engine load of the mechanical pump.
 
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