power steering hose to pump

westOz74P6B

westOz74P6B

Member
Why such a long hose to supply the fluid to the power steering pump, it runs across the bulkhead down the drivers side (RHD) then across in front of the radiator then sharply bends (with a kink I noticed on my hose) up to the pump. I intend to make a shorter route using similar id tube (either copper or stainless steel) down the passenger side of the engine bay albeit keeping away from the heat of the exhaust manifold as possible. So, Question; is the outlet on the resivior fixed or can it be swiveled to point to the front? and anyone else noted a kink in their hose or rerouted the same hose?
 
As a general rule the fewer the joints in high pressure pipework (be it hydraulic, oil or air) the better. In this case the pipe is simply a supply pipe and is not active in the operation of the steering, so there is no need to minimise the amount of flexible verses solid pipe. Therefore there are no performance implications to using a flexible pipe. Rover's routing of it is much more likely to be to do with convenience in the assembly process on the production line than any technical logic as to why it should take that particular route. So no implications in particular to changing it, given that you think about whether it might get in the way in its new location if eg you wanted to take the engine out. A number of tuners and race prep mechanics consider it worthwhile to fit oil coolers to power steering systems (!!!) so keeping the new route away from heat sources is likely to be worthwhile. Personally I'd be inclined to stick with a single flexible for the whole run by whatever route, but you might want to use solid pipework for a portion of it on aesthetic grounds. To get a new flexible made up check your phonebook for the local branch of Pirtek or similar, who supply pipework for earth moving machinery and similar, and they will come out and make you up a bespoke pipe on site.

Chris
 
thanks for that chris, as you say it is only a supply line to the pump so there would be no real need to re-route it only for the fact that I noticed a kink in it as it bends up to the pump which I have sorted so far by fitting a hose clip around the kink to straighten the hose and thus reduce the restriction in the supply of fluid, I'll give it a good dose of looking at though and post some thoughts if I do decide to proceed.
 
westOz74P6B said:
thanks for that chris, as you say it is only a supply line to the pump so there would be no real need to re-route it only for the fact that I noticed a kink in it as it bends up to the pump which I have sorted so far by fitting a hose clip around the kink to straighten the hose and thus reduce the restriction in the supply of fluid, I'll give it a good dose of looking at though and post some thoughts if I do decide to proceed.
Click to expand...

I am trying to reduce spagetti junction under my bonnet too.

Did you decide to proceed?
 
The long length of the pipe could be a way of it acting as a cooler without the need for a cooler itself. A lot of Yanks have PAS coolers which are just lengths of steel pipe bent backwards and forwards to form a pipe type radiator.
 
harveyp6 said:
The long length of the pipe could be a way of it acting as a cooler without the need for a cooler itself. A lot of Yanks have PAS coolers which are just lengths of steel pipe bent backwards and forwards to form a pipe type radiator.
Click to expand...

That's quite a common practice with main compressor pipes on commercials (normally a coiled section) but then they really get quite hot
Regards Colin
 
I think I'll leave until I get some more time - I have to plenty of things to do at the moment without messing with things that currently work :?
 
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