I know KC posted some info on this a while ago, but I would like as much info as I can possibly get about hooking up a hydro. Some on here are running them. My PS is just about kaput. Every time I wheel I get boiled PS fluid all over and the thing hardly turns. Any pictures are much appreciated, as well as what rams you guys recommend. Thanks!

I've been looking at this as well. Tis has it. I think the small ram from www.rockstomper.com would work fine. I think the stock PS pump will work ok, but not perfect. Some people are starting to swap in Saginaw pumps as well. Hard to do on mine since it is mounted low on the engine.

If I recall David, your power steering pump was going kaput along time ago. We found it to be very weak. I suggest you find another 300 TDI pump and try that for a little. I will say this, the TDI pump you have when working right, is pretty good. It far exceeds the capability of the 3.9 and 4.0 pumps. You can turn it up a bit, and get more power out of it stock, or you can add the ram and get a bit more umph out of it. Tis's works ok, last I heard I think he had turned up the pump, and was getting very reasonable power out of the system. But to be honest you will have to ask him about it, since i have not seen his truck for some time now.

Tapping the box is really easy, and fitting the ram is not a problem either.

Fawk shop boy just drove a truck through the fawking wall, gotta go.

David I posted some pics on this thread for DiscoDino.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326350&highlight=boost

It was worth a shot to me to mod the stock stuff before spending money on aftermarket parts, here's what I learned. Added just ram, no benefit, drilled high pressure fitting ect as described in KC's original post= Good results at high RPM, only slight improvement at low end. Makes road handling "interesting". I've talked to some other people and will likely try adding an aftermarket pump next to try and achieve the balance I'm looking for. FWIW when I drove Bills rover with the TDI pump and full hydro it was super powerful at low end RPMs but I never drove it at speed to see if it was really sensative.

Tis

I have the Rockstomper ram and the stock 3.5i pump with all the mods for power done to it...my mechanic is looking into installing a '78 (?) American pump (not sure where from, but he said it should not be hard) and that should be able to move oil faster...figured that should he be successful, then I'll buy me a high performance pump for that vehicle/engine.

low RPM my power is not great, high its OK, street is "to be gotten used to"...make sure you're insured :flipoff2:

Can ya'll describe the feel with the hydro-assist? I'm assuming there's a "delay" between the box and the ram pushing or pulling the tie-rod.

I have a couple ideas I'm kicking around for doing my set-up.

Thanks guys. Very helpful. I just had a rebuild of the 300 pump priced out at $140 with higher flow pressure. Seems reasonable, now I need to figure out which ram to choose. The PSC looks good, but still looking.

Can ya'll describe the feel with the hydro-assist? I'm assuming there's a "delay" between the box and the ram pushing or pulling the tie-rod.

I have a couple ideas I'm kicking around for doing my set-up.

Without turning up the pump the feeling is that of no power steering at all but not delayed. I guess that is due to the increased surface area when you add the ram. With the pump turned up, it is very sensative almost like having tons of oversteer. The slightest play in the steering system can cause havoc making your sytem twitchy.

Tis

Without turning up the pump the feeling is that of no power steering at all but not delayed. I guess that is due to the increased surface area when you add the ram. With the pump turned up, it is very sensative almost like having tons of oversteer. The slightest play in the steering system can cause havoc making your sytem twitchy.

Tis

Sounds like drilling out the ID on the port of the pump is critical, and depending on how ever may thousandths over it is drilled will change the steering characteristics. Do you know what your pump port was drilled to for reference?

Sounds like drilling out the ID on the port of the pump is critical, and depending on how ever may thousandths over it is drilled will change the steering characteristics. Do you know what your pump port was drilled to for reference?

That's too funny. You think we actual worked it out on paper before modding our pumps??? Do a search for a post from PuffDragon earlier this year. He detailed how to mod the pumps. I modded the output, but could not increase the pressure, my pump apparently is different than the one K.C. used.

That's too funny. You think we actual worked it out on paper before modding our pumps??? Do a search for a post from PuffDragon earlier this year. He detailed how to mod the pumps. I modded the output, but could not increase the pressure, my pump apparently is different than the one K.C. used.

Whats funny about trying to determine a point of reference for handling characteristics to try and taylor it to what will suit my needs? Besides what would you have to work out on paper? If you know the stock passage ID with heavy steering is X, and you know that steering feels too twitchy at Y given a constant cylinder size, then you know there is a sweet spot somewhere between those points. I apologize, I'll try not to think analytically again, I'd hate for some tech to come out of it. :flipoff2:

Larry, you can increase your pump. There is a silver ball bearing on the output side of the valve. You press that ball bearing in a 32nd at a time to get your pressure up. Do it in small amounts though. Teh pump I showed was a TDI pump. The regular plain jane 3.9-4.0 pump is alot more basic, but can still be modded. They are built like this for calibration at the factory. But beware, once you start bumping the pressure up, you are going to be hard pressed to get it back down without replacing the valve.

I can't remember the bit size I used, Larry didn't I tell you at some point what size it was? Seems that I didn't quite double the size of the port and I pushed the ball bearing in more than 1/32 but didn't measure the end result.

Tis

Now that I think about it the port steps down and I enlarged it to the next size up.

Fawk shop boy just drove a truck through the fawking wall, gotta go.

BTDT-have the body shop bills to prove it. Hope the damage wasn't too bad. We now only start vehicles when seated in the operator's seat.

Saginaw power steering pumps can be added to a serpentine belted engine fairly easily-IF you can get that damned three eared flange off the original ZF pump-anybody got an idea for this?

IIRC, the Saginaw pump needs to be spaced exactly 1/2" away from the front of the engine for the pulleys to line up. As the Saginaw mounting points are most easily utilized from the back of the pump, using two sheets of 1/4" aluminum plate with one bolted to the engine and the other bolted to the pump and then the two plates bolted together seems to me to be the least intensive means of mounting the pump. The mounting points for both pieces will be obscured if one were to bolt the plate to the engine and not have the pump mounted already. Depending upon the year/model of donor vehicle, the mounting bolts will either be 5/16-18 or 8m/m*1.25.

Again, IIRC, the pressures will be increased about 15% and the flow rates increase by a similar amount.

If one uses the integral reservoir Sag pump, clearance is increased for such optional activities as an added battery and HEI distributor :flipoff2:

If one has a non-serpentine belted engine, the remote reservoir Saginaw pumps can be utilized even more easily as they were available with acceptable pulleys and the diameter of the pulley is close enough to use without modification.

Peace,
PT

K.C.,
Maybe I'll have to go back and take a look. I just looked at the pics you posted and realized mine was completely different.

'Tis,
I'll have a look. The hole is bored out quite a bit, it more than likely doubled the flow through the PS pump.

This brings up an interesting question. If I increased the flow but not the pressure, what adverse effect might that have? Every since I increased the flow the steering seems harder to turn under load (tires aired down). It seems as though the steering shaft is showing signs of u-joint failure now, and it didn't seem to before. This leads me to two possible conclusions:

The problem was there before, and due to the increased flow it is more evident.

The problem rose up after the flow increase and truly makes the steering harder to turn.

Saginaw power steering pumps can be added to a serpentine belted engine fairly easily-IF you can get that damned three eared flange off the original ZF pump-anybody got an idea for this?


I used the adaptor that screws in to a saginaw pump(Mac power steering pulley remover kit) into the shaft of the rover pump(same internal threads) and pulled it with a 3 jaw puller,i'd imagine that a 3 slotted steering wheel puller would work also.Used the Mac ps tool kit to press it onto the pump I got from Station.
(using rover serpentine pulley on the pump for my unimog full hydro)

BTW,One of BTL Engineerings business cards was in the owners manual of the P38 that I worked on yesterday,didn't get a chance to talk to the owner to see if he was from the Fort or if he just recently bought it.