Armstrong power steering

Tiny update today.  I did a power steering delete tonight.  For cars this light power steering is really not needed.  It will take a little effort in parking lots but it's really not needed.  This saves me the weight , energy and and it's really easy.   I have done this before on a 1987 BMW 325 track car I had for the 24 hours of Lemons, but that is another story...

Anyway there are several ways to do this:

#1: - Install a non-powered rack. 
This gives it a factory manual ratio but you have to find a rack (which is not easy given the popularity of spec miata racing) and has a slower rate that helps in the parking lots but not so much on the twisties.

#2 - Depower the rack. 
This is keeping your original rack and modifying it to operate manually.  And there are two ways to do this the hard way and a really easy way.

#2a - Sealectomy
Which is to pull the rack apart and remove the internal seals and reassemble it:

http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/depower.php

While it is the *best* way, I think it is overkill.

#2b - Plug and loop (what I did)
Here you start by plugging the ports from the power steering lines.  If you just did this the steering would be very stiff because you are having to pump the fluid back and forth.  To solve this, you cut the lines small lines that go from the valve to the rack and the turn the steering lock to lock to blow out the extra fluid.  This will not remove all of the fluid so it will still lubricate the rack and pinion gears.  To keep dirt, water, condensation, bugs, etc from getting it you put two short pieces of hose between so when you steer you just move air from one side of the rack to the other.

 I actually reused some of the fuel hose I removed with the fuel tank.  I know people that have done this to their miata's and 7 years later they are still going strong. 

In the end it cost me $0 and took 15 minutes. 

Simplify and add lightness. :)