power steering pump upgrade
 

I have a question about possibly upgrading my power steering system.
I currently own a 92 SVX with the engine speed power assist power steering. It is leaking and my mechanic checked the o-ring that I have read is typically faulty, and told me that it was not causing the leak. So it looks like I'm going to have to buy another PS pump.
Now for the question... could I possibly upgrade to the speed variable power assist stuff that is on the nicer LSL models or would that just be crazily difficult and costly?
I figure if the pump is like "self contained" then I could just buy the LSL pump and get that installed and be fine. But, if the LSL pump gets "stuff" from the ECU, then would I have to get a new ECU or could I just rewire/reprogram it or something.

I tried looking for someone else who had tried this but couldnt turn up any good stuff on the forum already.

Anyway, any help on this matter will be appreciated, and feel free to make fun of my technical descriptions. In the mean time I'll just be leaving a nice ps fluid trail whereever I go :).

Tim

Tim

The pump is the same for both types of power steering, so what you are suggesting is not an easy modification. The pump just supplies the hydraulic pressure for doing the work.

As you suggest, the speed sensitive one would use data about road speed to vary the pressure used. This would imply connection to the ECU to get this information, more likely indeed it could have it's own computer circuit to handle the information and configure the outputs. The steering rack would be a different model to cope with the changes in pressure.

I do not think it is a major job to overhaul the pump, if you have the time. Someone on here has done so, you should run a search.

Best of luck,

Joe:)

The O ring can have many different symptoms. I would try changing the O ring first, and if that doesn't work, then look at replacing the pump. The O ring doesn't cost very much and only takes a little time to do it. Good luck. :)

Yes, yes Earl is dead right,

How did the "mechanic" check the 'O' ring ? Mine was leaking air bur there was no visible fluid leak. The ONLY way to check it is to actually see it and having got that far replace it.

:eek: That's twice this month! ;)

Thanks everyone for helping. Especially Earl for being right.
I'm not sure how my mechanic checked the "o" ring. However talented they are, they can be pretty lazy about some things. But, since I bring my car their and have gotten them tons of business they barely charge me. So he coulda just glanced over it. I'll look over my pump and try to maybe overhaul it myself(break it but learn from it) and then probably replace it :). I guess it'd be too tough for me to upgrade on my own, and since I own an SVX and am in college I dont have enough cash to pay my mechanic for a job like that.