L200
Hi All
I’ve just ‘finished’ my EPAS conversion and thought I’d share what I learned whilst doing it.
I removed the dash upper and lower dash panels (relatively easy and gets easier the more you do it!) and access was good.
I found it was easier to undo the pinch bolt where the column meets the rack from inside the car – I pulled the big rubber seal back as far as I could and you can easily get at the fitting that way. I also trimmed the seal on the new column to remove the great big flap of rubber.
My cage prevented me from fitting the ECU in the normal position, so I mounted it on the top of the glove box – I removed the bracket and just drilled through it to locate the holes. This was actually a good choice as the high current cable run through to the engine bay was nice and short. I crimped some new cables onto the bits I had sticking out of the plug. Remember to ensure the cable rating is higher than the fuse rating!
I used one of the airbag mounting points (airbags removed) on the dash bar as the earth.
One of the reasons I removed the original column was to lower it – I have a low seat to ensure my head clears the small roll cage brace across the door opening. If you remove the column adjuster mechanism, the column can be lowered further with a little bit of effort.
Near to this point, I tapped into the supply for the cigarette lighter (yellow / red?) for the ECU supply. This brings on the EPAS with the accessory position which is what I wanted.
I didn’t use the ebay / Portuguese controller as a friend of mine builds power steering systems for rally cars (he supplies many of the bigger suppliers) - https://www.facebook.com/electricpowersteering/ . I used one of his controllers which is a really quality bit of kit but more expensive than the ebay offering.
I fitted a 5PK850 belt which was a bit of a tight one but seems fine.
I have left the power steering pump and system in place (I know removing it would save weight but I’ve run out of time). I will remove the pump when I get time, then run the pipes up to a reservoir (rather than linking them) based on my friend’s advice.
I drove the car up and down the drive and the EPAS seemed good.
The real test (which will be the next time I drive it) will be Pembrey sprint in a week – a pretty scary test for a new steering system!
Wyn
I’ve just ‘finished’ my EPAS conversion and thought I’d share what I learned whilst doing it.
I removed the dash upper and lower dash panels (relatively easy and gets easier the more you do it!) and access was good.
I found it was easier to undo the pinch bolt where the column meets the rack from inside the car – I pulled the big rubber seal back as far as I could and you can easily get at the fitting that way. I also trimmed the seal on the new column to remove the great big flap of rubber.
My cage prevented me from fitting the ECU in the normal position, so I mounted it on the top of the glove box – I removed the bracket and just drilled through it to locate the holes. This was actually a good choice as the high current cable run through to the engine bay was nice and short. I crimped some new cables onto the bits I had sticking out of the plug. Remember to ensure the cable rating is higher than the fuse rating!
I used one of the airbag mounting points (airbags removed) on the dash bar as the earth.
One of the reasons I removed the original column was to lower it – I have a low seat to ensure my head clears the small roll cage brace across the door opening. If you remove the column adjuster mechanism, the column can be lowered further with a little bit of effort.
Near to this point, I tapped into the supply for the cigarette lighter (yellow / red?) for the ECU supply. This brings on the EPAS with the accessory position which is what I wanted.
I didn’t use the ebay / Portuguese controller as a friend of mine builds power steering systems for rally cars (he supplies many of the bigger suppliers) - https://www.facebook.com/electricpowersteering/ . I used one of his controllers which is a really quality bit of kit but more expensive than the ebay offering.
I fitted a 5PK850 belt which was a bit of a tight one but seems fine.
I have left the power steering pump and system in place (I know removing it would save weight but I’ve run out of time). I will remove the pump when I get time, then run the pipes up to a reservoir (rather than linking them) based on my friend’s advice.
I drove the car up and down the drive and the EPAS seemed good.
The real test (which will be the next time I drive it) will be Pembrey sprint in a week – a pretty scary test for a new steering system!
Wyn
I'm hoping another day out in it will make me gel with it, the assistance is odd to say the least. Maybe a manual rack is my answer
