Upgrade/Remove or Repair to OEM? (A/C, PAS, etc)

[JimF]

Clio 172 Ph2.
I'm very much of the mindset of "If it ain't broke, just enjoy using it". The PAS pump ran dry on a track day and is now noisy even when refilled. Did an oil change the other week and noticed the AC rad flapping around. Figured that explained why it didn't go as cold as it used to. AC is nice to have, but its not what the car is about. Its not usually a daily but will be driven to track. I drove it from Lancashire to Llandow with no AC on a warm day. I've been using it as a daily whilst my other car was off the road for a few months. No AC is fine.

The plan was to replace the PAS pump and carry on as normal.

That said, looking into binning off the AC started appealing to me, as did EPAS and then all of a sudden I'm on the PMS website with big plans.

I'm in two frames of mind:

Option 1: Replace the PAS pump, change the aux belt, then enjoy it. Save my money to spend on trackdays, a rear ARB, and tyres.

Option 2: Remove the AC, remove the PAS pump and look at a Cup alternator setup. But this means manual steering which isn't ideal, or EPAS which means changing the rack and having a different steering feel. I generally really don't like electric assisted steering, I can feel it straightaway in newer cars, but never tried a converted Clio 1*2, so perhaps I'll be fine with it.

If I go with Option 1, I get the car back on the road quickly, I've got a couple of credits waiting for cancelled trackdays so I can literally get straight back out there. But I may be missing out on a "better" driving experience with Option 2.
Option 2 is more money, will take longer and whilst I'm willing to turn a spanner, removing the rack is a bit daunting. But I end up with an arguably better car at the end of it. But that's addressing a shortcoming of the car that I've not noticed yet. I'm not chasing laptimes, I just enjoy driving on track.

I tend to get a bit carried away with stuff, but I've been quite sensible with the Clio so far, only upgrading things when I noticed the limitations of the standard parts.

What's my best course of action?

 

[gez 172]

Option 1 by a mile.

 

[Brigsy]

Option 1 if you were enjoying it as is before the pas pump issue. Run fluid level on minimum mark when new pump is on and you wont have anymore issues.

I wouldnt consider epas if your using the box of tricks to make it work, as the feel is crap. Needs to be wired up properly which is a headache on stock ecu.

 

[JimF]

Brilliant! That's what I wanted to hear, cheers.
I was thinking of running an PAS fluid cooler like an oil cooler with the take-off from the low pressure line, would that eliminate the need for running lower level? Or even add another layer of safety?

 

[Crayola]

For me I'd just bin the PAS off completely, it's only another thing to leak 😂

I haven't ran PAS on my Clio in 3 years, the only time I miss not having it is coming out of the gym after 2 hours of training back and arms and even then I usually take the Megane if it's not broken 😂 It's a clio, not a 26 tonne wagon, stop being a girl

 

[Brigsy]

Brilliant! That's what I wanted to hear, cheers.
I was thinking of running an PAS fluid cooler like an oil cooler with the take-off from the low pressure line, would that eliminate the need for running lower level? Or even add another layer of safety?

You could add a cooler however not essential, running on minimum does not cause any issues.

 

[JimF]

For me I'd just bin the PAS off completely, it's only another thing to leak 😂

I haven't ran PAS on my Clio in 3 years, the only time I miss not having it is coming out of the gym after 2 hours of training back and arms and even then I usually take the Megane if it's not broken 😂 It's a clio, not a 26 tonne wagon, stop being a girl

Is this just done with the rack looped? What setup did you use for the belt etc?

 

[Martin_172]

I run EPAS on my van, I'm not sure id want it on a dedicated track car, as the feel isnt great and its been a little inconsistent (motor etc is all good) imo its better than no PAS for a track car, as i dont think im strong enough or fast enough to catch it when it gets out of shape without PAS lol

It suits my situation as the van is purely for a bit of fun so its a little less load on the engine, makes it nice enough to live with daily if i use it, and makes engine removal quicker and easier.