Add Power steer without AC?

Ross · Postby **Ross** » Fri Jul 15, 2022 6:44 pm

Is it possible to add PS without AC?
The PS bracket does the tensioning when combined with AC, so does the PS only setup have an idler pulley?
Anyone want to sell me a complete PS without AC setup?

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Fri Jul 15, 2022 7:49 pm

Buy a shorter belt?

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:16 pm

bruce wrote:Buy a shorter belt?

Yes.

If noone gives you a part number I may have one leftover from the racecar. I can check next week when I get back home.

:mrgreen:

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Fri Jul 15, 2022 9:03 pm

Or use a piece of string to measure and count the number of ribs/width. Off to the parts shop and find a matching belt.

rascal · Postby **rascal** » Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:08 am

There is no idler pulley with a PS/no AC setup. Belt just runs direct pulley to pulley.
As others have mentioned you use a shorter belt and still use the PS bracket adjustment to tension.

Ross · Postby **Ross** » Sat Jul 16, 2022 7:08 pm

Awesome, thanks guys.
Now, who wants to sell me their PS rack and pump for a 1.6

Ross · Postby **Ross** » Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:43 pm

Just found an accessory belt Idler bracket and pulley in my box of bits, to replace the power steering pump and keep your AC
So if anyone is interested in a swap, I've got a manual rack and idler pulley to swap for a power steering rack and pump.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon Jul 18, 2022 5:27 pm

bwob (Bob Hall, Father of the Miata: https://www.miata.net/askbob ) explained on the big forum that the NA6 PS 'would have gotten the development and tuning it deserved (before the money stopped coming in as Mazda hit the wall financially in the late 1980s)' had Mazda not had to develop a non-assisted system at the last minute to satisfy the USDM, so if you can you may be better fitting NA8 PS:

bwob:
'As Gordon correctly pointed out, the tweaks to the power steering used on 1994 and later NAs (as well as NBs) embodied some of the work which had been done for the original gear and is better in terms of the subjective aspects of the assisted steering where the hardware in 1.6 litre NAs falls short'.
https://forum.miata.net/vb/archive/inde ... 53831.html

Gord96BRG:
'It's also worth noting that the power steering system was improved for the 94+ 1.8 series - it has better feel and isn't quite as overboosted in effort. bwob wrote about that improvement, saying an engineer in Mazda Japan was working on some custom (expensive) PS valving [for the 1.6] which provided incredible feel. Only a few sets of the custom valving units were (hand) manufactured, but some of the valve body changes he'd come up with were incorporated in the 94+ 1.8 units'.
https://forum.miata.net/vb/archive/inde ... 53831.html

StillIC · Postby **StillIC** » Fri Jul 22, 2022 6:24 pm

I run PS with no AC. I can look up the belt part number when I walk outside to the garage next.

StillIC · Postby **StillIC** » Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:23 pm

4PK845

You might find a slightly longer or shorter belt works too.

greenMachine · Postby **greenMachine** » Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:59 pm

greenMachine wrote:
bruce wrote:Buy a shorter belt?

Yes.

If noone gives you a part number I may have one leftover from the racecar. I can check next week when I get back home.

No such luck.

If nothing else surfaces, the piece of string/rib count will work.

:mrgreen:

StillIC · Postby **StillIC** » Sat Jul 23, 2022 3:26 pm

greenMachine wrote:...snip...
the piece of string/rib count will work.

4PK845

Ross · Postby **Ross** » Mon May 29, 2023 9:44 am

OK, we've got everything but the rack mounting brackets.The manual ones are too small.
Anybody got some that they are willing to part with, or know of another Mazda vehicle with the same brackets?
We'll have a manual rack and brackets to trade if it helps?

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon May 29, 2023 1:12 pm

Yahn, Ex3me on here, (o43z5zo657) or mx589 might be able to help & both are in Melb.
Both Yahn & mx589 usually have cars &/or parts on Gumtree, but from a quick look couldn't see anything current:
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-seller/yahn/1000344312

search.php?keywords=&terms=all&author=mx589&fid%5B%5D=80&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

Ross · Postby **Ross** » Mon May 29, 2023 1:19 pm

93_Clubman wrote:Yahn, Ex3me on here, (o43z5zo657) or mx589 might be able to help & both are in Melb.
Both Yahn & mx589 usually have cars &/or parts on Gumtree, but from a quick look couldn't see anything current:
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-seller/yahn/1000344312

search.php?keywords=&terms=all&author=mx589&fid%5B%5D=80&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

Thanks, I tried both of them first, none available :frown: