Discuss your PS cooler setup

[a_ahmed]

Since there's an oil cooler thread how about a PS cooler thread.

I'll be running 255s up front and I don't think I'll need one, but I do plan to get one down the line.. the poor lil power steering pump needs a tap on the back.

My car was hicas, but butchered up and hicasless with an s14 ps pump fabbed together.

I got a rebuilt hicas rack from frsport and want to treat everything nicely...

I know that we are suppose to fill it up with ATF and not off the shelf ps fluid... I've also heard that running synthetic ATF (from my fellow volvoers) that it makes steering fluid boil less and be smoother in operation... so i think ill put some nice synthetic ATF as well.

But when it comes to the cooler i'm undecided, although I've seen a few simple setups on zilvia by whats his name... that also has a strut tower/firewall brace and a v-mount intercooler setup with ducting on his s13. He is a drift not road racing freak, but a nice car.

What are your thoughts on all this, what do you run, suggest, discuss.

[turtl631]

My PS fluid was boiling pretty good after my last autocross, but dropping in the 8611s with Torringtons up front reduced the turning friction so much that I've decided a PS cooler is unnecessary. Maybe it woudl be good for autocrossing with big tires, but for track use with a decent front suspension that doesn't have gobs of internal friction, I think it's overkill. If I did one, I'd just get one of the really small Setrab cores on ebay and run it inline with the rubber return hose.

[McCoy]

With the 275 RA-1's on track I can get the PS to puke on me somewhat, but overall it seems to be holding up... this was on a 85F day. Next week it's supposed to by in the mid 90's, so I'll see how it does then.

If needed I'd just get a cheap used cooler off ebay and throw it somewhere that it can get some air flow... as Ross mentioned.

[ecugrad]

I added some Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak to my PS. No more boiling

[sr20goofus]

you guys all still run PS?

[McCoy]

^^^ I still drive my car on the street

[RBbugBITme]

Once I drop my motor back in I'll have a Hicas rack with no Hicas and a SS line between the pump and rack. I'm still debating on whether I should add a cooler though. I did remove the extra "cooling" line that wraps around the other side of the engine bay as well. I also got PS fluid from Redline.

[sr20goofus]

be sure your using the right kind of line as your PS line, it has to hold some silly amount of pressure like 1300 from the pump. I had to buy special high pressure hose when i did a kit for an S14 awhile back.

[a_ahmed]

You mentioned PS fluid from Redline.

I wana make note that what I mentioned about using ATF... the FSM says the
Recommend Fluid is Automatic Transmission Fluid "DEXRON™ 2" type.

Some people have said on other forums at least not to use the regular PS fluid stuff found in stores... not sure what redline's PS fluid is like...

What I am thinking of doing is running some synthetic ATF from mobil1 or something... as it's a similar case with volvo guys (at least on my 850) and they've had much success with synthetic ATF not boiling, giving smoother steering, and such...

Please discuss.

[RBbugBITme]

PS line is good to 2500 and read up on the Redline, its good for Nissan.


I must go back to playing F1 Championship Edition on the 103" HDTV

[racepar1]

I bought an auto radiator and use the internal trans cooler as my P/S cooler.

[Ronald So]

find a 300zx oil cooler, cheap and works well. I run one on my s14 and have had no issue.

[amgvr4]

I use a stock 350z cooler. works great and easy to integrate into the system.

here you can see it mounted on the right side just behind the horn. It isnt a true core type cooler, but for all but the most rigorous auto-x it should be fine. I have done several drift events, one SCCA PDX track day, and lots of spirited street driving with it and no problems yet.

[a_ahmed]

Hey guys,

Ressurecting thread from the dead...

I was going to go with Redline Synthetic ATF however while on redline's site I saw "High-Temp ATF" which is a step above redline synthetic ATF. It allows operation above 70oF of the regular synthetic ATF product.

It basically says that the high temp ATF is a dexron III replacment while the regular redline synthetic ATF is a dexron II replacement.

Thoughts?

By the way how much must be filled (how many quarts?). I'll be installing the new refurbished/new hicas rack i got off of frsport (arm and a leg worth..)

[JRas]

I'm not sure if a ps cooler is really needed...

the boiling temperature of ATF fluid off the top of my head is 500F

that "boiling" you may see in the reservoir are bubbles.

to prove this statement, next time you think your fluid is "boiling" take the dipstick out and put some on your finger.

Has anyone seen a notable difference after they install a ps cooler setup?