Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Have put a powers steering box on my truck and am having a think about how to mount the ps pump and came aross a few posts on people using electric ps pumps on there cars ( Track Tunners mailny) as was thinking would it be possible/worthwile trying to use a windscreen wiper motor to turn the normal powers steering pump instead of hanging it of the motor?
Any thoughts?

I think that might be a bit weak for the job..?

no chance.

modify a starter motor

Have thought about using a starter motor... wiper motors are very strong i was more worried about the speed.

You might be able to use a wind-up mechanism from a toy.

You might be able to use a wind-up mechanism from a toy.

I did consider paying a homeless miget to sit in the engine bay but i didn't know how i was going to feed him on long trip!!!

But really.....I have read about people using other electric motors or electric oil pumps but I want to try and use crap I already have in the shed.

..

S.CoXy wrote:

You might be able to use a wind-up mechanism from a toy.

I did consider paying a homeless miget to sit in the engine bay but i didn't know how i was going to feed him on long trip!!!

But really.....I have read about people using other electric motors or electric oil pumps but I want to try and use crap I already have in the shed.

Okay, well, a typical power steering pump is a 3-5 horsepower item. That is not a realm that a wiper motor can really get you to. A starter motor, perhaps, but only some starter motors are happy to do continuous duty.

Electric power steering can be done and is standard in some vehicles. The cable to the motors is massive, we are talking about devices pulling quite a lot of amps.

eg http://www.driveev.com/jeepev/convpgs/psteer.php

This is pulling 75-80 amps. That may well be more than your max alternator output. And because it is designed to be an electric power steering pump, it probably pulls less current than a DIY system would pull. For example a properly designed eps system drops the motor speed down when the vehicle is going faster (less need for assist when moving faster).

A windscreen wiper motor probably pulls 5 amps tops. There is just no way you can use 5 amps to do 80 amps worth of work.

I don't mean to be discouraging though

Hmmm you make some good points about the amout of power used and by the time you add in power coversion loss I am starting to think that this might not be a wothwile venture...... might have to look into a MR2 or other electric PS pump or just stick to bolting in onto the engine.

Thanx for the input chimpboy

Wouldn't it be a hassle having to turn your wipers on every time you went round a corner?

There are plenty cars running electric power steering, depends what sort of money you want to spend?? For starters go to a wrecking yard and have a look at a say around a 2002 2004 holden astra!!! they are electric over hydro i mean like the electric motor is part of the hydro pump or there are makes that are full electric like say the suzuki swift 2005 on but you'll need the column too as it has the electric motor attacthed to it.
Good luck.

the wiper motor would work well. just think, the motor goes forward/back, when the wipers go up/down. you could use this to your advantage for running the pump forwards/backwards to go left/right. BRILLIANT.

See, I went the other way, and connected my power steering pump to my windscreen wipers.

The wipers work really fast, but it's a bugger zigzagging down the road in the rain.

At the end of the day the conventional way would be more reliable.

Cris

astra is the way to go. way easier and less hassel than what you are talking about.

i did see a commodore some years ago with the alternator and p/s pump driven buy the tail shaft and mounted under the car. made the engine bay look real sweet.

I tried a wiper motor to turn an A/C pump for a portable endless air and it is useless. It can turn it with the gears on it but only just and extremely slowly and that is without trying to compress anything. Without gears it has no chance. I was going to try a starter motor but the one I got from a wreck was to shagged to try out.

Average AC pump is about 3hp or 2.2kw. Which in 12v will take 183amps to run and 24v 91amps. (assuming no losses) This is winch/starter motor territory and there are system of the shelf you can buy.
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