power steering bypass?

Will it damage the pump if I bypass or jump the lines from the outlet to the inlet on the pump, without going to the rack?

I am asking because I want to fire up my engine, but I haven't got the new rack and lines for the car yet. The way the belts are setup does not allow me to remove the belt on the pump (serpentine)

it is a Ford pump if it makes any difference

 

just to fire the mill, yes you should be able to loop the pump lines- whatch out for heat buildup if you run it much without a cooler in the loop.

*edit* if there's no factory cooler on that set up then you'll be fine.

rick.

 

cooler
does the rack itself provide cooling? I did not plan on a cooler in the setup

 

The pump is just a pump. It has no intelligence and cannot tell if a rack is attached or not. Loop the pressure to the return and carry on.

 

Just a question, I know on my chevy PS pumps, the outlet is very high pressure but the inlet is just held on by a hose clamp. The pressure is lower on a rack, but isn't it still possible to blow it off?

 

Not to change the subject, but can you run a power steering rack as a manual just by connecting the in and out ports-

 

I ran a Chevy like that for years without a problem.

 

...just unhook the P.S. belt.

 

He can't - it's a serpentine belt!

 

Not sure if the rack will help in cooling enough, I did a power conversion on a ford a while back, had problems with it boiling fluid out. Turns out the factory return line had a steel section that was attached to the frame rail acting as a cooler. I installed a small trans cooler worked great, Good luck

 

ELpolacko--thanks, I assumed this, but then I wondered the exact same thing as specialk did. The return is just a hosebard type fitting on the pump

 

With the pressure out hose connected to the resevoir no pressure is made therefore you're not going to blow the hose off.

You can, but it will suck. The rack is designed to hold high hydraulic fluid, in the absence of fluid air will now have to cycle through the valve and chambers and it can cause a very odd feel. Plus there will be no lubrication so expect it to wear out pretty quick.

 

When trying to run a depowered rack, the ratios aren't great either. Most manual racks are 15:1 or 18:1 ratio so you can turn them pretty easily. I think many power racks are 12:1, so it's harder to turn the rack without the power assist - especially when you're going slow around corners.

I was building a Cobra and drove a friends car with a depowered mustang rack. Decided I hated the feel and bought a true manual rack (18:1) for my car and really liked how it felt.

 

connect the pressure hose to the return hose with tube and hose clamp or union fitting, It will simply circulate, with no resistance, with no heat buildup.

 

A good way to go on the cheap, because it seems power racks are a lot cheaper than manual ones, especially at the junk yard. Yes. The residual fluid in the unit will simply circulate, with very little resistance. I've seen it done a lot. . You can accomodate the ratio difference with steering wheel size.

 

Thanks for all the input, good info to know for the future.

I ended up just spending the money on the rack and lines I needed.