Power Steering Cooler ??

[Paulwpetrea]

The P/S fluid flush/change (http://www.ilovejeeps.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3489) thread got me thinking about something.

Have any of you ever put an oil cooler on the suction side, of your power steering pump? I'm just thinking of a way to help keep it cooler, during those long, hot, summer days of wheeling.

I was thinking of just going with a transmission cooler (smallest one available), mounting it in front of the radiator, and extending the power steering suction (3/8") line. Any comments here?

(edit)

BTW, it looks as though, the p/s fluid could use a change on my YJ, too ... while I'm at it.

(/edit)

[satan]

Yeah - great thought there -- several vehicles have OEM coolers, especially those with similar P/S pumps (look at the Ford line of fine trucks and autos when next in the junk-yard) - highly recommended addition, if it's something you haven't already done -- takes like 15K miles to burn normal P/S fluid, think of the wheelin damage!

A well made auto tranny cooler should hold-up -- betcha Hayden (or other vendor) has some real-world info on that! (Hayden P/N 403?, includes a fair amount of plumbing! maybe a Perma-Cool #PRM-1003 ?)

There are a few aftermarket coolers specifically for P/S units (my fave (http://www.randys-racemart.com/inpowsteerco.html) bolts onto a frame rail and has wicked flow rates - used many years on my little 4xs!)

Only thing I can say is 'do it', and pay attention to flow rates (any restrictions or limitations in the cooler will impact your steering power, engine load, and is a recipe for a leak!)

[Paulwpetrea]

I saw the pic .. are those fins on the cooler? I take it, it just dissipates the heat, through them? It's not necessary to have an actual forced-air flow through it?

[satan]

Yes & no -- that thing needs to be in some air flow (not like inside a frame rail!) and the heat wicks-off into the surrounding air - - great to mount along the bottom radiator mount infront of the radiator.

Lots of air and all of that would be fine, but if you look at the trany coolers, they can dump THOUSANDS of BTUs of heat in a big hurry for trannys... and a normal power-steering unit doesn't even bother with any extra cooling -- so adding anything is a good thing - putting too large of acooler in-line may actually limit you to running only synthetics to avoid "cold/thick fluid problems".

One of the first P/S coolers I ran was from a 1978 Ford MustangII 2.3L 4sp- it was a u-shaped tube about 7" long (14" flow path) with fins and I just zipped it to the cold side of the radiator -- HUGE difference with that on an F150 - no more pump whine - fluid stayed clear for a year...

...the smallest tranny cooler I found was about 5 or 8 times as big - seemed like overkill.

good thing to do either way though

[Paulwpetrea]

Hey,

I appreciate it. I understand the 'thick' power steering fluid problem. We don't usually have the weather you are probably used to, in Colorado.

Here, the average yearly temperature is ... oh .. probably 58 degrees. Most winters never see below freezing ... if even at freezing temperatures, most of the time.

However, I will remember not to go 'too large' on the cooler. I will be doing the cooler prodject, this weekend.

Thanks again, for all your help,

Paul

[satan]

If you think about it while you're at it you could probably set it up so the system is easy to flush...

... like get the hose that returns to the pump long enough so you can splice in a length which you can use to siphon new fluid inot the system -- and leave the cooler nipple (that that hose came off of) accessible enough to add a length of hose to so you can catch the pumped-out effluent.


(also, it's best if you can set the cooler so no air will stay stored in either the lines or the cooler ~ ! everything getting pushed up-hill -- keeps the noises and foaming down and precludes some of the oxidation that can happen)