After action report
Three days of driving the FJ40 with the OEM power steering, figured I'd give my report:
No issues with the install itself, other than as noted above.
I followed the "bleed with engine off" protocol, steering wheel lock to lock about a bazillion times (actually, about 45 times, in my case), which gave me a blister, but had no burps or funny noises from the PS, so it works.
I did get a few significant "spews" of PS fluid during the process, when air burped, so it might be worthwhile to rig a "chimney" or something to keep the PS fluid in the reservoir – I wound up going to the wand wash, and washing the engine.
The return line and fitting I fabbed worked like a champ, so that problem is solved. It is worthwhile to keep in mind the brakeline used is 8mm OD, so you need to finagle a bit to match the 10mm hose used elsewhere. I machined an 8mm to 10mm adapter, there are other ways, including commercially available adapters.
I did use hydraulic hose, rather than oil line hose, for the return lines. It is significantly more durable, IMHO. Hose rated for 250PSI is plenty strong for the return side, which is under minimal pressure. Interestingly enough, the lower pressure hydraulic hose is less expensive than the oil line hose sold by the local auto parts stores.
As for the driving, I found I can now keep up with freeway traffic at 60-65mph, without fear. My worn manual steering box introduced a small amount of backlash into the steering, which always seems magnified at highway speeds.
I have BFG 33x9.5R15 AT/KO tires, and would consider these to be near the limit for OEM PS – it doesn’t give a lot of assist, but you can turn the wheel when sitting still, without straining.
All in all, going the OEM PS route was expensive (about $1200), doesn’t give the strongest or most durable PS, and doesn’t simplify the steering mechanism like an FJ60 or Scout box would.
OTOH, it does have that OEM cachet, so it was worthwhile.
Kirk
Three days of driving the FJ40 with the OEM power steering, figured I'd give my report:
No issues with the install itself, other than as noted above.
I followed the "bleed with engine off" protocol, steering wheel lock to lock about a bazillion times (actually, about 45 times, in my case), which gave me a blister, but had no burps or funny noises from the PS, so it works.
I did get a few significant "spews" of PS fluid during the process, when air burped, so it might be worthwhile to rig a "chimney" or something to keep the PS fluid in the reservoir – I wound up going to the wand wash, and washing the engine.
The return line and fitting I fabbed worked like a champ, so that problem is solved. It is worthwhile to keep in mind the brakeline used is 8mm OD, so you need to finagle a bit to match the 10mm hose used elsewhere. I machined an 8mm to 10mm adapter, there are other ways, including commercially available adapters.
I did use hydraulic hose, rather than oil line hose, for the return lines. It is significantly more durable, IMHO. Hose rated for 250PSI is plenty strong for the return side, which is under minimal pressure. Interestingly enough, the lower pressure hydraulic hose is less expensive than the oil line hose sold by the local auto parts stores.
As for the driving, I found I can now keep up with freeway traffic at 60-65mph, without fear. My worn manual steering box introduced a small amount of backlash into the steering, which always seems magnified at highway speeds.
I have BFG 33x9.5R15 AT/KO tires, and would consider these to be near the limit for OEM PS – it doesn’t give a lot of assist, but you can turn the wheel when sitting still, without straining.
All in all, going the OEM PS route was expensive (about $1200), doesn’t give the strongest or most durable PS, and doesn’t simplify the steering mechanism like an FJ60 or Scout box would.
OTOH, it does have that OEM cachet, so it was worthwhile.
Kirk
