'88 16v parts to an '81

[ian at bluemoon.hplx.net (ian@bluemoon.hplx.net)]

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004, David Utley wrote:

>   I have no empirical evidence.  I have driven 3 16V Sciroccos, all
> three had p/s, and of course my D/D for 3 years (GTI) has no power
> steering...  For the record, I have also driven a Scirocco w/o
> p/strng...  I could not feel any difference between the two on the
> highway, except maybe a slightly quicker turn response (with the
> shorter lock to lock steering on the power steering system).
> However, at slow speeds, I did feel the difference, less effort was
> needed...

The amount power steering helps on a car depends a lot on what the car is.
When the PS pump went out in my Scirocco, I didn't feel any burning need
to replace it; the car is so lightweight that one strong arm is enough to
throw it around a corner with its usual glee.  The amount of assist
provided is enough to make parking lots manageable, but not enough to
destroy road feel.  (That is unless, like mine, the bypass valve sticks
shut.  Then it feels like a Lincoln Town Car.  One-pinky suggest-o-matic
steering, yuck.)

It less of an issue in the 'roc than in, say, a big sedan, one way or
another.  My daily driver is an Audi 5K, and it's significantly less fun
without PS, since it takes two arms to haul its extra half-ton around
corners and such.

>   If I remember correctly, a mechanic told me some years ago that the
> size of the p/s pump, and/or the pulley, made it to where it did not
> affect driving at speed...  If I am right, I don't understand why...
> :-O
>
>   If I am right or wrong, someone let me know why...  I know what I
> have felt, but beyond that.....

The pump and pulley are designed to provide maximum assist at idle -- and
hence anything above idle as well.  There's a bypass valve within the
pump that prevents the amount of assist from increasing as engine speed
increases, but that amount never decreases either.

Some newer (or at least more posh) cars have variable power assist, with
different bypass valves used according to how fast the pump is being
turned.  Aforementioned Audi has one of these, but its power steering
changes assist modes according to the whim of the ancients instead of
centrifugally.  More trouble than it's worth, IMO. :)

ian Butler / ian@bluemoon.hplx.net
'88 Audi 5000S quattro
'88 VW Scirocco 16v
'87 VW Vanagon GL syncro (for sale)
'77 Mercury Marquis (for sale)