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3 minute read
Power Steering Cooling Success
Compliments of wssix99 @ ls1tech.com
10-18-2010
First, I'd like to thank LS6427 for their posts on power steering cooler alternatives. http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/genera...ng-cooler.html I was inspired and recently performed a similar mod on my car with great success.
After two months of driving, I've had no overflows, boil-overs, or leaks. Life is good again. I chose a 24" Perma-Cool frame rail cooler that I mounted just behind the front spoiler. http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page15.html (pic below) Its designed to be out of the air flow and mounts perfectly to the rail right behind the front spoiler. ( I spaced it around an inch away from the spoiler and its stayed in good shape after the normal curb and bumper scrapes.)
I've also measured the temperature of my PS fluid in the reservoir at 150 degrees after hard driving - far below the potential of the stock cooler, which is limited to the 210 + degree temperature of the cooling system. That's also less than reported on a performance PS setup in this article: http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...all/index.html
The article above also contains some good information and background on how coolers came about for all F bodies later in production.
12-7-2010
Well... its probably the other way around. I measured temperatures with an infrared thermometer at the cooler before I changed and it was pretty much at a constant temperature, even when the coolant was cold.
So, its probably more accurate to say that the PS fluid heats the "cool" coolant before it enters the engine and also heats up the coolant quickly in cold weather. (The pump heats it up right away, making it hotter than the coolant in any situation.)
With a separate cooler, both the PS fluid and my coolant entering the engine are cooler than they were before.
Another poster pointed out (maybe in another thread) that excess cooling can be a negative thing if the fluid is too cold. (It would decrease in viscosity and stress out the pump.) However; I would think 150 degrees is just fine/about right. Would really need a hydraulicfluid expert to chime in on that one.__________________
4-9-2011
Something odd is going on with Perma-Cool. A google search for "Perma-Cool 1003" will pull up lots of places to get the cooler. It looks like Perma-Cool's web site is currently down. I'd suggest waiting until Monday and see what their web site does if trying to access my link above.
If your car didn't come with the cooler from the factory, check out the link in the OP. It explains that GM went to the cooler later in production to help deal with P/S pump seal failures. So, depending on how you drive, you can make the call if its a worthwhile thing to do.