Safety Belt Stopper
May/100
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my question is one for a mechanic re power steering?
details..is it safe to disconnect car power steering belt and drive without belt., with steering disconnected? Steering was leaking and this fixed the leak.? Mechanic passed car on safety certificate with belt disconnected is this legal? Can you damage steering box smashing up eroded dirt tracks and performing sharp sudden u turns? Steering belt was later reconected and reservoir filled with leak stopper 1&1/2 bottles lucas. THer was already fluid visible in in the reservoir it had been disconected for about 6 months. 3 weeks later after refitting belt , steering locked up and car crashed. Any theories?
I will answer these questions in the order asked.
It is NOT safe to operate a power steering equipt vehicle without the hydraulic pump operating.
No, the leak was not "fixed" the reason it did not leak was because there was not enough pressure in the hyraulic lines to cause the leak to be apparent.
No, it is not legal to to certify a vehicle as being safe under any circumstances of preparation whereby a hydraulic assisted system is disabled while the same hydraulic system is in the vehicle. It would have to be converted to a manual (non-power streering system). This applies to states that include power steering inspection. Certifications vary from state to state though and some do not include power steering in their safety certification.
Not nessessarily. A power steering pitman box pinion gear will undergo a much greater strain when the hydraulic system is not working, and cause a greater degree of gear lash that may bind the steering box. This however is due to the extreme amount of pressure as said, to the pinion gear. I do not believe that dirt would have a substancial effect as much as the sheer pressure needed to operate the box without the hydraulic system working. Performing sudden sharp U-turns would apply a great anount of pressure once again, on the pinion gear.
The belt was most likely not fitted correctly and there was too much play in it, causing slippage, thus creating power steering failure (which comparitively, when regularly operating the steering system while the hydraulic system is working, will feel like it is locking up because of the sudden need for extreme strength needed in order to operate the steering system during heavy demands.
In other words, a steering system with a loose belt will work up until you put a heavy demand on the power steering pump, which will cause a heavy load on the belt driven pulley. If the belt is not to specification tension on that pully, it could easily slip, stopping the pump, stopping the power assisted steering. The only other case could be a bad impeller in the pump caused from operating the pump dry of fluid previously.
ASE A1 through A8 +L1 & BAR 98 Certifications.
Best to all.
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