Convert 245 to manual steering

Just make sure you get the whole shaft (2 universal joints) that's inside the engine compartment, as that's longer on a car with manual steering. Also make sure you have all the mounting hardware from the donor car.

What's it like to steer without the pump? Do you do anything to avoid any resistance from the hydraulic system still attached? I was considering just removing the belt from mine rather than fix the leak.

It can be done, but a power rack without power is much stiffer than a manual rack. Personally I like power and would just get a replacement rack, if you don't mind manual then look for a real manual rack.

Thanks for the reply, I like the power too but not keen on fixing the oil leak. They are also downright dangerous with a motor which might stall, like with power brakes. I'd rather have an old (pre power steer/brakes/auto) car than a "modern" one when it gets old.

In addition, PS racks always have some play when used as a manual rack because the assist valve still deflects. I definitely second that - replace with a manual rack if you don't want PS.

Mike

Again thanks fellas, can I ask another... it goes fine for a few weeks then dumps about a reserviour full from the end of the rack away from the steering box all at once. (it's a 1980 265). Is it likely to need more than seals, and are they hard to replace?

How's it dangerous? I drove mine for a while when the belt came off before I got a chance to fix it and while it was stiff in parking lots and such it was fine on the road. I had a truck for a while with manual everything and the brakes were just as stiff as a power braked car with a bad booster or stalled engine, had to put most of my weight on the pedal to stop, particularly with a load.

considering

Dunno, I've never tried, I'd probably just look for a "new" rack from a junkyard, though you always run the risk of a leaky one from there too.

I guess it's mainly because you are expecting a certain resistance, specially the brakes which are very light on this car. Usually the first indication it has stalled is you can't steer or brake as effectively and that, coupled with the surprise, is just the time you needed to stop or make a turn. The volvo is not so bad but big fords for instance, really need more strength than most people have to steer or brake when power fails.

I have been driving my 245 with the power steering pump removed for almost a month. I had some zerk fittings brazed into the banjo fittings so I could pump some grease into the rack to lubricate it in place of the missing power steering fluid. It works, it is not really easy when parking. At speeds over 20 mph it feels better than with power assist. However, I did pick up a manual steering rack yesterday from a yard and plan to fit it some time in the future.

Resealing a rack is an involved process requiring some special tools. Volvo had dozens of different racks, made by several different vendors, and so there are lots of different seal kits. Add in the fact that racks may have been swapped from a different car, then just getting the correct seal kit can be a challenge! There were some detail changes to the steering column in 1979, any rack from that year or newer fits any other car in that range, provided you get all the mounting hardware. Also, the dealer sells a mounting hardware kit that consists of every piece of hardware to mount any rack.

If you leave the pump hooked up the resistance will be greater than disconnecting it. See other reply (from Apple Computer) for more details.