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Thread: Mk1 Power Steering

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Mk1 Power Steering

    After a 58km tarmac rally stage I have come to the conclusion that I either need a gym membership or EPS..........EPS it is.

    What is the latest on Escort EPS conversions? Old threads always indicated the Corsa B or C columns are the go with the C apparently coming out ahead as maybe stronger/better. We do not get the Corsa in Australia and I am not sure if the unit was used in any imported (rebadged) car.

    I want to be able to mount the steering wheel straight. I do not care about what switchgear I use and can use whatever boss is required to mount to my Momo steering wheel.

    I would prefer a kit but am capable of making brackets myself.

    What is the latest?????
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User jpblue's Avatar
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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Following!

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    Racer Decade Plus User wildo105e's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Not sure it is an answer, but i think corsa is used as it is plentiful and cheap here etc. I would imagine you have a similar electronic power steering on cars in Australia. You may just need to adapt a little or failing that RIX do a full kit for the escort but that would attract shipping etc.

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    Mechanic Matt75's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Hey Mate, the Corsa is the Barina here in Oz. I've done this conversion and it's very easy. I have a how to on what we did I can email you. PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

    Its the best mod I've done hands down

    Cheers

    Matt

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    Pole Position Decade Plus User M11rf's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Do you get the Diahatsu Mira there?

    I've just done a conversion on a Mk1... It was easy enough.

    Can't comment on how good it works as it's still in the build process...

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Quote Originally Posted by M11rf View Post
    Do you get the Diahatsu Mira there?
    Possibly the Diahatsu Charade is the same car. What year car did the column come from?
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Pole Position Decade Plus User M11rf's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Not sure to be honest, i didn't take it off the car, just bought it off the shelf.

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Just bought a Barina/Corsa column. Heavy li'l sucker!!!

    Need to find out what local rules are about the conversion. I know I will need an engineer's report - I hope that isn't too expensive an exercise. More research needed.
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Bodger Richb77's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    We need a pic laden how to on this mod!

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Engineer's report now not required so good news. I think I would prefer to have the unit speed sensitive so will investigate how to do that. I might use an additional map switch so that it has a stage and liaison map. Will see.

    I will try to document but I think this has been done several times before.
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User onecamohv's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    the corsa unit is speed sensative as standard, im sure it would be very easy to rig up a wheel speed sensor. i just have mine on an adjustable dial as i tried a mates mk1 with the speed sensative setup and i didnt like it at all. its very noticable. i much prefer to have it manually adjustable, i normally have it about 70% stiff and its just the right amount of power assist and resistance.

    just my 2c anyway, sure if you dont like it its very easy to change it.

    i also machined off and welded on my escort column from the motor up, so all the escort swtich gear/wheel etc all still works as normal

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    I have tried to find out exactly how the Corsa computer manages the assistance. Some say it has 3 levels depending on speed but others say it has more internal maps. I would have thought it would be constantly variable at each speed but I just don't know.

    The standard speed sensitive assistance appears to be totally off at something as low as 60kmh (cannot recall the exact figures I saw) which possibly doesn't suit me as my car has heavy steering at say 70kmh around tight 4L or R's so I would like just a small amount of assistance at those speeds then probably nothing above that i.e. faster 6+ L & R's don't need assistance. I was thinking of leaving it speed sensitive (using a wheel sensor or a gearbox output sensor) then using a separate switch to manipulate the speed input to suit my needs.

    I am not sure I like the idea of the manually adjustable pots that everybody seem to use. Although they make the installation easy I feel that they are probably suited to a road car more than a competition car? If I understand it correctly, they totally do away with the speed sensitivity and you set a level of assistance that applied at ALL speeds? They is a huge difference in assistance requirement in a competition car doing 180kmh versus driving a liaison through town traffic!! I don't want to constantly have to be turning the adjustment pot.
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Quote Originally Posted by MK1_Oz View Post
    If I understand it correctly, they totally do away with the speed sensitivity and you set a level of assistance that applied at ALL speeds? They is a huge difference in assistance requirement in a competition car doing 180kmh versus driving a liaison through town traffic!! I don't want to constantly have to be turning the adjustment pot.
    You’re correct about the standard £50 control box not having speed sensitivity. Honestly this isn’t as big a deal as you would imagine, for parking and very low speeds you’ll set the knob to maxim assistance if you need it, and then for the stage the knob will be set to little-to-no assistance.

    little-to-no assistance covers everything from 30km to 200km. You mention that the assistance is “total off as low as 60km”, that sounds right to me, because “totally off” still provides you with some assistance. “Totally off” isn’t actually totally off its just the least amount of assistance, if the assistance motor is totally off it creates drag (makes the steering heavy) so to overcome its own drag it has to be active and as a consequence it provides a little assistance even in the lowest setting.

    There was (and might still be) a speed controller box available for the corsa PAS motor, I cant remember who made it, nor can I find it on google.

    My advice it to try the non-speed sensitive box first and see if you like it. The lads in Ireland with the no expense spared £100,000 rally escorts all have corsa PAS, but none of them have speed sensitive maps/controllers, just the adjusting knob on the dash.

    But…. If you do decide to design a speed sensitive controller, please do post the progress because I’d be very interested!

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Have a look / read of this ....... http://www.super7thheaven.co.uk/blog...steering-epas/
    Its the most comprehensive write up i've found!

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    Mechanic Matt75's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering


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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    You might be right katana.

    That super 7th site makes for ignoring reading. I have previously read it a number of times.
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Quote Originally Posted by MK1_Oz View Post

    'makes for ignoring reading'
    Best auto - correct i've seen for a while LOL!

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    Spanner Monkey

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Well mines been on 5 years and never moved the knob once set!! You can adjust to get the assistance required whilst still maintaining the feel through the wheel. Road use and track use. Why do people try and over complicate things.

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    Mechanic dollie007's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    I did pretty much what you're talking about, using a Corsa B eps I modified a grp4 column bracket and put the wheel where I wanted it (straight and central, not on the escort angle!) and then used the corsa double UJ to connect it, was quite easy once I'd got my head around it. I made a bracket to brace the motor to the underside of the dash using the heater box mount iirc. i used the original escort column up through the floor and mounted a spherical bearing on the floor hole, this way the shell didn't require cutting but the shaft was properly supported. I also used all of the corsa b switch gear, one of the reasons I used B and not Corsa C was because the C uses CAN bus whereas the B controls can be wired straight onto the escort loom. End result looks like this and works great, even with 15" wheels. happy to talk through details if interested...


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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User onecamohv's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Quote Originally Posted by Colr6 View Post
    Well mines been on 5 years and never moved the knob once set!! You can adjust to get the assistance required whilst still maintaining the feel through the wheel. Road use and track use. Why do people try and over complicate things.
    agree, dont thnk ive remembered to touch mine in years. even on its max resistance setting its easy to park and drive around town, tbh the adjuster isnt needed at all unless you're a proper snowflake

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User onecamohv's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    one thing also to add actually while i think of it, i had the steering oddly cutting in and out randomly from time to time, and when its not working at all, its nearly impossible to turn (far heavier than normal steering)
    turned out to be a dodgey earth, even though it looked ok. make sure your earths are 110% with this system!

  24. #22
    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    I do not think it is over complicating a system to use it as it is designed! Far from it.

    My plan is to rig up some test rig using a 555 timer circuit to simulate various engine speeds so that I can measure the assistance provides at various speeds and various steering input loads. I can then work out exactly how the Corsa ECU map works. I may well find from that exercise that the usual fudge box will work well and is all that is needed. However, I want hard facts and information before I follow the easy path others have followed. I don't care which way I end up doing the system but I do care that it is safe and provides the best feel during hard tarmac rally stages. I hear you that the Irish tarmac boys use the fudge box but I just want to do the sums myself.
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    A year later and the column has not yet moved off the floor! lol
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Please read this guy's ramblings - its very in depth and quite informative! - http://www.super7thheaven.co.uk/cors...steering-epas/

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Yes I have that on my screen at the moment. I plan on following some of his investigations with my Pico scope to see if what he says is correct. Too many projects and not enough enthusiasm!!!
    1970 Mk1 Escort Tarmac Rally Car

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    Bodger Richb77's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Beep Beep Barina! Loads of them down under. Corsa B Was definitely sold as Berina as there is one in Kath and Kim! I had a rental C and i think a relation has/had a D.

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    i have 4 corsa b units as getting hard to find nowadays at sensible price

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    Spanner Monkey genRS2000's Avatar

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    Re: Mk1 Power Steering

    Speed sensitive controller:

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-AUTO...e6e7%7Ciid%3A1

    Not sure how good it would be in a competition car.

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