I've searched the archives, checked different threads and got a lot of different answers from posts, all of which debate back and forth... I'm looking for some people who have done this swap and knows exactly what is needed to make it work...

Ok, the car is a 1992 Civic LX with PS and the rack is shot in a bad way. The owner drove it with the PS line off for 3 years + and the rack ran dry long ago. Not to mention the tie rods are done as well. Literally takes half a complete turn while moving for the wheels to even begin to steer. If the rack was in better shaped I would flush it, loop it and call it a day, but that's not the case. I already have a manual rack from a 94 DX just waiting for me to put it in. If it's a bolt-in affair then I'd like to do this ASAP.

I'm concerend with the mounting of the rack to the rear cross member. The manual and PS racks have different sized bushings and mounting U brackets. I don't have the manual rear cross member or I would just swap the entire thing in. So is this even possible to do without the manual rear cross member? If it takes minor mods to the PS cross member, bushing swap or whatever then I'd like a clear answer. Help me get this thing back to a safer steering path...

For reference I found these diagrams to show the difference in the racks.

EG Power Rack (notice #4 and #5)



EG Manual Rack (notice #12)

 

Bump

 

Clear answer for you Yes the manual and p/s racks mount on the cross member are diff. The p/s mount is recessed to hold the larger dia rack. The manual rack has a flat plate. I Have removed the mounting brackets and welded them back on to change a manual cross member to a p/s. You should be able to weld a piece of metal onto the p/s rack mount to make a flat mounting surface or find a complete assy at the junk yard

 

Thanks for the reply, I kind of figured there was something that had to be changed/modded in order for the rack to mount correctly. Apparently the people that have said it bolts directly in didn't change one themselves... Looks like I'll be doing a little welding then.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by instructor74 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Clear answer for you Yes the manual and p/s racks mount on the cross member are diff. The p/s mount is recessed to hold the larger dia rack. The manual rack has a flat plate. I Have removed the mounting brackets and welded them back on to change a manual cross member to a p/s. You should be able to weld a piece of metal onto the p/s rack mount to make a flat mounting surface or find a complete assy at the junk yard</TD></TR></TABLE>

hey i dont know where this info came from but i have done this swap on my 94 ex coupe and i didnt have to swap out any crossmember, it all bolted right in to the power steering rack location. nothing was needed except a few spacers from the rack to the body of the car where it goes to the steering wheel. maybe this guy is thinking about the ek's

 

I am wanting to do this in my Del Sol, I am sure its the same situation as an eg, I wanna swap out my power rack to a manual since i cant use power steering with my h22 swap. So one says you have to do some welding, other says just a matter of some spacers...anyone clarify this?

 

you do not want the manual steering rack, the ratios suck compared to power steering

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by n1_egsex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you do not want the manual steering rack, the ratios suck compared to power steering</TD></TR></TABLE>

How so? I had a eg hatch with a manual rack and I loved it, so much more responsive, besides a manual rack is much better than a power steer rack that has not been hooked up for the past 4 years....

 

somebody makes kits to do this conversion. ill be doing this eventually. search for the kit. it re-routes the lines to bypass the p/s pump. btw there is also i site that sells quick ratio steering racks for the eg's for the manual rack.

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=184202

http://www.quaifeamerica.com/s...n.htm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by n1_egsex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you do not want the manual steering rack, the ratios suck compared to power steering</TD></TR></TABLE>

thats a very opinionated statement. i switched from ps to manual because it does feel tighter and more responsive. i can feel the road better imo.

when i did my swap i think i just spaced out the mounting bracket a little bit

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blackeg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

thats a very opinionated statement. i switched from ps to manual because it does feel tighter and more responsive. i can feel the road better imo.

when i did my swap i think i just spaced out the mounting bracket a little bit</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well thats two for the spacing idea, one for the welding...now i just need to find a manual rack....

 

Many have bolted the manual rack right up to the P/S r xmember; and have been running fine with it for a long time now.
However, it is a fact that the rear xmembers are different, and that your p/s xmember has a slight curved in it for the larger p/s rack to fit.

That area just doesn't go away once you put up a manual rack, and I would suggest to take care of it. When we do the swap, we only do it if we are replacing the rack and the rear xmember (liability reasons with the shop); however I would till do something to address the extra space even if it was not for liability.

For anyone that is looking to put P/S on a manual car (yes, there are some of out there, self included -getting old I guess) -you must change out the rear xmember as you will need that extra space provisioned in the p/s xmember for the rack to fit.

Best of luck....

 

I modified the bracket #12 and used a thicker #4 bushing when I popped a CX rack into my 1992 Si that came with P/S - drove it fine and auto X'd it a lot with zero issues.

I'm pretty sure it's #5 and #4, but this was also 7 years ago.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmcars.com &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Many have bolted the manual rack right up to the P/S r xmember; and have been running fine with it for a long time now.
However, it is a fact that the rear xmembers are different, and that your p/s xmember has a slight curved in it for the larger p/s rack to fit.

That area just doesn't go away once you put up a manual rack, and I would suggest to take care of it. When we do the swap, we only do it if we are replacing the rack and the rear xmember (liability reasons with the shop); however I would till do something to address the extra space even if it was not for liability.

For anyone that is looking to put P/S on a manual car (yes, there are some of out there, self included -getting old I guess) -you must change out the rear xmember as you will need that extra space provisioned in the p/s xmember for the rack to fit.

Best of luck....</TD></TR></TABLE>

What liability issues are there with the extra space? Does the extra space hold a problem when doing the swap?

 

Bump for more info

 

I swapped crossmembers for my manual to PS swap

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Marx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I swapped crossmembers for my manual to PS swap</TD></TR></TABLE>

So u can swap crossmembers with racks and it will bolt right up?

 

im thinkin of doing this also i already have the Manual rack, so from what i read all i need is spacers??? and it will bolt up???

 

i'm also thinking of doing a p/s to manual conversion on my 95 ls teg.... but seeing as i'm low on money what do you all think of converting the p/s rack to a manual by adding a breather and looping the ps fluid holes... also i'm looking for more opinions on how people feel about autoXing a manual rack, since i plan on atoXing it.

cheers

 

Still trying to figure it out.

 

i just completed a breather system on my 95 teg. someone on here used to sell a kit for like 80 bucks but you can do it yourself for far cheaper. i just changed the one fitting so that the in and out were the same diameter. then i got some p/s hose ran a loop. i used another clutch resevoir as a breather and mounted it low on the frame rail. then cut my loop put in a t and ran the hose to the breather. then i filled the rack up with new fluid but didnt fill the resevoir, otherwise that would defeat the purpose of the breather. i proly spent 20 bucks at napa to complete it. havent driven the car yet cause im finishing my swap, but rolling the car around it seems to be alot easier to turn then if you ran a p/s rack just disconnected. theres a how-to on here with pics and a better explanation, just gotta search it.

 

yea i've seen the write up and the pics have gone away due to the site the pics are of is closed now. but i was just asking because i've already looped the main line but the little solid lines the look like brake lines are still untouched..... basically i was asking if it really makes a difference adding a breather and a "t" to those solid lines, and if it does will i like track racing it? btw i like small steering wheels would those be fine? now that you see where i'm coming from its a tough choice. I NEED INFO AND BLANK SEARCHING!!!!

 

i have a 95 hatch, i dont remember needing anything to do the swap... just had 2 get front end alined.

 

i did this swap on a 93 dx i used energy suspension rack bushings. other then that it was straight forward.