WARNING:
I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF. PLEASE VERIFY THE PARTS THAT YOU CHOSE TO PURCHASE TO DO THIS MOD AND MAKE SURE ALL THE PARTS ARE RATED FOR THE HIGH PRESSURE, IF YOU CHEAP OUT YOU MAY CAUSE A FIRE AND OR WORSE!!
Subaru power steering systems are finicky on the turbos models. I've found 12 points of failure in the system and this mod will reduce it to 4. The stock system came with spring clamps which get weak over time. This can allow air into the system which will cause "rough" spots in the steering, whining noises and eventually loss of power. The weaker those get, the more it may lead to leaks as well. (power steering fluid will ignite if it touches a hot turbo!!!)
Another HUGE issue is that being attached to the block AND being very close to the turbo, these lines get very hot which will wear out your pump faster and boil your fluid, which really sucks for autox.
Anyways for my build I decided that I wanted to build a setup that moves the line away from the turbo, doesn't touch the motor and is slightly longer to add more volume and cooling.
My application is a 98 RS with a 04 STI swap. I routed the lines down along the cross member and along the frame rails to the passenger side of the vehicle.
The STI pump operates at around 1200 PSI which is not a joke. You _MUST_ use a hose which is rated for that amount of pressure. Standard stainless hose will not cut it. I chose PTFE which is a hard teflon inner hose which is resistant to heat, corrosion and pressure. I used Fragola brand premade hose to save time and per their website: the -6AN is rated at 2500 psi working pressure and 10,000 burst. I recommend using steel but had to use aluminum for the adapters. The return line is low pressure, but the spring clamps should be replaced with worm drive clamps or better t-bolt clamps.
1. Using a turkey baster or some method of suction, remove the power steering fluid the best you can. I got a vaccum pump gun with a fluid reservior from harbor freight for 15 bucks and got some clear vinyl hose and that made short work of it. Once you get most of it out, undo the clamps and remove the reservoir, then suction down both hoses the best you can.
2. Remove the accessory belt cover, the banjo bolt from the top of the power steering pump, and you don't have to but I removed the spacer below where the banjo bolt is threaded.
Also undo the clamp for the return line. Since you're draining the power steering, this may be a good time to replace the O-ring on the return line which leaves you prone to drawing in air. You unbolt the return line tube and the o-ring is underneath: 34439AE020 (under 2 bucks)
3. Remove the airbox and hose to gain some room.
4. Unbolt the power steering hose from the passenger side of the block.
5. The hardest part of this mod is getting the lines off of the rack. If you're doing a swap, while the motor is out is the best time to do this, when is when I did it. If you have already done the swap, you could try unbolting the motor mounts and using a cherry picker to lift the motor up to give you some clearance. The nut that's on the rack side is the stationary one, so make sure to loosen the hose side so you don't bend the tube. Be warned that you will get some power steering fluid on you, the level depends on how much you got out!
6. From there I assembled the hoses in this order from power steering pump to rack, making sure that all the adapters were tight:
High pressure line:
14x1.5mm o-ring male to -6AN male adapter
Fragola Performance Systems 460614 - Fragola Performance Systems AN to Metric Adapter Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
*** lots of people have been having issues with the whining, you could try a stronger steel fitting to avoid this, but I have not tested it:
Heidts Power Steering Rack Fittings PS-030
-6AN premade stainless steel hose with steel female -6AN 90 and a straight female -6AN fitting
Fragola Performance Systems 372042 - Fragola Performance Systems P.T.F.E Hose Assemblies - Overview - SummitRacing.com
14x1.5 mm o-ring female to -6AN male adapter
Fragola Performance Systems 491970 - Fragola Performance Systems AN to Metric Adapter Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Return line:
16x1.5mm oring to -6AN male adapter
Fragola Performance Systems 491971 - Fragola Performance Systems AN to Metric Adapter Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
-6AN male to barb fitting
Summit Racing SUM-220756 - Summit Racing® AN to Nipple Twist-Tite Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
7. I attached all of the high pressure line and return line to the rack first, and laid the hoses along the cross member up to the frame rail and ziptied them to the brake hardlines, and I followed it until just after the airbox. I pulled the high pressure side up and bolted on to the pump, I used teflon tape on the pump side of the adapter.
8. I cut a small piece of the return hose about 3" to clamp one side to the barbed fitting and then hose clamp the other side to the reservoir. Reattach the reservoir then reattach the return hose and reattach the airbox and hose.
Refill the reservoir with ATF (I like the motul synthetic ATF), leave the cap off, jack the car up and put it on stands. With the car off cycle the wheel left to right about 10 times. Start up the car and check for leaks. If there are none, keep turning the steering wheel left to right, checking for bubbles in the reservoir and adding more if needed.
I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF. PLEASE VERIFY THE PARTS THAT YOU CHOSE TO PURCHASE TO DO THIS MOD AND MAKE SURE ALL THE PARTS ARE RATED FOR THE HIGH PRESSURE, IF YOU CHEAP OUT YOU MAY CAUSE A FIRE AND OR WORSE!!
Subaru power steering systems are finicky on the turbos models. I've found 12 points of failure in the system and this mod will reduce it to 4. The stock system came with spring clamps which get weak over time. This can allow air into the system which will cause "rough" spots in the steering, whining noises and eventually loss of power. The weaker those get, the more it may lead to leaks as well. (power steering fluid will ignite if it touches a hot turbo!!!)
Another HUGE issue is that being attached to the block AND being very close to the turbo, these lines get very hot which will wear out your pump faster and boil your fluid, which really sucks for autox.
Anyways for my build I decided that I wanted to build a setup that moves the line away from the turbo, doesn't touch the motor and is slightly longer to add more volume and cooling.
My application is a 98 RS with a 04 STI swap. I routed the lines down along the cross member and along the frame rails to the passenger side of the vehicle.
The STI pump operates at around 1200 PSI which is not a joke. You _MUST_ use a hose which is rated for that amount of pressure. Standard stainless hose will not cut it. I chose PTFE which is a hard teflon inner hose which is resistant to heat, corrosion and pressure. I used Fragola brand premade hose to save time and per their website: the -6AN is rated at 2500 psi working pressure and 10,000 burst. I recommend using steel but had to use aluminum for the adapters. The return line is low pressure, but the spring clamps should be replaced with worm drive clamps or better t-bolt clamps.
1. Using a turkey baster or some method of suction, remove the power steering fluid the best you can. I got a vaccum pump gun with a fluid reservior from harbor freight for 15 bucks and got some clear vinyl hose and that made short work of it. Once you get most of it out, undo the clamps and remove the reservoir, then suction down both hoses the best you can.
2. Remove the accessory belt cover, the banjo bolt from the top of the power steering pump, and you don't have to but I removed the spacer below where the banjo bolt is threaded.
Also undo the clamp for the return line. Since you're draining the power steering, this may be a good time to replace the O-ring on the return line which leaves you prone to drawing in air. You unbolt the return line tube and the o-ring is underneath: 34439AE020 (under 2 bucks)
3. Remove the airbox and hose to gain some room.
4. Unbolt the power steering hose from the passenger side of the block.
5. The hardest part of this mod is getting the lines off of the rack. If you're doing a swap, while the motor is out is the best time to do this, when is when I did it. If you have already done the swap, you could try unbolting the motor mounts and using a cherry picker to lift the motor up to give you some clearance. The nut that's on the rack side is the stationary one, so make sure to loosen the hose side so you don't bend the tube. Be warned that you will get some power steering fluid on you, the level depends on how much you got out!
6. From there I assembled the hoses in this order from power steering pump to rack, making sure that all the adapters were tight:
High pressure line:
14x1.5mm o-ring male to -6AN male adapter
Fragola Performance Systems 460614 - Fragola Performance Systems AN to Metric Adapter Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
*** lots of people have been having issues with the whining, you could try a stronger steel fitting to avoid this, but I have not tested it:
Heidts Power Steering Rack Fittings PS-030
-6AN premade stainless steel hose with steel female -6AN 90 and a straight female -6AN fitting
Fragola Performance Systems 372042 - Fragola Performance Systems P.T.F.E Hose Assemblies - Overview - SummitRacing.com
14x1.5 mm o-ring female to -6AN male adapter
Fragola Performance Systems 491970 - Fragola Performance Systems AN to Metric Adapter Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Return line:
16x1.5mm oring to -6AN male adapter
Fragola Performance Systems 491971 - Fragola Performance Systems AN to Metric Adapter Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
-6AN male to barb fitting
Summit Racing SUM-220756 - Summit Racing® AN to Nipple Twist-Tite Fittings - Overview - SummitRacing.com
7. I attached all of the high pressure line and return line to the rack first, and laid the hoses along the cross member up to the frame rail and ziptied them to the brake hardlines, and I followed it until just after the airbox. I pulled the high pressure side up and bolted on to the pump, I used teflon tape on the pump side of the adapter.
8. I cut a small piece of the return hose about 3" to clamp one side to the barbed fitting and then hose clamp the other side to the reservoir. Reattach the reservoir then reattach the return hose and reattach the airbox and hose.
Refill the reservoir with ATF (I like the motul synthetic ATF), leave the cap off, jack the car up and put it on stands. With the car off cycle the wheel left to right about 10 times. Start up the car and check for leaks. If there are none, keep turning the steering wheel left to right, checking for bubbles in the reservoir and adding more if needed.