Electric Power steering

Kirk-NJ

Well-known Member
Posting this for Tom so please direct all questions to him.

Must be 12 volt neg ground or be converted to 12 volt neg ground.

Ordered 2002-2007 Electric power steering unit for Saturn Vue or Chevy Equinox (Unit must have metal control box) Easy to see from the picture on Ebay. Mine was ordered from Direct Car Part Oct 10th but
eventually came from M&K Used Auto Parts, Orange City, Florida
Cost $84.99 + $12.00 shipping

Ordered controller Box from : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Equinox-Saturn-Vue-Electronic-Power-Steering- Bruno Steering $44.99 + $9.99 shipping. Comes very fast from Portugal. As our tractors do not
have a computer this unit is needed to replace that component.

Machine shop (lower connector from tractor steering to EPS unit) $20.00. Drilled two 3/16 holes and used a 3/16 x 1/14" spring shear pin.

New spark plug wires for RFI $20.00

Extra (2 ea.) dash and brace for experimenting $50.00 from local salvage yard.
Total spent $241.97

The metal control box has three plastic plug holes:
is for the controller you will get from Bruno that goes to ground and ignition on/off. He sends excellent instructions.
is for the pos/neg wires from the battery. Hot all the time.
is for the motor on the unit.
Most salvage yards just cut 1 &2 wires and you may get the plastic plugs. #1 comes with the controller. #3 is attached to the units motor. #2 you need but may not get. If you order by phone tell them you
need that one. If all else fails I have two of those plugs I will send if someone needs them.

The steering unit should be bench tested before installation. Easy to do. Lots of utube videos show you how. Or, I can help with that.


The first two units were defective and this one finally came from MKAUTO.
Bruno who sent the controller from Portugal was very helpful.
I still have to somehow fit the dash & brace to this addition so I can install the hood. That may take some time & imagination. My friend who is a retired designer/engineer will help.
Right now it looks kinda funny as I have yet to clean up the wiring and make things permanent.
BUT, IT WORKS and steers like my car and truck. It will be done.
If I can be of further help to anyone doing this, please send me an email and I will help anyone any way I can. The difference in driving the tractor is like NIGHT and Day. I wish my Dad was still alive
so he could experience this experience.
Thanks for your interest

Tom/Idaho

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As I said I still have things to do to finish this. But, it is useable now and the welding of the support brackets and modifying dash/support bracket can be done this winter. I may have to fabricate
something entirely different to hold the back of the hood.
Thanks for your help, Tom/Idaho
 
I applaud Tom for his ingenuity and his thinking outside of the box.
And I admit the price is low enough to warrant experimenting with it.
But I still maintain that this system will wear out your sector gears.
All of the Ford PS systems applied their power in Front of your sector gears, not behind them. For one handed mowing it will be a dream. If you use it on a loader tractor your steering box will fail.
 
I agree, UD, and it's a great idea for most folks, so long as they do not overload the gearbox with FEL work, etc.

Perhaps an electric/hydraulic system with slave cylinder(s) would make sense for N/hundred series tractors.

Dean
 
I did mine about the same, mines off the tractor right now because I got discussed with it.Put the original steering box back on I use my tractor for winter snow plowing.I went through 2 EPS units and 2 control units, the control units are pretty delicate. You have to be care with test lights hot wires and welding around them.I'am going to go at it again in the winter and put it back on the tractor next spring.I made my own couplings and braces like Tom,but I found a place since then in California that has everything you need for EPS. Shipping is fast 3 days to near Buffalo NY, for most small items like the contol unit comes US mail $10:00 shipping. Any body interested google ePowerSteering.com
 
I say more power to Tom/Idaho or any innovator type with the time, imagination, energy to attempt such endeavors. If it doesn't work out to meet his requirements, he has surely demonstrated the skills to remedy the situation by change or restore. I'm no longer that energetic, I'm sorry to have to say, so if I really want power steering, a different tractor with it is in order. But I already have that.
 
I forgot to mention if you need to know any information about EPS call the guy he's really helpful with what to do and not what to do when install your EPS.
 
My own thought I may be right or I may be wrong I think the steering box on an 8n is alot stronger than the EPS unit, when my first Saturn EPS failed I took it apart to see if I could see what happened to it I think I screwed up the circuit board, but what amazed me was the gears in the Saturn ESP unit are plastic. And besides that EPS doesn't put any more force on the 8N box just make it easier for the old guy in my case turning the wheel.
 
(quoted from post at 13:12:41 11/21/17) I say more power to Tom/Idaho or any innovator type with the time, imagination, energy to attempt such endeavors. If it doesn't work out to meet his requirements, he has surely demonstrated the skills to remedy the situation by change or restore. I'm no longer that energetic, I'm sorry to have to say, so if I really want power steering, a different tractor with it is in order. But I already have that.

Plus 1 on that. Engineering wise the electrical load is of far more interest and practical concern than steering gear loads. I don't know how much boost the Saturn motor generates but large vehicle C-EPS motors (~50 lb-ft) can easily pull 60-70A+ when fully loaded. I would guess a VUE motor is smaller than that but I see some pretty large red wires in those photos so I hope Tom has added a high output alternator to go with his EPS ;-)

TOH
 
(quoted from post at 18:12:41 11/21/17) I say more power to Tom/Idaho or any innovator type with the time, imagination, energy to attempt such endeavors. If it doesn't work out to meet his requirements, he has surely demonstrated the skills to remedy the situation by change or restore. I'm no longer that energetic, I'm sorry to have to say, so if I really want power steering, a different tractor with it is in order. But I already have that.

I have a friend that replaced the steering gear box on a Case VAC with a power steering unit off an older Ford car. He mounted the pump on the opposite side as the generator. The VAC had only one steering arm, so the Ford power steering gear box was a good fit. You could turn the steering wheel with one finger.
 
Lester, I remember you saying you had a spare steering box with dash and support brace that you were going to build up and then just switch the two. Would you be so kind as to post a few photos of the finished product?
Thanks, Tom/Idaho
 
TOH
Right now I have a 61 (I think) amp alternator. I"m thinking that is big enough. However, I do respect your input and am going to NAPA this afternoon to get a larger amp alternator. Just to be on the safe side.
I"ve come to far on this project to not cover all bases.
Thank you, Tom/Idaho
 
(quoted from post at 13:59:05 11/21/17) My own thought I may be right or I may be wrong I think the steering box on an 8n is alot stronger than the EPS unit, when my first Saturn EPS failed I took it apart to see if I could see what happened to it I think I screwed up the circuit board, but what amazed me was the gears in the Saturn ESP unit are plastic. And besides that EPS doesn't put any more force on the 8N box just make it easier for the old guy in my case turning the wheel.

A C-EPS from a small car typically maxes out around 30 lb-ft of assist. Those numbers are hard to find even in general and I've looked pretty hard for the specifics of the Saturn unit with no success. You could probably measure it on the bench using a torque wrench....

TOH
 

Your limit on amperage output will be how fast you can turn the alt and no belt slippage. You are limited on RPM, a 61 amp alt should work just fine. Worst case keep a battery maintainer on it when not in use. I would stay with what you have you can always upgrade the charging system.

Its fused @80 amps I spec 40 to 50 will be all it will every pull... A bunch of info is out there on this and other EPS system conversions Google "Saturn vue electric power steering wiring"
 
Tom/Idaho I'll take more pictures in the winter when I do the do over,I don't know what I going to do with the dash yet, as you probably found out the hand throttle has a real clearance problem and I want to kept the hand throttle.I already heat and beat the dash support bracket and bent the throttle shaft slightly. It clears the EPS unit until I put the dash on then it's all messed up again.I have it were it's not to bad but I don't like that way so I'am going to cut and weld the dash again till it suits me.Then I put the new control unit on and try again I'll keep the forum posted.
 
Well said Jmor.
Guys here always seem to be wanting to
upgrade their Ns with Howards, live hyds,
PS, power beyond, etc, etc.
But a good 661, 860 or 3000 will give you
those advancements plus you'll get other
features besides.
 
Type .....1955 FERGUSON TO35 Power Steering?? into the archives..

Read from YT user
watersteps

12-2402014
09.48:42

Bob....
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