Can I drive with power steering disconnected?

[mikey]

This is actually a Corolla question, but there's no Corolla site which compares with this one.

My power steering pump was bad, so I ordered another from Auto Parts Warehouse, the only one I could find, and the new (rebuilt) pump leaks badly. Until I get another, am I doing any damage to anything by simply removing the belt and leaving the pump in place? The power steering is the only thing driven by that belt. It's a 1982, and there's a steering box, not rack and pinion. It's not much work to steer, so I don't see any driving danger, just wondering about any mechanical effects from this.

Also: any experience with Auto Parts Warehouse?

[danzo]

You won't do any harm, I've done this with multiple vehicles. You can find good deals with APW, sometimes better deals elsewhere, just shop around. I've bought a few parts from them and have had positive experiences.

Is your Corolla a wagon? I've always liked the early '80's ones, esp being rwd and all.

[mikey]

Thanks for the reassurance....I really couldn't see how anything would be harmed. It's a two door sedan I just bought with only 110,000 miles on it, and hopefully this power steering glitch will be my only problem until spring. I hate working in the cold. By the way, I'm concerned about the rear wheel drive on icy roads. I put some concrete blocks in the trunk, just like in the old days!

This was my first purchase with APW, so let's see how they handle it. The price was right, and no one else seemed to have one. I'll probably have to put the old pump back in so I can return the new one. Since they are out of them at the moment, I fear that it may be a few weeks before things are fixed.

[dlb]

mikey and danzo, how does the steering feel without PS? my parts terc had manual steering and i didn't even realize it until i had been driving it for a while. i read that manual steering might have different gearing though so i wonder if cars with PS feel heavier without the pump helping.

[Petros]

As Danzo stated, no harm done to the steering system, it is just harder to turn the wheel. I have had good experience with APW, they have messed up orders but were quick to correct it. If that corolla pump is the same as on the tercels, they are usually pretty reliable. (the part numbers are not the same, so I do not know how different they are). I have over 300k miles on mine, so finding one in a wrecking yard would be a good bet. I have seen these same power steering pumps as in the Tercel4wd in other models of toyotas, so you may have more options. If you go to a self service wrecking yard look under the hood of similar year toyotoas and see if they look the same as yours. good luck finding a replacement.

[danzo]

I had a coworker that bought an early '80's hatchback new, drove it daily, kept it in great shape, then donated it about 5 years ago. I was shocked since I had shown such interest in the car, I hoped he would have asked me to buy it first. I certainly would have.

Maybe tire chains or snow tires would be better in the snow? But I'm certainly no Jack Frost; for Pete's sake it was 70* here today.

[mikey]

As for driving, hard to say, exactly. I read about different gears etc. between power/non steering designs, but that doesn't seem to apply here. Because the Corolla is a little car, the difference to me, when I took the belt off, was that I had to steer with my arms, not my fingers, but nothing apelike in effort. It helps to remember to do steering changes while the car is in motion, even slightly. Actually I was pleasantly surprised that it was not a dramatic difference at all.

This old Corolla might be a bit harder to find parts for than the Tercel, which I still see lots of around Santa Fe. I did just find another source for a pump, and only forty-some bucks. Maybe the engine parts won't be so bad, although body and trim parts could be.

[danzo]

mikey and danzo, how does the steering feel without PS? my parts terc had manual steering and i didn't even realize it until i had been driving it for a while. i read that manual steering might have different gearing though so i wonder if cars with PS feel heavier without the pump helping.

True David, most if not all manual racks have a different ratio than their power counterparts. If you remove the p/s belt it will most likely have heavier steering than that same car with a manual rack. But on cars as light as ours, there just isn't much difference. I removed my p/s belt for a few months to see if I would get better mpg, realized I didn't, then re-installed the belt when I need to do alot of city driving.

That's part of the 'neatness' of having an '80's car with multiple belts vs. a serpentine. You can remove one accessory at a time.

[ARCHINSTL]

While a tad OT - re Auto Parts Warehouse...
https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... use#p43353
and https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... se+#p44115
Tom M.

[mikey]

Update: They've agreed to refund the full price including shipping, and have sent a FEDEX shipping label. I found another pump (same manufacturer)for $30.00 less on another site.

I'm also getting used to driving without power steering, so there's really no rush to get the repair done!